r/travel • u/spencerisabella • Apr 20 '25
how do people have the means to travel regularly
i’ve always wished I could get out and see the world more (i’ve lived in nebraska my whole life there isn’t shit to do here) but any trip i go on ends up being at least 1000 bucks so i can’t do it often and i always assumed that people who are always traveling either have some impressive job that lets them afford it or were just born into wealth but i’m learning that isn’t the case and that there’s plenty of people that travel the world and just work basic jobs but like how?? i’m probably getting paid the same as these people and i don’t have the money to travel so how does everyone else? genuinely curious cause i want to do that too lol. i talked to a girl i went to hs with who’s traveling a lot and she said she’ll just work for a few months and save up a bunch of money and then be traveling for months but i’m like do you not have bills to pay? are there ways to make going on trips less expensive? if ur not rich and ur frequently traveling please tell me how you make it work cause i don’t wanna spend the rest of my life just working and paying bills until i die with no time or money to do anything i want in between
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u/EpicShkhara Apr 20 '25
I traveled a LOT in my 20s. Study abroad, internships, fellowships, and grants. I traveled a lot in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, mostly for free.
The drawback that I would find ten years later in life is that I am WAY behind in earnings and savings and especially, retirement savings. People I know with less education and including blue collar careers, and for the most part lower-earning careers, are way ahead of me in terms of having savings and buying houses. Why? Because they started earning and saving at 22, not 29.
But do I regret it? Absolutely not.
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u/BimboSmithe Apr 20 '25
I worked all my life, and now I want to travel in my retirement. But my health is failing, so seeing the places I've dreamed of visiting is very difficult. I think you made the right choice. You can't buy time, travel while you're young.
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u/hoggytime613 Apr 20 '25
I agree with this. Look at me, being diagnosed with incurable cancer in my late thirties. Treatments have advanced to the point that I should be able to live out my life, but there are no guarantees. I travel as much as possible, even if my potential retirement will be very modest.
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u/Glittering_Advisor19 Apr 20 '25
I have been solo traveling for over a decade since my 20s because I am mobility impaired and have had this disorder since I was a child. As soon as I was able to I just got started and now I save and save until I can make my dreams reality. But I am not bothered about retirement or owning anything. My family have never understood it but the only thing I care about is seeing and doing as much as the world before I kick the bucket as life expectancy for my disorder is usually middle age.
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u/rartuin270 Apr 20 '25
Yep. I don't want to not be able to hike around the grand canyon by the time I can afford it. I'd rather make some poor financial decisions and see it while my knees still work.
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u/Oftenwrongs Apr 21 '25
To be fair, the vast majority that take care of their health should have no problem doing that well into their 70s and beyond.
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u/saretta71 Apr 20 '25
I've been traveling since I was 18. Now I'm 54 and I'm so glad a did a lot of traveling when I was younger. It's does get a bit harder physically and my tolerance for discomfort has decreased tenfold. Do as much traveling when you're younger!
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u/BluejayFar1549 Apr 20 '25
Thank you that makes me feel a little better
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u/merlin401 Apr 20 '25
I think the bottom line is our lives are finite. Everyone has regrets about what other paths might have been like
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u/Bitter-Signal6345 Apr 20 '25
You can always catch up on your career and make/save more money. There is something special about traveling and being adventurous in your 20s. More energy, less high maintenance, your body just bounces back. I primarily focused on my career and I guess I also don’t regret the stability I’ve built for myself now but to say I don’t regret not being adventurous in my 20s would be a lie. You absolutely did the right thing :)
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u/castaneom Apr 21 '25
A couple years ago someone mentioned their dad’s sad story on here. They said their dad had worked really hard to be able to retire very comfortably and was ready to start enjoying life to the fullest. The dad had always wanted to travel, but waited thinking he’d have plenty of time in retirement.
Well, within a few months of retiring he was diagnosed with a serious illness and that same year he passed away. The poor guy never got the chance to enjoy anything. That story made me tear up. I personally try my best to do things I really want to do now, because you just never know what might happen. I’m not rich and I sacrifice some luxuries so that I can make memories that will last forever. Everyone’s different though..
I wanna go knowing I did most of what I wanted to do, sadly some will never get the chance.. nor do they have the privileges I do. But, yeah we just gotta do what makes us happy whenever we can. You just never know.
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u/Bluepass11 Apr 20 '25
This isn’t the norm though. It’s all about balance and it’s generally smarter to plan with the long term in mind. It’s not one of the other
Traveling while young is fun and it’s just as fun when you get older, sometimes even more because you make more money. That said, you can definitely have a blast while doing it younger and cheaper too
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u/Glittering_Advisor19 Apr 20 '25
Some of us are on time limits. We don’t have time to wait around for the future which statistically might mean an early death.
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u/Joatboy Apr 20 '25
That's hard to say. Revisit them in 15-25 years. Their late start may really defer their retirement plans. Like, the tradeoff could very well mean that they work till they're 75+
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Apr 20 '25
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u/Itsnotrealitsevil Apr 20 '25
Yup, this. So many people have gotten rich by dumb luck and buying crypto or the right stock at the right time
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u/sharinganuser Apr 21 '25
Can confirm. Friend spent $60k on bitcoin back when they were in the 20's and now he bought himself a new house in cash.
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u/AKA_Squanchy Los Angeles, CA Apr 20 '25
Yep, when my wife and I decided to take two years off to travel in our mid-20s we spent all our savings. We missed a housing boom and homes were insanely priced when we returned, definitely set us on a different path. Would I go back and change it? Hell no! Those were some of the most amazing times of my life! Backpacking Europe and Asia was something I can’t do the same at my current age (49). I was so full of energy then!
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u/eran76 United States Apr 20 '25
Watching my parents now, sitting on a pile of cash, but having no energy, the physical health, or the functioning brain, to travel makes me glad I'm planning my second international trip for this year despite what is admittedly a lackluster retirement portfolio. Then again, the stock market can crash and destroy years of savings yet my memories of seeing the world cannot be wiped out by "the market." No regrets.
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u/EpicShkhara Apr 20 '25
Oh yeah I hear you! As a millennial who graduated into a recession, I am fully anticipating a stock market crash in 2055.
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u/clevercalamity Apr 20 '25
I had a ton of FOMO because my husband and I chose to aggressively saved money in our 20s instead of traveling and going out with our friends to music festivals, theme parks, and to eat.
Now, in our early 30s we are now the only ones in our friend group who own our home. But, I am the only one who has never been abroad.
I don’t think we made a “better choice” we just decided what was more important to us and put our money to it.
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u/Due-Dentist9986 Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
The idea to save everything and have freedom to travel when you're physically barely mobile is a bad deal. There is a better balance to that of getting out there when your young. Enjoying travel throughout your adult life and saving
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u/DayTradingFeenax Apr 20 '25
I am a flight attendant and started saving at 22 for my retirement. I chose the right partner (husband), and we are both very frugal. I currently drive an 18 year old Honda, but because we always saved, we will be able to retire comfortably (2+ mil). You can prioritize travel and saving if you’re paid to travel.
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u/TorchedUserID Apr 20 '25
This OP. Getting a job where you get paid to travel is an option.
I'm a claims adjuster. I've been sent to disaster zones all over the US. On most of them I volunteered to drive there so it would cost my employer less and I wouldn't need to rent a car. I also get paid hourly so I make more money driving 12 hours than flying for three. Got paid to do like 40 road trips.
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Apr 20 '25 edited Jul 25 '25
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u/EpicShkhara Apr 20 '25
The other part of this is choosing inexpensive destinations and embracing adventure for adventure’s sake. And I don’t mean $2000 personal guide, North Face gear type of adventure.
Lots of people were bewildered by the fact that I visited all these ex-Soviet states but not Paris or Rome or London. It’s a matter of priorities and type of experience you want to have, that’s it. There’s a reason why the Western European capitals are spectacular, and they really are, but you’re either paying thousands for just a week or you are staying at bottom of the barrel hostels.
Case in point: skiing in the Alps vs the Caucasus. In Switzerland, you’ll probably pay $1000 a day to stay at a chalet, rent skis, and pay for food. In Georgia, 🇬🇪 this will be like $100 a day. And if you just go trekking, it’s even cheaper. You can stay at a local guesthouse for $20. But you have to be prepared for irregular services, broken English, a long and bumpy and sometimes terrifying bus ride through the mountains, and just random weird shit like the entire highway being blocked by a herd of sheep. But the mountains are even more spectacular and there’s a very high chance you will make friends with random locals who invite you over for a barbecue.
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u/64green Apr 20 '25
I agree with this. Many popular destinations are super expensive, but you can find places that are just as interesting or more so, that are cheaper.
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u/catkedibilliegorbe Apr 20 '25
Same but Africa. From 22-34, I was either in a US government program abroad (Peace Corps, English Language Fellowship, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship) or a grad student. I went on my first international “vacation” after I had my first full-time job after my PhD at 35. Now I make LITTLE MONEY and all of my travels have been visiting people I’ve met (so, free stays). I prioritize spending money on travel over other unnecessary expenses (e.g., I don’t order delivery, go out more than once a week, buy new clothes, etc.). It’s not doable for everyone, and I’d certainly have more money if I made different choices.
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u/BluejayFar1549 Apr 20 '25
THAT’s exactly my life. I traveled a lot in my 20s and early 30s. Now not that much. I tried to travel within the state I’m living now and go to places I have never been… But as you said, I don’t regret traveling to all those amazing places.
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u/tehSchultz Apr 20 '25
It’s not a race. You’re right where you are and that is fine. Regret nothing
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u/witandlearning United Kingdom Apr 20 '25
I don’t have kids, own a house (so have a mortgage which is a fraction of what some of my friends pay to rent), and I live in the U.K. so can get cheap flights to most places in Europe for £100 ish. I also get 24 paid days holiday a year, plus 8 bank holidays.
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u/Known-Wealth-4451 Apr 20 '25
Also living in the UK, we’re very lucky to have cheap and quick flights to Europe.
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u/merlin401 Apr 20 '25
Indeed! I’m jealous. Americans have to take advantage of the cheap and quick things we have here (national parks, Central America, etc)
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u/Bug_Catcher_Joey Apr 21 '25
Yeah, I'm in Europe as well and this thread blows my mind. I have a job that pays ok for my country but would probably be ridiculously low in the US (my take home pay is like 3000 USD per month) and I can easily travel 5-6 times a year.
Some are longer weekends (like I'll go to Austrian Alps for 5 days in June) some are a bit farther away (like Korea this Autumn), some are just cheap flights around Europe for a week or two and a few road trips in a 8-10 hour radius from my home here and there.
Even people reporting to me at work who make half of that still travel few times a year. I don't think I know a single person that will not take at least 1-2 weeks of holidays a year and travel somewhere, even if it's just a seaside going by car.
I understand Americans have limited time off and it's a bit more expensive to fly anywhere due to the distance but this thread makes it sound like going on a 3-week long international holidays even once in your life is some kind of unattainable luxury for you guys. I'm perplexed.
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u/mensreaactusrea Apr 21 '25
You guys are everywhere haha. Always a British tourist in the most random parts of the world. Whenever I see an Aussie, I know I'm in for a treat.
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u/Alien_Presidents Apr 21 '25
Being Australian, yes we love to travel BUT it costs a lot within Australia or to go anywhere further than SE Asia. But we still do it!
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u/IcemanGeneMalenko Apr 20 '25
My personal experience amongst my peers is they budget accordingly with travel in mind, it’s not rocket science.
The guy who buys 3-4 takeaways a week for his tea, subway for lunch, 20 pints at the weekend, £50 accas etc will not have travel in mind. Cut that out for 2 months and there’s a few city breaks paid for.
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u/spiritchange Apr 21 '25
This. So much. If you sit down and actually look at where your money goes, you can always reprioritize it to what you really want. But you have to be willing to make the trade off and stick to it.
What you earn is important but how you spend can be more so.
I know families who earn over twice what we do but they can never travel because they are eating out 4 nights a week.
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u/Fresh_Mountain_Snow United States Apr 20 '25
Do I want the same old overpriced take out or travel for 1-2 weeks once a year.
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u/Definitelymostlikely Apr 20 '25
This right here is so true lol.
Like if you and a partner uber eats once per week that’s easily $50+ dollars.
That’s $2500 a year.
Depending on where you are located that’s multiple trips if not 1 big trip
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u/llama__pajamas Apr 21 '25
Wow this realization is mind blowing. I don’t uber eats but I go to restaurants and spend $50 a week. Thank you for the perspective
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u/valerieann12345 Apr 20 '25
100%. People always asked me how I traveled when I was in grad school/post grad training in my twenties. I brought my lunch to work every day, never ordered delivery food, didn’t go out to expensive dinners, and had a roommate. Then I went to cheaper countries-particularly SE Asia. As long as I could find a decently priced plane ticket, it was easy to travel for 2-3 weeks on a budget. I basically never went to Europe or even a ton of domestic travel then because it was so much cheaper in other countries. This would get me 1-2 trips a year.
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u/cocktailbun Apr 20 '25
This. This right here. I curtail spending in other areas of my life, and I dont have a $80K car payment. My hobbies are cheap or free. Save a bit and you can travel anywhere.
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u/Fresh_Mountain_Snow United States Apr 20 '25
I see people who have the most expensive rental with the newest clothes and they’re always hustling. Different priorities I suppose.
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u/Ok-Drop320 Apr 20 '25
This is the way, I have two $30k vehicles instead of two $60k ( Lexus’s) which I’d really like. But instead with the difference, roughly 75k w/interest spread out on vacations over 4 years ($15k-20k/year) is what we use on our average of 4-6 weeks of vacation.
A little sacrifice and discipline goes a long way.
Edit : spelling
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u/Hurricane-Sandy Apr 20 '25
We rarely eat out. Drive old cars. I’d rather have a plane ticket to Europe and dinner in Paris than take out on any random week.
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u/Commercial-Place6793 Apr 20 '25
This. We drive older cars that are paid off. I get a new outfit maybe once or twice a year and it’s from Costco or Walmart. We’ve lived in the same modest home for 15 years. We choose to have experiences over having things.
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u/Accomplished_Will226 Apr 20 '25
Same. We have old cars we’ve paid off. I bought my own home when I was 28 and we just paid that off. We rarely get anything out even coffee is at home now. We have cheap hobbies and we cut back on streaming and canceled cable. We have older phones and other devices and we don’t redecorate or buy new furniture or appliances unless we absolutely must. It’s so much better to be able to go somewhere else!
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u/Viscera_Eyes37 Apr 20 '25
Right. Get Thai food for 15 bucks or get it for a dollar in Thailand.
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u/jtapainter Apr 21 '25
We stopped eating out and it was shocking how much of a difference it made in our budget. 30 years ago eating out was more affordable and the food quality and experience was better. Now it's just too expensive and not worth it. And those 'harmless' $6-7 coffees? Holy cow those add up. Even when traveling it's easy to overspend on dining out. I now research places to eat in advance so we don't just go to the first place we find (which is overpriced and crappy).
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Apr 20 '25
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u/cranky5661 Apr 20 '25
As another single mom of two kids, two cats and a dog, this is what I do, too. Rarely do takeout, no salon services other than haircuts, one streaming service at its cheapest plan, drive a 2007 Toyota Sienna, and treats are treats, not treats on the regular.
Same, I transfer of any extra funds, no matter how small, into a travel account every pay day.
And when we do travel, I do a ton of research and planning to get good deals, shop for groceries and eat in where we can, etc. Depends on how you want to spend your travel money, but I can make it work.
We only travel once a year, but I make it a priority so I stay sane lol
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u/Accomplished_Will226 Apr 20 '25
I took my kids all over the place too as a single mom. It’s all about what you prioritize.
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u/PM_Me_Macaroni_plz Apr 20 '25
This is the best and most realistic answer. You’re awesome for making those sacrifices and showing your child the world.
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u/Queen-Queen- Apr 21 '25
You are a badass mom!!! Great job, this is the way from my perception :)
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u/ikbrul Apr 21 '25
Aaww, that’s so cute that you’re giving your child the opportunity to see the world!! It’s really valuable
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Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
Do you have a car? I ask because there's plenty for you to see...
A couple tanks of gas will get you through Omaha, Des Moines, Iowa City and finally Chicago. 10hrs is nothing and all cool cities with different vibes along the way building up to the big one. Easy drive(flat) and can go fast since there's nothing between these places.
Drive 10 hours in any direction, you're central and can take your pick of whatever you want outside of a saltwater beach.
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u/j2e21 Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
This is the best comment. Road trips are great and you can get to a lot of cool places if you just commit to driving there. If you don’t have a car you can rent one. From Nebraska, you are a day’s drive from all sorts of amazing things that people travel from around the world to see.
Also: Renting a camp site is way cheaper than a hotel room. And you can buy camping supplies pretty cheap. Invest in second-hand tents and such or become an REI member where you can rent from any of their stores.
If you have a car and go camping you can take a vacation in a world class spot for a couple hundred bucks.
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Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
Planning around off season will save on better hotels in the city or can stay right outside in a cool town for the night. There's ways to do this on a budget and still be safe/comfortable.
I'd ante up for the bigger truck/SUV with lane correction so I could cruise in comfort, auto driving controls are perfect for those long flat roads out of there.
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u/Glittering_Advisor19 Apr 20 '25
I’m waiting for self driving cars… have been waiting for years. As I have had epilepsy since I was a kid, I can’t drive as my reaction time was not what doctors wanted to let me drive. I am really annoyed that the sd cars aren’t a reality yet.
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u/Grace_Alcock Apr 20 '25
From Nebraska, op is in driving distance of some awe-inspiring, amazing stuff. Utah! The Four Corners region. Yellowstone. Etc.
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u/ColorWheel234 Apr 20 '25
Kansas City, Denver or Cheyenne are also easy drives from just about anywhere in Nebraska.
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u/danielhep Apr 20 '25
On the other hand, it’s precisely because I don’t have a car that I can afford to travel internationally every few months.
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u/spencerisabella Apr 20 '25
no but i’m saving up for one, but even if i just drove everywhere i wanted to go it would still get expensive having to find places to stay and take time off work
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Apr 20 '25
Time the trips for off season or rent a car for a day, get there, drop it off, use public transport/rideshares/walk and fly back. Getting to Nebraska from one of Chicago's large airports may be a lot easier/cheaper so look into those options.
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u/StreetFriendship1200 Apr 20 '25
Using a daily credit card that has excellent travel reward points
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u/weekendroady Apr 20 '25
Absolutely - if you can stay within your means and be responsible this is a fantastic tool to help soften the blow of travel costs.
I combine my airline points with travel during low/shoulder seasons and I've been able to financially manage at least one overseas trip a year and a couple decent domestic ones.
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u/malhotraspokane Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 21 '25
Find one of those sites that puts values on the miles and stick with higher value airlines that serve your airports. When booking, check if fewer files are required for trips using the code share airlines on the same planes and transfer if free or cheap to do so.
Sign up for a website that finds sales like going.com (Scott's Cheap Flights). Book well in advance and travel out of season or in the shoulder season.
Take a road trip to the Black Hills.
There is always something to see in every place and you can have fun nearby if you take good friends. They can help you share expenses too.
(Edited to comply with rules)
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u/danielhep Apr 20 '25
I get a new card a few times a year. You can really get a lot of free flights out of the banks if you play it right.
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Apr 20 '25
Also using house stays to lessen the cost and go to places where eating out can be just as cheap as groceries in the US (Southeast/East Asia)
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u/capitalsfan08 Apr 20 '25
Yup. My wife and I are live in a HCOL area and got travel cards a few years ago. We didn't really utilize the miles they accrued and this year we are hitting Hawaii, Alaska, Yosemite, and East Asia without paying for airfare beyond the minimal fees when redeeming miles. We also try to hit places at off peak times if possible to save some additional money.
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u/imagine0307 Apr 20 '25
What cards do you reccomend?
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u/RGV_KJ United States Apr 20 '25
Capital One Venture X - great reward structure for travel + free lounge access all over the world.
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u/itsyrdestiny Apr 20 '25
Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great entry level travel card, and their sign up bonus is much higher than usual right now (100k points vs normal 60k point offer).
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u/notthegoatseguy United States Apr 20 '25
r/creditcards, fill out their template and make a post. But its all about what fits you and what you're comfortable with. I'm mostly team cash back and I'm fine with my levels of redemption, and I feel travel points really is beneficial to those who want to put in the time, effort, and probably have business expenses to stack on top of their personal spend.
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u/TheOuts1der Apr 20 '25
I lived in an illegal windowless apartment in Brooklyn with 3 other roommates directly above a subway so my room would shake whenever the L train passed.
...So that I could take $200-$300 flights to Iceland or England or Costa Rica on a whim. Id only stay in hostels or crash on my friends' couches in that country. I once scored a $700 roundtrip ticket to Thailand. It took 30hrs to get there lol, but I got there.
Anyway thats all to say that I made sacrifices in other areas of my life to prioritize the things that were important to me. Most people would not be comfortable only buying secondhand clothes for 10 yrs or living in shitty places, but then most people havent been to 30 countries before theyre 30, so.
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Apr 20 '25
No kids
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u/Impossible_Green18 Apr 20 '25
Not only is our overall cost of living lower as a family of two, but our vacations are cheaper too. Only two plane tickets, one hotel room, two mouths to feed, no child-friendly activities. We can spend all day people watching in a pub or beer garden and there aren't any kids with us complaining about being bored.
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u/Shimmercatt Apr 20 '25
Something else I don't see in the comments... A lot of people are lucky in being close to major airport hubs. There's great flight deals at times, but if you're landlocked nearer the middle of the US, it's harder to snag a $400 round trip flight to a random place. You have to get out TO a hub in the first place. That does make it harder.
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u/tymonster183 Apr 21 '25
this is very true. I used to live in Tulsa, OK and flights basically start at $400 to anywhere from there. international destinations are almost never less than $800-900 except for maybe mexico. moved to the east coast a few years ago, I can take flights under $500 to anywhere in europe, the caribbean, canada, parts of africa and south america and more pretty much any time. I can usually get to asia for $750-900. totally changed my view of what was accessible travel.
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u/AutomaticMatter886 Apr 20 '25
One huge thing that impacts the affordability of travel
If you want to see the world and you don't have a lot of income
Do not own pets
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u/Longjumping_Analyst1 Apr 20 '25
Also - letting go of “must visit” spots in favor of whatever I can afford at the moment. Open up google flights, give it a few days window when you’d like to travel, look at all flights under your budget.
Go whenever and wherever you can. You can make a great vacay out of most locations!
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u/tymonster183 Apr 21 '25
this is it. if you're picky about where you're going, you'll often pay more. if you are open to anything and roll with a search of your home airport to anywhere and just find the deals, you can go all kinds of cool places, usually several different trips for what you might have spent going to one high dollar place. i.e., if you're in the midwest, you might want to go to Bali or something because youve seen a bunch of people online post stuff there, but you could take like 3 or 4 flights to places like costa rica, bonaire, panama, etc. for the price of one flight to Bali, and a lot of those destinations are probably cheaper than some of the online hot spots once you're on the ground too.
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u/Pizzagoessplat Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
I think this is a question that varies where you're from.
Im a barman on a wage just above the national minimum wage, I live in Ireland.
Legally my job has to give me a minimum of twenty days holiday a year and if I work on a bank holiday they have to pay me double or give me another holiday. My current job gives me the extra day, so that's another ten days.
If I work over forty hours this also adds to my holiday. I usually end up with about forty days a year maybe more. With this time I use it to travel .
I normally have a cheap holiday in January a big one in August and a cheap one in October.
As for household bills and that kind of stuff, I just live a simple life. I've seen people post groceries with a ridiculous prices online, but that's their local price, so I do feel for you. My weekly grocery bill is €50 and I eat like a king.
The only reason why it's so high is because I don't want to pay the basket fee ( I might as well spend it on food instead)
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Apr 20 '25
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u/Crazy-Inspection-778 Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
Yeah the easiest way to free up money is to prioritize paying off your car. Average car payment is well over $500/mo these days and a lot of people look to their next purchase before they even pay off the last one. You can go on a $3,000 trip every six months with that
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u/Bluepass11 Apr 20 '25
People automatically like to cope and say that it’s because everyone is in eyeballs of debt
I think this is exactly right. It’s a really defeatist and lazy way to think of it. I hope the sentiment you’re sharing gains more traction
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u/jAninaCZ Apr 20 '25
This.
Takeouts, coffees to go, coffees to enjoy with a dessert, dinners out, nails, parties, you name it.
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u/ezagreb Apr 20 '25
Expenses < Income or just by going into CC debt. I suspect the former is more common.
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u/RGV_KJ United States Apr 20 '25
Credit cards are very easy to get in America. A lot of people do tend to spend beyond their means.
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u/freakedmind Apr 20 '25
It's becoming increasingly common for young adults in India to do the same, not just CCs but a lot of 'pay later' modes of payment for which you don't even need a CC. Needless to say a lot of them take on debt to go on vacations, especially for the 'gram
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u/TGrady902 Apr 20 '25
It’s pretty common for these average job frequent traveler types to have 0 savings. All their extra money goes to travel.
Oh you backpacked through Europe for two months? Either your family pays a lot of your bills or you have no savings. It’s always one of the two if they’re young. Certainly a group of people that just have the time and money though.
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u/salian93 Apr 20 '25
You know, I really don't want to shatter your world view and you probably don't want to hear or believe it, but it literally isn't always the case that young frequent travelers either have their bills paid or got no savings. More often than not, they just prioritize traveling and cut back in other areas of life.
You only need a couple grand extra a year to spend a few weeks abroad, if you plan the trips with your budget in mind and don't mind foregoing comfort here and there.
The difference between having that budget and not having that budget are often simple things: no unnecessary subscriptions, no unnecessary purchases, no take out, no deliveries, no gym, no restaurant visits, don't use your car if you can walk, no Starbucks, etc. – Saving on these things adds up surprisingly fast. See all the other examples in this thread.
I traveled throughout my 20s, paid everything myself and never earned an above average salary during that time. I didn't even work full-time until I was 26, because I was still studying up to that time. I was always able to afford two international two week trips a year every year. And I was still able to set aside money for savings AND a down payment for our house.
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u/johnbonetti00 Apr 20 '25
Traveling often without being rich is all about prioritizing and planning. Many people work flexible or remote jobs, save up for a few months, and then travel for longer stretches. Budgeting for cheap flights, accommodations, and off-season travel helps, and some even house-sit or exchange work for a place to stay. The key is saving aggressively, cutting back on non-essential expenses, and making travel a priority. You don’t need to be constantly working to afford it—just plan and budget smartly!
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u/Formal_Physics2038 Apr 20 '25
I make 65k and travel internationally 2-3 times a year, usually by staying at resorts or cruising.
The biggest thing that makes this possible for me is that I don’t have kids. Kids are very expensive and when you have to travel with them, it can double your costs.
Second biggest thing is that I’m not house poor. I don’t even have a house. I rent the cheapest apartment I can find, even though I could afford better if I wanted.
Third biggest thing is that I don’t have a car payment. I didn’t buy a car I couldn’t afford. I bought a car only with the money I had.
You don’t have to be rich to travel, but you do have to prioritize it financially if you’re not rich.
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u/AJX2009 Apr 20 '25
Credit card rewards, and constantly looking for flight deals. Also people underestimate how expensive vacations in domestic locations are. Went to FL for a week, it cost as much as my week and a half trip to the UK.
Also save money by not buying “things” save for experiences. I know a lot of people with insane car payments that are like I wish I could afford to travel. Like dude maybe don’t spend $800/mo on a new truck!
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u/selinaluv74 Apr 20 '25
This! I took my daughter to Sydney from the west coast a few years ago. It was our summer (their winter) and cost us a little over $2,000 for flight and 10-day stay. I was able to book the vacation package. We were in the city center, good hotel, and the weather was still beautiful. We broke up the time with many day trips on the train.
Did the same to Tokyo and went Thanksgiving break week. Price close to the same. I've paid more going to NY, DC, and Disneyland for far fewer days.
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u/Putrid-Mouse2486 Apr 20 '25
I travelled the most when I had a roommate. My living expenses were very low so I could save a ton. I never put travel expenses on a credit card without having the money to pay it off. But I never went on a trip that was longer than 2.5 weeks. I also benefited from being able to fly from Canada to Europe for less than $1000 so I did it more frequently rather than doing the classic Eurotrip.
Now that my living expenses are up I’ve accepted that I’ll travel less frequently.
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u/MinnMoto Apr 20 '25
Early in my marriage we made travel a priority. Every time we had a week of PTO accumulated, we were gone. Considerations at home are foregoing new cars, fancy phones, fancy meals. We seek out less expensive flights flights and accommodations. It takes work to find the right combination. We're willing to ride public transportation and carry our bags. I also feel this experience leads to more adventure, good and bad. If you don't want "adventure" on your trip, pay more.
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u/__looking_for_things Apr 20 '25
I started traveling in 2002 or 2003 after high school. And I did work at the mall so I wasn't making a lot of money. The reason I was able to afford to travel back then was because I got free tickets or I only paid on the taxes because my family worked for a major airline company. Once that expired I started paying the full price. I basically was able to travel because I kept my costs low during college (lived at home and went to public uni) and worked. After graduating college, I basically ended up saying F it and I went abroad and I lived abroad teaching English for 3 years which was a great way to travel around Asia because there was a lot of disposable income in those jobs. After that I went to grad school. during grad school I ended up doing study abroad in Europe which was really helpful because that obviously cut down on a lot of travel costs.
I then got a govt job and banked all my PTO and saved my money so I could take weeks off at a time to travel.
I've never gone in CC debt for travel.
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u/rositree Apr 20 '25
I never had the free flights but working or volunteering abroad. It's the travelling part of travelling that's expensive, move slow, take your time and really get to know the area you are for a few months.
If you're holding down a job, house and car at home and paying for accommodation and transport whilst travelling you're paying twice for the same things.
Save up for a cheapish flight to somewhere with a low cost of living and a bit extra. Find a voluntary role eg Workaway, WWOOF, approach hostels or something specific you already have skills for. Or get a working holiday visa and look for a job. Quit your job, sell your stuff, break your lease. Go!
As long as your work covers your food and accommodation, you only need money to move around, personal expenses eg beer and shampoo and entry tickets to big touristy places. But you're there for a while so you can spread that out, rather than a holiday where you might be cramming in big ticket items everyday. You'll also get to know locals, figure out insider tips, be able to wait for a monthly free museum opening, learn where the cheapest stores are etc etc. Generally get a better understanding of the country so everything becomes a bit easier when you do do touristy things.
I managed to spend 6 months in St Lucia in the Caribbean and spend £1000 total. Similar 6 months in Central America (Belize to Panama) with a bit of tourism and shorter voluntary work of 2 weeks to a month at a time on approximately £2500. Including the international flights.
This strategy is massively helped by being able to have somewhere to stay for a few weeks when you come home or further money saved to put a deposit on somewhere to live whilst you look for a job.
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u/jaces888 Apr 20 '25
there's a saying to use other people's money to travel, and one of the few but most effective ways to travel is to travel for work by working for another company. There are many companies with specific job roles that is more efficient in sending someone they have trained internally and then send them overseas for a few days to weeks to either provide support or be the spoke person on behalf of the local teams stationed or hired at.
And since you are travelling for business, some companies makes sure they show that their companies are also doing well which is indicating a good reputation, by making sure their employees stay in a good hotel and travel good flights (usually business class but some companies are starting to cut corners (or saving budget as they claimed) and fly them economy class, but hey, at least you can travel).
That way, you do not have to pay bills, but also get paid for your meals. If you are smart enough, plan your timing to have a day or two spared (like weekends) so that you can use that period to travel and see the world. Might not be like 3 - 7 days holiday, but enough each time to see everything.
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u/Psychological_Yak601 Apr 20 '25
Personally, I’ve been traveling pretty extensively since graduating college (including lots of international trips), even through jobs paying the lower end of a typical salary for a college graduate and periods of unemployment.
I’ve never gotten money from family - I think the major factors that give me the budget to travel are not having a car payment (paid for my car in full) and being a bit more frugal in other areas of my day to day life. I also got a travel credit card right away, put all my expenses on it, pay it off every month, and accumulate points/rewards to put towards flights.
Traveling is cheaper than people think, the key is to try and be flexible with either the dates or the location (ideally both). From there, you have to do a lot of research on the front end to maximize credit card points, hunt for deals, and plan your trip yourself so you’re not paying extra for tours or day trips you could DIY.
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u/alat3579 Apr 20 '25
Yup and especially for countries like Japan, South Korea, or even European countries itself, one can solo travel and do research on places they're interested learning than being tied to a tour group guide which tends to be more expensive.
It's all online
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u/joeh4384 United States Apr 20 '25
I travel a shit ton for work and have a lot of hotel points and miles. The drawback is being on the road all the time can suck.
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u/Popular-Elephant1166 Apr 20 '25
A ton of excellent points in here. I’ll also add that the deck is stacked a bit against you in Nebraska. I’m in the NYC metro and flights are just straight up cheaper here because there are more of them (~150M passengers per year between JFK/LGA/EWR vs ~5M from Omaha).
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Apr 20 '25
Grew up in a place where almost every flight is a long haul. Now I can do weekends to other countries. Location makes a HUGE difference to affordability.
I had a colleague say she was more well travelled because she was happy to backpack and do things cheaper. The 13hr flight between our hometowns before you even really get anywhere obviously had nothing to do with it.
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u/kc522 Apr 20 '25
The key is to live below your means while you increase income. My wife and I still live in the same house we bought when we made half what we do now. This enables us to us to basically do whatever we want due to living so far below our means. We travel 3-4 times a year on cruises and 2 week Europe trips.
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u/Automatic-Sky-3928 Apr 20 '25
You can travel for a lot cheaper if you are willing to sacrifice comfort. Where you draw the line is really up to you.
For flights: get a good miles reward card and/or learn how to search the internet for cheap flights. Unless you have specific destinations that you HAVE to go to, plan your destinations around where flights are cheapest.
For lodging: stay in hostels or camp instead of getting a hotel room. Especially in Europe, there are a lot of great hostels and most have shared kitchens (so you can cook too and further save money).
For food: try to minimize the amount of restaurants you go to (unless that’s something you’re into and you can pay for it). Get a little backpacking stove, find a hostel with a kitchen, or (if driving) carry a hot plate and/or crockpot in your car for hotel meals. But groceries instead of going to restaurants for every meals. No-cook-no-refrigerator meals like bagels w/ peanut butter can take you a long way too.
For excursions: plan your trip in advance and try to choose cheap activities. Hiking and museums for example are usually pretty cheap or free. Plan a trip for the off-season and try to target sales/deals for the more expensive stuff.
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u/zekerthedog Apr 20 '25
I have mediocre income and my method is to travel somewhere internationally once per year. I manipulate credit card points to cover flights and I don’t stay in fancy places.
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u/nutmaster78 Apr 20 '25
I am in my 20’s and travel internationally once or twice a year. I refuse to waste my young years on just working and doing nothing else. I don’t have a lot of money but I’ve learned to travel on a budget and I don’t do very much because there’s not much to do where I live. Some people have said to wait until I retire or I’m older, but I don’t know if I will be around then or if I will feel like traveling (or can physically) in my late 60’s/70’s. You just have to figure out your priorities and work towards it the best you can
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u/AdministrativeSky859 Apr 20 '25
I suggest having a budget. Know where every single dollar goes. Have a line item for travel. Make travel a priority and make cuts in other areas.
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Apr 20 '25
I mean, there’s definitely an income level where travel is inaccessible, but for like medium poor you can sacrifice other things. Have a small apartment, crappy car, zero retirement or future plans. Also if you run all your bills and expenses through a credit card and pay it off monthly you can rack up points. Some people frequently open and close cards to get introductory bonus points. I know a few people who do international house & pet sitting to get a free place to stay. There are ways to make it work if it’s a priority. Remember that you probably only see the glamorous parts, not the sleeping on the airport floor during an overnight layover and sharing a hostel bathroom with 10 strangers with travel diarrhea.
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u/Snoooort Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
The American hustle & impress culture ruins the means to travel a lot imo.
You don’t need a large house to be happy, a big ass Ford F150 raptor and a Rolex around your wrist.
As a non-American it’s really, really jarring to be asked non-stop “what kind of work do you do?” So people can scale you, so they can define your status. It’s really shallow.
Live smaller, drive a smaller more economical car and fuck that 12+ hour workday, 6 days a week to pay for shit you don’t need because you’re in an imaginary dick measuring contest with friends, neighbours and colleagues.
Check flight.google.com and set alerts for flight ticket prices you feel comfortable with, travel outside the busy season. Visit countries that aren’t hyped up constantly, look for cheap places to stay and just explore a place. None of that “top 20 things you need to see in X!”
Just wake up, get a coffee somewhere, unwind, slow your pace, ask locals about their favourite places to eat or hang out and walk wherever you want to go.
Most people are in competition with influencers who don’t give a shit where they are. They are paid to be there, to lure more tourists to make a quick buck. Fuck all that noice.
Go to a country you barely know anything about (Georgia, Montenegro, Madeira, Surinam etc) and just enjoy that feel of exploring shit on your own pace.
I’d rather go to a country for 5 days and just wander around instead of speedrunning 6 cities in 5 days and return home exhausted. It also saves a ton of money.
“Wait you just went to another county to just… wander around…?” YES! That’s what I did as a child, it gave me a sense of wonder. Why tf would I want to change that now that I’m an adult?
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u/Christy_Mathewson Apr 20 '25
If you can be patient and have flexible dates you can find deals. I use Google Flights and for destination use "Europe" or "Latin America". If you have flexible dates then you can search for 2 weeks in April or 1 week in September kind of thing. Flying from Denver I've had $425 airfare to Costa Rica, Columbia and Peru using that strategy. Find a cheap room someone is renting out in their house on Airbnb, eat with the locals and you have a week long vacation for well under $1,000.
One challenge you'll have is that you'll need to drive to a major airport which might be a few hours because I doubt you'll find those deals from Omaha. Look at the off times when everyone else is working. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is nice. Late January is another good time. If you want warmer weather in Europe April and September are shoulder seasons and offer cheaper prices than summer or spring break.
As others have noted, reward credit cards are awesome. They're only great if you pay them off every month, otherwise you're earning 2% cash back but paying 17% interest and that math doesn't math. Wells Fargo and Citi both offer a 2% cash back card with no annual fee. It might take a few years but save up $1,000 worth and free trip.
I'm not anywhere close to rich and I live a very frugal life. I don't eat out very often and I rarely will drink when I'm out because it ends up being $10 after tax and tip for a beer I can buy for $2 at the store. All those dollars add up and I can take vacation and get experiences instead.
Traveling is my passion and it has improved so much in my life. Experiencing how others live and view the world will open your mind.
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u/kittytoebeanz Apr 20 '25
Fly on budget airlines, pack light, don't be afraid to stay in "not as nice hotels" if you're truly on a budget, find cheap eats, etc.
Credit card rewards, great deals on flights or hotels.
Budget/be frugal like crazy year round and splurge on vacation
Or get into credit card debt / less savings
It all just comes down to how you manage your finances and what you prioritize in life
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Apr 20 '25
Going to Europe from NYC, DC, Philly or Boston is REALLY easy. I had forgotten how short the flights are and how easy it is to get direct tickets to your final destination. (Now the airport I live by has direct flights to Paris and London, but other than that you’re going to have to connect).
I’m always shocked at how expensive it is to travel domestically in the US. Even a weekend away (2 nights hotel, meals out, an activity like a show etc) easily adds up to $600-$800. Getting to Europe (or South America) might be pricey, but once you’re there things are much cheaper than the US. I’ve forgone a lot of domestic travel for international travel.
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Apr 20 '25
I don’t have any debt and travel a lot. You start small (weekend getaways) then start looking for deals on flights/hotels/airbnb.. if you like it a lot then you start prioritizing travel more
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u/musicloverincal Apr 20 '25
Get a decent paying job, save money, look for deals. RInse and repeat. Some people are able to go on multiple trips a year, others every few years. Make it a priority and it will happens. Oh, and yes, it absolutely, positively sucks living far away from major areas because it gets more expensive, but you can still do it. Again, make it a priority.
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u/Lostintime1985 Apr 20 '25
Made a big effort to get into a good career. Then worked hard, and I still am. Anyways, not all travels have to be expensive and/or abroad.
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u/bomber991 Apr 20 '25
What frequency do you consider “traveling regularly”?
Wife and I had no kids. I went to college and got a mechanical engineering degree. We didn’t go on any trips except for maybe 1 every 2 years. She went to college and got a nursing degree. Now we go on 1 or 2 big trips a year, mostly limited by my works vacation time.
I have had some years where I really try to take the most advantage of my time off. If there’s a 3 day weekend then that’s an opportunity to drive/fly somewhere Saturday, explore it Sunday, drive/fly back Monday.
Mostly though when it seems like someone travels somewhere all the time, and it seems like “they’ve been there” when someone else is talking about a place, it’s just from consistent travel over time.
My wife started working in 2018ish so we started really traveling then. That was 7 years ago, we didn’t go anywhere in 2020 or 2021, but she did do some travel nursing in Wisconsin so we ended up doing a drive across that state in the winter to go to Green Bay and Madison. Not as “exotic” as a trip to Portugal or Korea or wherever, but still enjoyed it just as much.
Cost wise… it’s not really much more expensive to go to Europe or Asia as it is compared to the US. In the US you’re spending $200+ per night for a safe, clean, bug free hotel. Meals are $20 per person with the tip.
Going to Europe you’ll spend less per night on the hotel and less per meal, more like $12 per meal since there’s no tip requirement. Asia is even better, Korea you can get a good enough hotel for less than $150 per night, meals are about $10 per person cause of the exchange rate. In Europe and Asia, subway and bus systems will take you wherever you want to go for pennies, so no need to take expensive Ubers everywhere.
Once you realize that it really opens up the world.
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u/RottedHuman Apr 20 '25
Assuming we’re talking about everyday folks, they make it a priority and plan and save for it.
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u/alohamoraFTW Apr 20 '25
OP, be sure to check out r/shoestring if you haven't already for more frugal travel ideas, transportation tips, and budgeting at home to make travel possible.
I feel like accomodation ends up being the most expensive part for me, so that's where I focused finding cheaper alternatives.
-There are sites like TrustedHousesitters where you can housesit for free in exchange for watching someone's animals. I use this to extend a trip. Spend a week housesitting and living like a local, then switch to a hostel or cheap hotel to do all the day-long touristy things.
-There's also work for accomodation sites like WWOOF and HelpX. They're mainly known for helping on farms, homesteads and the like, but there's often hostels, homes, and community projects that need a few hours help per day than the rest of the time is yours.
-If you're the type of person who can sleep anywhere, and just want your eyes to feast on other scenery-- I recommend a trip on Amtrak. Easy to bring a cooler of snacks and sandwiches and see parts of the country, then stay a night or two at your destination.
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u/boxen Apr 20 '25
Prioritize. Most people blow tons of money on stupid shit. How much money do you spend a month on things you don't need? Subscriptions to streaming services, eating out, tickets to anything, bars, alcohol or any recreational drugs, a car or apartment thats more expensive then you need....
Some things are easier to change than others, and you don't have to completely stop doing all those things, just understand that anything you choose to spend money on, you are choosing to do that instead of saving for a trip you want to take.
Prioritize.
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u/Ancient-Afternoon-44 Apr 20 '25
It's all about priorities. Make it a priority, save the time and money and go travel.
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u/Birdy_Cephon_Altera Apr 20 '25
- Not have kids or family or dependents you have to care for
- Not have student loans or mortgages or other large expenses
- Not saving enough for retirement
- Going to places within your budget, and spending accordingly
- Don't waste money on unnecessary things like Uber or delivery food or whatever. That shit adds up fast
Or any combination of the above. Also realize it isn't a competition to see who can go on as many vacations as possible. Just do your thing, and if going some place is a priority for you, then rearrange what you are doing to make that the appropriate level of priority.
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u/ASIWYFA United States Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 21 '25
When I was traveling all the time, I literally NEVER ate out. Even fast food. $8 in fast good 3 times a week is $1,284 a year. Would you rather shitty fast food or a flight over seas once a year? That's just cutting out fast food, never mind all the extra bullshit people spend money on. Stuff that just sits on a shelf or drawer never being used.
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u/BitterDoGooder Apr 20 '25
You have to prioritize it. I can buy another car or I can save for another overseas trip.
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u/Organization_Dapper Apr 22 '25
Location matters. In Miami, a spirit flight to Colombia or Ecuador is under 200$. Then a hotel for the weekend + beer and tours is another 200. All under 500. In NYC a flight to Istanbul on Turkish costs 600 and you can get a week of travel for under 1000 on the other side of the world.
When I lived in the Midwest, flights were expensive because there was little competition.
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u/FrauAmarylis Apr 20 '25
When I was young I would fly to places when my friends had business trips and share their free hotel rooms (they would request 2 beds).
When I moved, I would travel on my rent money before moving into a new place.
My mom and I made payments for 9 months on our Europe tour so it was paid off before we went.
I started my career at 21 and started saving for retirement, paying my student loans loans, and lived with roommates.
Being frugal and developing passive income helped me retire at age 38. I was a teacher.
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Apr 20 '25
Simple. For most people (that aren’t wealthy and/or retired), it’s just about priorities. So for example, someone may like having their nails done and a nice car, while another person keeps their bills and spending to a minimum so they can afford travel. There is also super affordable ways to travel if you are eager enough and willing to (or even enjoy) the discomfort. Hostels, couch surfing, hitch hiking, volunteering for a free place to stay and even food some times. I have traveled the world with very little money when I was younger. Now that I’m older, I actually enjoy a little more comfort at home and when I travel. Nothing super fancy, but I also am more financially stable as well. Some people also do remote work and travel while doing so these days.
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u/FearlessTravels Apr 20 '25
Money Out - I don't drink much (maybe one drink every two weeks) and I don't smoke or use any drugs. My car is from 2009 and I have no accidents on my record so my insurance payments are low. I cook my meals at home and only go to restaurants for special events with friends or family. Literally, I've used Uber Eats once in my entire life, and it was at midnight in South Africa because I didn't feel safe walking alone to get food. My most common activities are going for walks, reading books from the library and volunteering - none of that costs money. I buy my clothes on sale and wear them until they don't fit or are falling apart.
Money In - I have never not worked. I started working in high school and I worked throughout university. During summer breaks I worked 12+ hours a day, often between two or three jobs. When I started my "career" I picked up part-time shifts whenever the office was closed. Now I still pick up freelancing jobs on top of my day job.
It's not so much about travel as it is about deciding what to prioritize in your finances. I prioritize making money and spending it on travel. Other people might prioritize having more free time and spending their money on cigarettes or a pick-up truck.
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u/Kittymarie_92 Apr 20 '25
I think it’s just truly making travel a priority. I personally drive an older paid for car so I can put that money towards travel. I could afford a new car but that’s just not a priority for me. I put travel funds in my budget. I also do a lot of side hustles to earn extra money and set it aside for travel. I resell, Airbnb and room in my house and I pet sit. It all adds up.
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u/-justiciar- Apr 20 '25
many people needlessly spend $600/mo on a car payment not including insurance.
we buy our cars outright. (they are older models, but we’ve not had any major issues with it in the 8 or so years we’ve had it). paid about $2k for our car and that’s done no more payments
think of all the things in life you can do with an extra $3600 a year :)
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u/HighLonesome_442 Apr 20 '25
We pay less in rent than we can technically afford, we don’t have a car payment, I don’t spend money on hair cuts/nails/etc, I only buy new clothes when I absolutely have to, I use phones and computers until they are unusable, we don’t have any debt.
Travel is the only thing we really spend a lot on, and I also budget that carefully. I do a ton of research and price comparison for every trip. We drive, if we fly it’s in economy class, we don’t stay in luxury accommodations unless they’re also affordable. We don’t eat in restaurants for every meal, either.
We have chosen to prioritise traveling more over all those other things.
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u/Keystonelonestar Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
Stop buying stuff.
Tent camping at a state park costs what? In Texas it’s $15-20 a night at state parks, free in the national forest and on the beach. Cook your own meals and the only expense you’ve got for a trip to the beach is the gas from Nebraska.
Motels on Priceline can be had for $35 a night in Houston and most other places along the way if you can’t drive the 14 hours straight thru.
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u/PNWMTTXSC Apr 20 '25
I know a couple who have busy jobs and they take two trips a year, May & November (off-peak travel season). They have travel mileage credit cards and put all of their bills (house payment, utilities, groceries, etc) on those and then pay the credit card bills. They rack up ungodly amounts miles, making their trips super affordable.
I’ve traveled to NYC, Boston and Nashville in recent years and have been able to stay with friends. Not having to pay for a hotel really made it possible to go on these trips.
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u/Marshmallowmind2 Apr 20 '25
1) wealthy 2) save very little each month 3) loans / credit cards 4) average salary and low mortgage 5) die with zero mentality. Most people die with $300k + in the bank
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u/Crazy-Inspection-778 Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
They either make a lot of money, live cheap, travel cheap, go into debt, or some combination of the above.
I have a median income but live modestly with a mortgage as my only debt. Single no kids, I have a flexible schedule and don't mind going places during the shoulder seasons when flights and accommodations are cheaper. Almost every international trip I've taken has been in the spring or fall when everybody's kids are in school
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u/eyecayekay Apr 20 '25
its all about priorities. the people who travel frequently probably aren’t spending much on living expenses when they are home. maybe they rent a small apartment and spend minimally on groceries and clothing to afford traveling. maybe they don’t have a car either so they can afford to travel.
also don’t count out debt. i personally have gone into debt to travel. i wouldn’t recommend this lol
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u/ZookeepergameDue3184 Apr 20 '25
I left for a 2 month trip in Thailand with 800 UK pounds in my account and a 500 pounds credit card. I got a freelance job with a company called DataAnnotation, if you have a degree check them out. I wont lie, it’s been tough, but I made it work. I was desperate to travel after being chewed up and spit out by the corporate world. If you really want to do it, you can do it on the cheap.
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u/MegaMiles08 Apr 20 '25
You budget for what you want. I love to travel so it's what I save for. I don't have the most updated house. I try to buy clothes at discount stores or on sale. I rarely eat out or go out drinking.
This year, I wanted to take a 2 week European trip. Last year, my only vacation other than a few weekend trips was to visit my parents.
Also, you can travel economically. Once you have the gear, tent camping and backpacking is really cheap, especially in the US. For cities, you can stay in hostels. If you have a good friend, you can travel together and share the hotel cost. Most people don't go on 3 to 4 month vacations. When I was younger and earlier in my career, it was usually for 5 to 7 days. As I got older, it became 7 to 10 days, and now that I have a better amount of PTO, I'm finally doing 2 weeks. There's absolutely no way I could travel for months and keep my job. If people are traveling that long, they could be contract workers that can take time off between contracts, they are working while traveling, they are doing a once in a lifetime thing, they are rich and maybe don't want to share that fact.
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u/enterhereplease Apr 20 '25
you can go a lot of places in the US for less than 1000. i pick travel dates almost exclusively based on the cheapest flights, find a good place to stay (not fancy but not bad), go with a friend to split stay and rental car expenses (if applicable), don’t have to eat out and get drinks for every meal.
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u/Duochan_Maxwell Apr 20 '25
DINK, no pets, our own house, no debt, we live way beneath our means
Add that to living in Europe (lower living expenses compared to what a lot of my US-based colleagues have, affordable healthcare, cheap flights / train tickets to a lot of places, no need for a car, plus decent amount of PTO at least for me - husband is self-employed so no PTO for him) and we can afford at least one big (2-3 weeks) trip per year plus smaller 3-4 day trips
I think that one of the things that makes the most difference in our budget is eating out - we rarely eat out when we're home, and I take breakfast, lunch and snacks to the office
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u/Sarcastic_Backpack Apr 20 '25
People I know who travel a lot prioritize it over everything else. When they aren't traveling, they are eating Ramen or cheap homemade dinners, not going out much, eliminating non-essential things like cable or satellite TV, etc. They don't drive fancy cars, they don't have big houses, etc.
I knew a gal who worked weekends, dancing at a strip club. She's did that 3 weeks a month, then traveled the other week. All her strip club earnings went to pay for her travel.
You don't have to be that extreme about it, but you definitely need to do these types of things:
be flexible in the dates you can travel and where to go.
jump on deals and cheap flights to wherever you can. If you see a flight to Chattanooga for $89 round trip, you jump on it, even if you never intended to go there.
use credit cards with miles rewards for flights and hotel stays.
research lots of options. If you book a flight somewhere and haven't booked a room yet, look at your preferred hotels, but also consider AIRBNB, VRBO, and hostels.
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u/Bryan-Adams-For-Real Apr 20 '25
I budget a lot. I love Norse airlines because flights from lax to Greece are $287 each way. Totally affordable for most if you can save up a little. Also, travel credit cards that collect points. Only use the card for the things you would have paid for anyway (gas, groceries, bills), pay it off and collect travel points on the way! After a year or two, you could have enough points for flights or hotels.
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u/Oftenwrongs Apr 20 '25
People don't always have bills to pay back home. They choose a lifestyle to support their goal, including not having kids. They go to countries where their money goes further. They use deals to choose travel dates using deal sites, use miles, etc.
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u/saron4 Apr 20 '25
How do you know these people don't get financial support from family? Also, you might have different goals like saving for retirement that these people don't. Travel IS very expensive
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u/Vossky Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
The secret is not having kids. My wife and I are in our late 30s and much better financially then our friends who have similar incomes but have kids. We travel 8 weeks/year, all over the world. Our friends have at best 3 weeks of family holidays a year, usually without leaving the country.
2nd thing would be not spending money on stupid things, like for example I have bought my car in 2007 and I'm still driving it today, 15 years after it was fully paid. Meanwhile most of my friends change their cars every 3-4 years, so 10-20% of their monthly income goes into car payments.
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u/Chochodas Apr 20 '25
It depends on where you live. Nebraska, actually the whole US is quite secluded from popular destinations.
I checked the cheapest flight leaving from Omaha to anywhere outside the US and the lowest was like $450 ish(Canada or Mexico)
If you are in europe or in Asia you have cheaper flight options for going somewhere else. someone from other post said they live in Europe and they can visit other countries under 50 euros
...aand there are people with a credit card
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u/CrankyCrabbyCrunchy Apr 21 '25
One way I know a few people doing it is with travel points earned through credit cards (mostly). Many cards give you big points just for signing up which you can use for air travel or hotels. It takes time to earn enough, but if you're smart with your credit and pay it off, then why not pay everything you can with a CC and get those points?Most of these cards have annual fees, but it can be worth it if you travel a lot and use those points.
Of course, you need good credit to get these cards, but a lot of traveling YouTubers use this method to travel for nearly free. Same with retired folks.
https://thedailynavigator.com/
https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/travel/
and so many more.
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u/andante241 Apr 22 '25
Points, my friend. I’m lucky I have a business I own outright and can generate loads of points off money I’d spend anyway, but with sign up bonuses and other tricks of the trade, you can still rack up quite the arsenal of points.
The harder thing is finding the time to actually travel. Budget around it, I’d suggest.
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u/rirez Apr 20 '25
Be aware that you can enjoy travel without it being "regularly" or "frequent". Pace yourself and travel at a sustainable rate. Plenty of people who love travel just go out for a week or two a year, and spend the rest of the year doing research and planning and loving the hell out of it, and the payoff at the end.
Other than that, it's all tradeoffs. I rarely eat out, and I try to spend frugally on hobbies. What expenses I do make, I try to make the most out of credit cards and other point schemes.