I get asked a lot about how I afford to travel, and what my secret is so others can do it too. There really isn’t a secret, but I wish there was some magic way to be able to afford to travel all the time. For me, mostly it just comes down to working and saving as much as I can – I think that’s the best way to do it – and finding cheap flights and accommodation. I also wrote about how I funded our three years of full time travel here.
Having a travel blog and Instagram means I do get some benefits like hosted stays which are incredible – but that also means that it’s work, so if I want an actual holiday it’s best to pay and relax…although my writers brain is always ticking away wherever we are. Really big influencers are always traveling and earning money, but don’t forget it is a lot of work. A lot. They’re constantly shooting photos and video, sharing on stories, reciprocating engagement and replying to comments (or paying someone to to). They work hard.
<This story is not about how to be paid to travel/travel for free>
I have been paid to go on destination trips, and it definitely does happen, especially to the big influencers and celebrities. I feel like it’s a perk, not a lifestyle, and I do worry when people do courses about how to get paid to travel. You will end up spending so much time to get a discount hotel night, time you could have spent working for actual money or with your family. Is it worth being obsessed with social media to get a night for free every few months? Or does it make more sense to work and save? Work and save and have a holiday that is a HOLIDAY!
So, here are the not secret ways I afford to travel. Spoiler – there are no secret ways. Lol.
Save
Seems like a no-brainer but it’s difficult and now after lockdown and restarting life my savings have dwindled. Making small changes in your lifestyle can help a lot. We don’t eat out much, and I rarely use Uber Eats, it just adds up. I have too many streaming platforms atm so one has to go, even coffee – right now I am spending $6 a day on a coffee (it’s my ritual and I love it) but if I saved $6 a day it’s $2000 a year! Insane – that’s basically two weeks in Asia for us with airfares. No more coffee after today. I have a blog post here with savings tips.
ACTION: Make small changes in your life to save more.
Cheap flights
I use Skyscanner to find flights – you can read my tips here – but at the moment I am booking directly with airlines rather than through third party sites, simply because there is still unknowns about travel atm. I find the flights on Skyscanner and then go direct.
I also check the budget carriers to look for deals – for example I found return flights to Malaysia from Sydney with Scoot (Singapore Airline’s budget carrier) for $281. You have to be ready to book the flights as soon as you find them as they don’t last long, and it helps if you can be flexible with dates.
ACTION: Read these blog posts and start using Skyscanner.
Look for hotel deals
Scoopon has awesome package deals all around the world, you can pick up amazing bargains on their travel site. Keep an eye out for deals and grab them when the right one comes up. I also use Booking.com to compare hotel prices.
ACTION: Sign up for my weekly newsletter with the latest travel deals
Stay cheap – then fancy
I usually book cheap accommodation for most of our travels and then splurge at the end. For example with our Malaysia trip we are staying at the KL Journal, a favourite of ours that I got for $50 a night (it’s usually $120). Then I booked a cheap guesthouse at the Sakura in Ipoh for $28 a night. For the last three nights we will stay at the Shangri-La (this hotel brand is a favourite of ours) which at the moment is very affordable at $125 a night, however we are being hosted here.
Checking across multiple sites can also unearth some gems, we’ve used Agoda in the past as well as Booking.com and sometimes you can get the room cheaper if you book direct with the hotel. It’s worth a try, especially if you’re staying a couple of days.
ACTION: Make sure to check multiple sites for the best accommodation deals.
Do everything else cheap too – and use the money you save for splurges
Eat street food, or like in Hawaii for example I had two dinners out but for the rest of the time I bought food at the ABC Shops. You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a good time. And saving money where I can means I can splash out on nice meals and activities that Em and I want to do without breaking the bank.
Take local transport too. It’s usually so cheap, or use Uber instead of taxis. In Hawaii the Uber was half the price.
Hosted trips
Sometimes when we travel we are hosted by resorts or airlines. This means they give us the accommodation or flights for free in return for us sharing our experience on social media, usually Instagram and/or a blog post. It’s super helpful to us as it cuts costs and we get to often experience places we may not have otherwise been able to travel to at that time. This is work though, and I do get a little stressed about doing a good job and taking good photos etc! But it also means I have more places to share with my audience and let them know what they’re like. I absolutely love Club Med and we stay there often, and I only stay there now because they reached out and offered us a hosted stay many years ago. That was my introduction to All Inclusive holidays and I’m now a huge fan! Otherwise, I probably would never have tried it.
Media trip/famil
Another way I sometimes get to travel is on a famil or press trip. This is when media and bloggers/influencers are invited to visit a destination and everything is paid for. I haven’t done one of these for ages, and they can be super exhausting – we went to Dubai on famil many years ago and we were picked up at 7am and didn’t get back until night time, each day was chockers and it was exhausting for Emmie. Obviously it’s an incredible experience that I am grateful for, (especially if it is paid) but it is also work.
A writing assignment
Sometimes I have a commission from a media agency like News Ltd – Kidspot and Escape, and Mamamia or Out & About with Kids who I contribute to. This means that I can write about the destination I travel to and get paid for a story, which helps offset the cost. I love doing this because it means I get to share fabulous things to do and places to go with a wider audience.
And so that’s it! I just think saving is the best way to travel. And doing it on the cheap. There’s nothing wrong with staying cheap, especially when the money you save can go towards a fancy stay at the end of the trip.