There's no doubt about it, seeing more of the world has
become a priority for this generation. Regular travel is more accessible than
ever before – but many of us still aren't getting enough of it. If you want to
travel more, here are five tips to help you make your dream a reality.
1. Cut back on unnecessary spending.
This might seem obvious, but it's amazing how many people
fail to do the basics. If you want to travel more, you need to get serious
about your day-to-day budgeting. Those daily coffees and weekly nights out soon add up and
can make all the difference when it comes to booking your next trip. Sit down
and figure out where you spend your money each month, and work out what is most
important to you.
This doesn't mean you have to stop spending altogether.
Simply get real about where your money goes, and make a conscious decision
about where to spend it. Set up a regular savings account to fund your travel,
and experiment with living a more minimalist lifestyle.
What about your living situation? Are there ways to cut
back on your monthly living expenses? If you can get by in a smaller house – or
get rid of the expensive TV subscription – you could save hundreds each year.
Look after the pennies, and you'll soon be able to turn them into flights.
2. Change your job.
If you want to see the world and don't mind doing a
little work on your travels, look into changing your job. This doesn't mean
giving up on everything to become an Instagram influencer – but simply looking
for alternative employers that conduct their business internationally. In this
age of global business, it's not hard to find employers who need staff willing
to travel for them. In fact, your willingness to do so might even put you ahead
of other candidates for the role, who may wish to stay closer to home due to
family commitments.
This is becoming an increasingly popular option. One
survey found 39% of Gen Z and Millennials would not accept a job that didn't involve travel. And one of the biggest benefits of travelling for work? All
your expenses – including flights, accommodation and food – are likely to be
covered for you.
3. Become a digital nomad.
If travelling on someone else's time isn't enough for
you, why not consider becoming your own boss?
There's a growing community of people who have turned
their back on the status quo and are making their own rules instead. Fancy
joining them? What skills do you have that people would be willing to pay for?
Businesses are increasingly working with freelancers for everything from
accounting to marketing - so what could you offer them?
It's a good idea to trial your idea from the safety of
your own home first. But once you've got it all figured out? The world is your
oyster. You can travel as much as you like, getting paid from your laptop asyou go.
4. Learn more about travel hacking.
Travel hacking is a popular way to see the world for
less. But how does it work?
The idea is simple – sign up to a reward card, and then
use that to build up points that can be exchanged for things like flights and
accommodation. If you're based in the USA, you will have the best travel
hacking opportunities available to you, but it's also possible from other
countries too. For example, in the UK, you can use Avios to collect points in
exchange for flights with BA, Aer Lingus and other international airlines.
Aside from reward cards, make sure you follow travel
blogs to stay on top of hints and tricks from other travellers. The website
Secret Flying has become one of the industry's best-kept secrets in recent
years, helping you bag some incredible bargains if you're fast enough.
5. Develop the right mindset.
Finally, if you want to travel more, you need to develop the right mindset. Many people tell themselves it's not possible. They either
don't have enough time, money – or both. This simply isn't true. Anyone can
travel more if they make it a priority.
