One night, I was hanging out with some old friends at a bar in Boston when a woman, let’s call her Jessica, overheard our conversation. She was intrigued by my job and asked if I could help her plan a cheap trip to Ireland. Usually, I’d just hand over my business card and ask them to email me, but this time, I decided to help her out on the spot.
Jessica and her boyfriend wanted to visit Ireland during the summer, but they were unsure how to afford it. I suggested they each sign up for a travel-related credit card to earn sign-up bonuses, which could cover their flights. Jessica was surprised to learn that credit card sign-ups could earn them miles. I told her how I’ve used these bonuses to accumulate over 400,000 miles on American Airlines alone, often flying first class for free.
As we continued chatting, Jessica was amazed by my travel experiences. She assumed I must be rich or earn a lot of money. I explained that all you need is $50 a day, which totals to $18,000 per year. Jessica thought that was too much, but after breaking down her own expenses and spending habits, she realized she spends more money per year but does a lot less.
I gave Jessica my card and wished her well. As she left, I told my friends that I didn’t think she’d ever visit Ireland. From my years of experience talking to people about travel, I can tell when someone is serious about it. Jessica, while intrigued by my money-saving tips, wasn’t ready to implement them. She was stuck in the belief that travel is expensive, and she didn’t really believe what I was telling her.
The travel industry often portrays travel as a luxurious escape from our mundane lives, and we have to pay for that escape. Even budget travel deals in magazines are priced at $150 per night, which doesn’t sound budget-friendly to me. The industry reinforces the idea that travel is a luxury that can only be rarely afforded. So, we assume that’s the norm and believe we have to spend a lot when traveling. Even if we find a good deal, we’re still spending thousands for even a short trip to Ireland.
No matter how many travel tips and tricks I share, they seem too hard to believe for people like Jessica. She might be intrigued and interested, but she won’t commit. The weight of everything she has learned over the years is too great for me to break through. It seems too fantastical and unattainable for the average person.
This happens for two reasons. First, people prefer the path of least resistance. My way requires more effort as you have to be your own travel agent, spending hours booking flights, doing research, and comparing deals. It’s easier to go online, pick the first deal you see, pack, and set off on your trip. Second, there’s no frame of reference. People have no experience with my way. To Jessica, I could be selling a Ponzi scheme. But since everyone takes trips the easy way, she knows it, understands it, and she’ll do it too.
However, if you’re from a country where people travel a lot, you’ve probably met people who have traveled around the world, and you know this idea isn’t just for the rich—it’s for everyone.
My friend Joe has been wanting to go to Amsterdam for as long as I’ve known him. He loves to smoke weed and gamble, and Amsterdam has both. Every summer when I go to Europe, I invite Joe to come with me, but he always says he’s busy. Even when he quit his job last year, he didn’t come with me. I had to be there while he applied for his passport to get him to even get one.
The old way of thinking is so ingrained in people’s heads, no matter how much I and others like me can prove that travel is affordable. That’s why I know Jessica so well. Her story is like so many others I’ve encountered over the years. I’ve seen it happen so many times before that based on the conversations I’ve had, I can just tell. I know how committed people are to travel when I speak to them.
Maybe Jessica will prove me wrong and take that trip, but I’d bet she doesn’t. The best ways to save money while traveling won’t even register with her because they will be too foreign, too unreal.
Before COVID, more and more people were breaking the mold and traveling the world on a budget. Long-term travel has become much more common and accessible than it has been in the past. However, while people know that there are plenty of ways to travel inexpensively, they also don’t know how to manage it.
You can tell them how to accomplish their travel goals but all just seems too good to be true. So, people fall back to the simple method of, "Let’s just go to Expedia" where they will spend more money—and thus the cycle repeats itself.
Don’t be like Jessica. Once you understand just a few secrets about budget travel, a trip becomes simple and easy to plan—whether you want on a year-long trip around the world or a just week-long trip to Paris. All you need to do is walk through these steps and head out your door. It’s easier than you think.
