Originally posted on January 22, 2016 @ 2:39 am
A high percentage of the world has the desire to travel in one form or another. To you, it might mean a relaxing vacation to somewhere tropical. To another, it could mean a life-changing trip overseas to observe monks or wildlife in the Congo Jungle. Sometimes desire to travel comes in the form of flight, sometimes it comes in the form sailing the seas.
Whatever the means to arrive at your destination, planes, trains, automobiles, bicycles, or cruise ships are all great, and all get you to where you’re going. It’s been established that most people would love to travel. There’s the catch, though. Would love to travel. Why aren’t they traveling if it’s something they want to do?
The reason is money. It seems to be the answer and motivation for everything, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t have to be. Travel doesn’t always have to be expensive, but even if it is, you can do it. The trick is in managing your personal finances. Learn to do that, and money won’t hold you back, it will turn into a catalyst.
It’s as Simple as Keeping Track
It’s a bit of a challenging subject because nobody wants to talk about it. Those who have money could usually care less about tracking it, and those who don’t have money don’t like the fact that they have to track it to survive.
There will always be people who budget and there will always be people who don’t, but if you keep track of your cash flow, you will very quickly see the lights go on in your life. Maybe very literally. Don’t fear the idea of keeping a budget. Once you take control of your spending, you’ll feel less inhibited than ever and you’ll be able to allocate your money appropriately to things that matter to you-like travel!
Find Alternatives
It’s always great fun to go out with your friends and get dinner, have a couple drinks, and go to a movie. It’s even more fun when you do it a lot! But there is a problem with this. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person will spend 1 out of every $100 dollars they earn on alcohol. This equates to 1% of their total earning. It might not seem like a lot, but a lot of others spend a lot more.
Think of college students, young adults and people like yourself. It’s a lot of money in entertainment. If you enjoy alcohol and it’s not a problem, that’s fine, but consider finding alternative ways to have fun that aren’t as expensive. There are a lot of ways people spend money when they don’t have to.
Have dinner and wine in house for a change. This same principle can be applied to a lot of other things, so think over your spending habits, ask yourself if there is something cheaper you could do, and reallocate that money to your next big trip!