“Quit your job and travel the world!” You see posts like that all over the internet, and for good reason. Of course, everybody wants to live a life of travel!
In fact, that also used to be my plan after I graduated. But then, I got a job, got married and had a baby and suddenly, just dropping everything to travel the world didn’t seem possible anymore. But I could never shake that feeling of wanderlust away!
Then I realized that much like everything else in life, if you really want something, there’s always a way to achieve it. I may not be able to quit my work to travel full-time but no one’s stopping me from traveling! So if you’re like me and you can relate, here are my 5 tips on how to see the world without having to drop and leave everything behind!
5. Try to get a flexible work schedule
I wanted my first tip to be “Go and freelance” but then, that would mean quitting your job now if you have a 9-5, which is contrary to my headline! Haha. So instead, I want to encourage you to try and get a flexible work schedule if possible.
- If it’s possible to accomplish your tasks at home, try asking for a day in a week to work from home (Tip: you can work from wherever you are in the world too!)
- Ask if you can take extra hours on some days in exchange for a day off.
4. Take advantage of leaves, weekends and holidays
Time is your number one problem if you have a fulltime job, isn’t it? So make good use of your vacation time and holidays. This seems pretty obvious, but the key here is to maximize your free days! If you want something so bad, you’ll find a way to make it happen, right? Some tips:
- Use your vacation leaves on a Friday and Monday so you can have a 4-day weekend!
- Ask for your company’s policy on unpaid leaves, if you’re willing to sacrifice! Maybe you can take one or two so you can extend your trip.
- Schedule quick getaways on weekends. Stop binge watching on your favorite TV series at home; do that during your flight (or bus ride) instead! Make good use of your weekends!
- Plan ahead. The government releases a list of holidays at the start of every year. Make good use of that list and plan your trips ahead to get the best deals!
3. Maximize your free time
In connection to what I mentioned above: make sure you make good use of every second! I have no problems with taking long rides to save money (I once took a 15-hour train ride in China instead of flying because of the very same reason) But if your vacation days are already limited, I highly encourage you to spend a little more just so you don’t waste time! Remember: money can always be earned but you can never buy more time.
Important tip: Take note of flight schedules. Sometimes, airline tickets are really cheap because they bring you to your destination late at night already, which means, you’ve already wasted one day! Weigh and decide if it’s worth it!
2. Prioritize travel
My husband one time said that I “count in plane tickets” and I didn’t realize it then but that is so true! Whenever someone mentions a certain amount (for example, a friend says “That handbag costs $250”) I would say, “Wow, that could have bought me plane ticket to Tokyo already!”
Save money for travel
It’s so easy to buy your favorite frappe by justifying that it’s only P150/day anyway, but if you add it all up, that’s more or less P4,500 a month, which is already enough to buy you a budget ticket to Bali! Be aware of unnecessary spendings and think twice before you shell out money! No matter how small, it always adds up!
Keep this quote in mind (though it’s cliche, it’s true:) “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
1. Don’t repeat places
You dream of seeing the Taj Mahal but every summer, you keep going back to Hong Kong! So when are you booking your flight to India? I know, it’s very tempting to go somewhere near, cheap and familiar whenever you need a quick getaway but I suggest saving your money instead of going to that place again for the nth time so that when you finally use your vacation leaves, you get to visit places you’ve never been to yet!
As much as possible, I try not to go to the same countries over and over again. Sometimes my husband would say “There’s a promo! A flight to Hong Kong is just $100 roundtrip!” but I’ll always say “Can we put the $200 to our Northern Lights fund instead?” Haha!
Tip: Make a list of your top 10 dream destinations. Now give yourself a timeline. Make it your goal to visit all these places in the next 5-10 years! Put that list somewhere you see everyday to remind you. Let the saving begin!
You don’t need to quit your job to travel the world; you just need to set priorities and make good decisions to help you reach your goal. I always say this: you won’t ever have time if you don’t make time!
Do you have other tips for people who want to travel more? Share them below!