Why You’ll Never Have Money For Your Dream Trip

Let me guess:

You love travelling and you wish you could spend every free minute and every penny saved exploring a new place!

Yet it seems absolutely impossible to find the time or money to visit all those wonderful destinations on your bucket list…

You get frustrated by thinking you’ll never be able to fulfil your travel dreams.

I get it, you can’t create more time or suddenly have more money out of nowhere in your bank account.

You’ve probably tried every piece of advice, from using every free day to explore your backyard to saving enough money for your dream trip by giving up on the small pleasures in life, like coffees or going out with friends.

But you know what, all this advice is total BULLSHIT.

The Real Reason You Don’t Have Money For Your Dream Trip

Instead of trying so hard to find the time or save the money, all you have to do is re-evaluate your bucket list and carefully plan the trips which you can already afford.

You don’t have to save more money for travel by cutting your daily budget. It is the budget you can already set aside for travel that needs preserving.

Meaning, you simply have to find the destinations which can be visited on the money you already have.

Does that sound too complicated?

Let me explain.

For example, your nearest airport has a budget airline performing flights to X destinations. Research the destinations they serve and choose one to your liking.

Is it something on your bucket list?

Probably not.

And here’s the problem right there:

Your Bucket List Is What’s Holding You Back

Now think about your bucket list for a moment.

Who made it?

Was it influenced by social media, TV shows, your friends telling you stories about destinations you should visit? Or did you read the 1000^th post about “100 Places You Have To See Before You Die”?…

You might not realise this, but most people tend to visit the same destinations they keep hearing about. That’s mass tourism. While it’s good for the tourism industry and (sometimes) the local people, it drives the price of your vacation up.

So you end up overpaying for a trip which you actually might not enjoy so much. Because due to said mass tourism everything at your bucket list destination is overpriced, overly touristy, and kind of seems like you’ve already seen it all.

But let me tell you, for every destination on your bucket list, there are hundreds of off-beat destinations which are as great as the ones you constantly hear about, if not better.

You just need to find them. And learn how to travel on a budget.

How To Find A Destination Which Fits Both Your Pocket And Your Taste

So here’s what you can do the next time you start planning a trip:

• Write down what your perfect destination looks like.
• Write down your available time and budget.
• Try to find a destination, which covers as many as possible of the criteria on your travel wish list.
• Try to find the cheapest yet reasonably comfortable way to get there. Learn how to find cheap flights to basically anywhere in the world in just five simple steps.
• Plan your activities according to your budget. For example, instead of booking tours, organise your day trips on your own using local transportation or renting a car.
• Book your accommodation according to the minimum of your comfort needs. You’ll be just sleeping and showering there after all, why would you pay for anything more than a bed and a bathroom?
• Read as many tips as possible online and in guidebooks. Here’s a good take on how to travel on a budget. If you get the chance, talk to someone, who lives there or has at least visited the destination for an extended period of time.
• Research as many aspects of the destination as possible to avoid travel scams, paying for overpriced meals, or going on tours which are not to your liking.

Don’t try to make your budget fit your destination. Instead, make your destination fit your budget.

You do have the time and the money to travel, all you need to do is find an affordable destination.

To get you started, check these money-saving tips from world travellers.

And here’s another example of how a fellow blogger manages her travel expenses: Luxury for Less. You can pick up a few of her tricks and give them a test.

Does that sound applicable to you? Let me know in the comments!