One Simple Trick To Help You Save For Your Travel Adventures

While we had a glorious five weeks exploring Bulgaria’s historic past, Turkey’s bizarre bazaars and Georgia’s finest delicacies, there seems to have been just one question on everyone else's mind; how did you afford it?

For years I had the same problem trying to understand how anybody managed to save money. In fact, by the time I left university I’d done quite the opposite, and between overdrafts and credit cards alone had racked up nearly £4,000 worth of debt. This debt continued to follow me around for the next year or so, until one day something clicked. Within six months I’d paid off the overdraft and credit card bills, plus saved up £5,000; more than enough to keep us going for our five week travel adventure.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have absolutely no self-restraint. If someone puts some chocolate cake in front of me, I will no doubt eat it all up, regardless of how much I’m trying to be healthy. Likewise, if someone pays money into my bank account, sooner or later I will spend it. This is why the only trick that ever worked for me was making it physically impossible to spend the money I wanted to save.

Each and every month in the run up to our travels, the second I got paid I would transfer the majority of my salary into a savings account. I’d leave enough to cover basic expenses and a little extra for some treats to keep me from going insane, but the rest of it was untouchable.

I personally opted for NS&I Premium Bonds, as I love the fact there is potential to win a million pounds without any thought or effort. There are plenty of different saving and investing opportunities out there though, and this great article by Legal & General sheds some light on options you might not have considered before.

So, there you have it, simple really! It’s one of those things that seems so blindingly obvious once you think of it, but I know it personally took me years to work it out. The second you get paid, just transfer the money you want to save right out of your current account. It’s worked wonders for me and I really hope it helps you too!

How do you save for your travels?

PS. If you loved this article, have a look at 50 Things To Do Before You Go Travelling.