Originally Posted on my site OROXY December 30, 2017
By Kendra

What image pops in your head when you think of a solo traveler? For many the image of a young 20-something, jet-setting on Daddy Warbuck’s dime comes to mind, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Granted some of the travelers you will meet are going to be like this (there’s exceptions to every rule), but most of us aren’t.

It’s all about attitude

Every solo traveler I’ve talked to has a similar attitude to traveling. It’s not an “it would be nice” or “someday” attitude. It’s an “I need to go” attitude.

I know what you’re thinking, “If we could simply purchase plane tickets with attitude we’d be all set”, but if you truly make travel your priority, you’re going to find yourself traveling.

Your bank account doesn’t magically fill up on attitude, but it’ll prioritize what you spend your money on.

For example, when someone gets a promotion or raise, they could put that extra income towards anything extra and keep the same level of comfort in their current lifestyle, but that’s not always how people operate. We go out to eat a couple extra times per week, go to the movies, buy a new car, get that new flat screen TV we’ve been wanting, or whatever we decide to spend money on... until that extra income is no longer extra. It’s what’s sustaining our current lifestyle.

If you shift your priorities and traveling becomes your priority, then you’re going to limit your spending on other luxuries to get the one you really want: traveling the world.

There is no perfect time to travel

Every solo traveler I’ve met abroad has a similar story. They’ve always wanted to travel and see the world, and were tired of waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect group of friends to go with them. They got fed up with waiting and made travel their priority. They’ve cut back on other luxuries or expenses and opted for the one that really matters to them.

It’s the little things

Unless you’re one of the lucky few who bought bitcoin in the early 2000’s chances are you’re not going to be able to simply pack up and walk out the door without some kind of savings plan figured out, and a piggy bank full of quarters and pennies isn’t necessarily going to cover flight costs (but you’d be surprised how much it helps).

Now that we’ve focused ourselves it’s time to start saving some money for our trip. It doesn’t happen overnight and it takes some willpower. Look around your home right now. How much money have you spent on everything around you? How much do you actually use all of those things?

I’m not advocating a Spartan lifestyle, but to simply rearrange your spending priorities. The easiest example is coffee. I used to start every day with a Starbucks coffee and breakfast sandwich, and sometimes an extra one around lunch time. I switched to one coffee a day, and made my own breakfast in the mornings. That saves around 5-10 dollars a day.

What about the movies? Do you really need a bag of popcorn the size of a backpack? Probably not, but it is fun. On the other hand, so is strolling through Paris or hanging out at the Louvre.

Heading to the bar on a Friday night? Awesome, have a great time. Did you really need to buy that last round for the whole table?

It doesn’t require a life-changing paradigm shift, but it does require a conscious effort to curb your lifestyle spending to get where you want to be. The next step, and this is probably the most important step is to actually do something with the money you “save”, because you’re not actually saving anything. It’s already your money you’re choosing not to spend it on these things. If you don’t do anything with it you’re just going to spend it on something else.

Make a separate bank account and every time you “save” some money like this actively transfer that money into your travel fund. If you leave all your dough in your checking account, you won’t associate that stash with your travel goals.

Use technology to help

There have also been some useful apps to come out recently to help with this.

Stash

Stash is an investment app that you can invest your money in small parts of portfolios. You can set it up for a recurring payment to save some money and earn a little bit more interest than you normally would. I average about a 10% return but it’s still a stock option so the possibly of you losing money is ever-present.

Acorns

Acorns is a fun app that round up your purchases to the nearest whole number (or number you choose) and then deposits it into a separate savings account. You specify what you’re saving for and little by little with every purchase you put yourself closer to completing your saving goal. It’s by no means the most efficient method of saving for something, but if you need a little extra willpower in your arsenal this will help by taking the decision out of your hands.

Location! Location! Location!

Not all currencies are created equal, and if you’re struggling with a budget you may want to consider visiting an area where your money goes a little further. In a small fishing village on the southeastern coast of Vietnam (Mui Ne) I ordered a dinner of scallops, lobster, shrimp, mussels, rice, vegetables, and a whole snapper with two bottles of local wine. I spent about $40 for the whole meal and it was one of the best I’ve ever eaten (and I definitely went overboard on ordering!). Keep in mind all of it was fresh seafood: I was able to walk up to a fish tank and “meet the meat” so to speak, and the meal fed several people. If you tried to order that much food on the California coast you’d have to spend a few hundred dollars. Going to a local restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I can order a full meal for about $1-3 dollars depending on what I get.

It can seem intimidating, but it comes down to your own personal drive. If you want something badly enough you’re going to get it. Not because it’s going to magically fall into your lap, but because you’re going to push yourself until you get. And best of all, it is so worth it. Good luck and hopefully we’ll see you on your travels soon.

How did you save for your last trip? Do you have any other tips or ways you can travel? Leave a comment below or contact us at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!