Traveling the world requires money, time and the desire to see new places and experience different cultures. Most people have the desire to see the world, but they don’t have money to make this dream come true. It’s important to have enough money before you go to a foreign country, otherwise you will end up being stranded and not enjoy your destination as much.
In order to save money, you need to clear any debts you have and avoid accumulating new debt. You also need to cut back as much as possible so that you raise your traveling fund faster. Saving money requires discipline. Getting out of a debt habit requires even greater discipline and hard work. You have to create very concrete objectives and see each penny you pay down and each penny you add to your travel fund as a step in the right direction.
Below are some habits that will help you stay debt free and save for travel.
- Audit your debt accounts
To get to your savings goal faster, you need to know the exact amount of debt you are dealing with. Then commit to paying double or even triple amounts per month. If you extend your audit exercise in to your expenses, you will find that you are spending a lot of money on things you don’t need.
- Don’t ignore debt
Your first responsibility should be to clear your debts. If after you have saved money for traveling you realize that your debts are still unpaid, you should fight every temptation to go for your trip.
You will only be ready to travel once all your debts are paid off. Therefore, even if it will disappoint your travel companions, be they your family or your friends, put off your travel plans until you are free of debt.
- Don’t use your credit cards
Do not use your credit cards to fund your travel. Traveling on credit is a sure way to overspend because you won’t feel limited to the places you can stay or to what you can buy. Traveling is supposed to add fond memories to your life, not get you back home with a debt to pay.
Even if you are not planning to use your credit card, your main focus should be to clear any debt that’s on it so that when you travel, you can peacefully relax knowing that you don’t have any financial troubles.
A good alternative to your credit card is your debit card. As you save money, create different funds for shopping, meals, accommodation, fun and emergencies. You can even open a separate account for your emergency fund. Funds in your debit accounts belong to you and anything you don’t use, you can count as savings.
- Get professional help
Don’t give up on trying to get out of debt. Get professionals to help you come up with plans for managing and repaying debt.
- Let travel be your reward
Create a tracker for how much debt you are reducing per month. At the point where your debt gets to zero, include your travel plans as a reward. This should give you enough motivation to work harder at paying your debts.
About the author
Kaine Provan spends most of his time touring the world, thanks to having zero debt in his life. If you need professional help to clear your debts, visit http://www.toptenreviews.com/money/debt/best-debt-consolidation-companies/.
Tammy Litke is a Dallas blogger, blogging since 2008. She loves to watch movies, play video games, spend time in the kitchen, and travel. Between recipes and reviews you’ll find many helpful and some just plain funny posts on her blog. Welcome, pull up a chair and stay for a while!
I think this is better than checking out debt consolidation. Have some habits and get out of debt for free. Many debt consolidation agencies expect large amount of fees to get you out of debt. The most important thing I like from this article is “Do not ignore debt”. Most people take the debt amount easily but it can take them to the severe catastrophe.
Traveling with debt burden is not a good choice. It can spoil the enjoyment of travel. This article is helpful for those who want to be debt free. Using a credit card is the main reason behind the debt burden.