When people think of traveling the world, most picture spending a lot of money to make their dreams come true. In reality, it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Australian food and travel photographers and writers Meagen Collins and Tom Williams traveled around the world for only $750 a month back in 2013. Together, they visited more than 85 countries. Now they share their insights on foodie vacations on their food travel blog, Food Fun Travel. Take some advice from their story before planning your next big vacation. Their travel tips still apply today, even though their trip happened four years ago.
Plan Way Ahead
Originally, Collins and Williams didn’t plan to spend their lives traveling. Like most people, they decided to get full time jobs and save up money to one day buy a house. They saved $35,000 towards that goal. Ultimately, they realized they didn’t want to spend all of that money on a long-term mortgage. Instead, they used it to break out of their routine. You don’t necessarily need to save that much money to start traveling. However it is smart to have a decent chunk of change ready for when you need to take time off work. If you’re part of a couple, then it may be awkward to talk about money. But there are ways to learn how to talk about financial goals to get closer to your dreams. One thing is for sure: to know how much money to save, you need to have an idea of where you’re going.
Take Your Time
The key to the Collins and Williams' travel: they took their time and stayed flexible. They didn’t leave with a set travel plan, but more of a rough guideline based on what they wanted to see and do. “The only way we’ve survived this long is slow travel,” said Williams. Write down a list of the places you want to visit, and then do some research. Be open to new opportunities, like staying with locals or making a point to visit free attractions like museums. By sticking to the off-seasons, like Paris in August or Portugal in the winter, they snagged free housesits or ultra-low rates on apartments for the month. They traveled slowly, spending up to three months in one location. This allowed them to lock in an apartment or room at a lower rate than if they switched accommodation every five days.
Consider A Travel Agent
If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of this, then look into getting a travel agent. Collins and Williams stayed one step ahead in this area because Collins worked as a travel agent. But it can be very helpful to hire one for your travel planning. A travel agent can work with your flexible schedule and save you money. Also, you’ll feel better knowing you’re in good hands that know how to make traveling easy and fun. While you may not have as much money as Collins and Williams to spend on traveling, their vacation smarts prove you can still see the world on a small budget. They saved up, planned ahead and kept their minds open to more than the usual vacation experience. If you follow their steps, then you can travel like a pro in no time.
This story originally appeared on Don't Waste Your Money. Checkout Don't Waste Your Money for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
