361. Travel Smart: Mastering Budget Friendly Vacations

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Join Katie, your host for the Debt-Free Dad podcast, as she shares her expertise and personal journey to debt freedom. Learn how she managed to pay off over $226,725 in debt while still enjoying memorable vacations. In this episode, Katie reveals creative tips to travel on a budget, including setting up a travel fund, leveraging brand loyalty rewards, creating daily spending caps, pre-booking deals, and more. Whether you're planning a family vacation or a quick getaway, these practical hacks will help you save money and make the most of your trips. Tune in to gain valuable insights and start planning your next budget-friendly adventure! 

Chapters

• 0:35 Travel Without Breaking Your Budget
• 1:25 My Travel Journey While Paying Debt
• 3:12 Pre-Trip Planning Tips
• 4:50 Creative Travel Hacks
• 7:15 Simplify My Money Call to Action

Transcript

Kati Hatfield: 0:02

Do you love to travel and explore? I know I do. I've actually spent over 16 years in the travel industry and it was so much fun helping others plan great trips all across the globe and getting to go on multiple trips through my work or business whether it's meeting sales goals or going for training sessions and it was paid for. Typically, travel isn't usually cheap or free. Stay tuned to hear some creative ways to travel without breaking your budget. Thank you for listening to the Debt-Free Dad podcast, where we help everyday, normal people like you take control of your finances and live a happier, less stressful life.

Kati Hatfield: 0:52

I'm Katie, your host for today's episode, and I've been on my journey to debt freedom for seven years now, and in that time I've paid off over $226,725 in student loans, car loans, medical bills and credit card debt all on a single income. Now you're probably thinking seven years, katie. You probably haven't gotten to go on any fun trips that whole time, since you're paying off so much debt. Oh, but I have, and while a few trips were ones that I earned through work, I have definitely had to plan budget and pay for most of my vacations. I've gone on a week-long Bahamas cruise with my family, several girls, getaways for long weekends and my annual birthday trip every winter, which is a gift to myself, to help me get out of cold Wisconsin and thaw out.

Kati Hatfield: 1:48

I will admit, a chunk of my old debt came from several big, expensive vacations that I took in the last 25 years, and since I couldn't actually afford them, I simply charged everything to my credit cards, but I think I have actually paid them all off now. Everything to my credit cards, but I think I have actually paid them all off now. Finally, and I have learned so much on my journey that I now budget for my trips ahead of time, so pretty much everything is paid off before I ever step foot on a plane or a cruise ship, and I've planned for food, rental cars, uber rides, hotel stays and all the other expenses. This is huge, because now I can simply just enjoy the vacation and relax, not worrying about the credit card bill that's going to come shortly after the suntan fades. So I wanted to share some great tips to help you travel for less.

Kati Hatfield: 2:39

So before you go, you definitely want to plan smart. Number one set a fun fund early Treat vacation like it's a monthly bill. Automate saving a small amount each week or every paycheck, and get the family involved. The kids could do a lemonade stand or a garage sale with their old toys to put away some money for souvenirs and tours that they're excited about. Number two take advantage of brand loyalty to earn and use rewards. If you tend to fly the same airline every time you travel or stay at a particular brand of hotels, you can rack up points and rewards which you can use to get discounted rates or even free flights and hotel. Number three create a daily fun budget. Set a per day cap on spending for outings, food, treats. It just helps avoid blowing it all early or going overboard. Number four pre-book your deals. Booking discounted tickets in advance for attractions, tours or museums on Groupon, buy a Tour or other local tourism sites will help you save. Five use free itinerary apps. There's plenty of tools online, like Road Trippers, visit a City or Roam to Rio, which can help you build activity plans and estimate your travel costs. If you're taking a road trip, you can even estimate your gas expenses along your route by using GasBuddy Jumping.

Kati Hatfield: 4:15

To number six mix it up Free and paid activities. You can balance your days, like doing a beach day or hike one day and then splurge on a tour for the next. Number seven pack your own fun. Bring a picnic, kit games, snorkeling gear, a Bluetooth speaker to enhance downtime without spending extra. And don't forget the essentials like sunscreen. I once had to pay $33 for some at the airport in Mexico. I have never forgot it again.

Kati Hatfield: 4:48

Number eight skip the tourist traps. If you can find some local blogs or Reddit threads for cheap hidden gems, you can skip the overpriced hot spots. Number nine set a souvenir limit. Stick to one meaningful item or do a DIY souvenir like photos, pressed flowers, handwritten travel journal entries. Instead of getting a t-shirt or a stuffed animal in every destination, I love to get a sticker of the destination to go on my suitcase, plus something small and easy to pack on the trip home, like a refrigerator magnet or a Christmas ornament to remember my travels.

Kati Hatfield: 5:28

Number 10, cook one meal a day. Choose some lodging with a kitchen or a fridge and make breakfast or lunch at home to save money for activities throughout your trip. These are some creative hacks. Number 11, gift yourself activities Before you go on vacation. Ask for birthday or holiday gifts in the form of experiences or excursions instead of stuff. Hop on and hop off city tours or museum free days. Plan around those, but note there might be crowds, so make reservations ahead of time, if possible. Number 13, track as you go. Use a simple spending tracker or app to stay on top of your budget while still enjoying yourself. So let me ask you which tips are you looking forward to implementing on your next trip? Where are you looking to travel next? Comment on today's episode and give us some of your best ways to save on vacation.

Brad Nelson: 6:37

Now listen if you're ready to break free from living paycheck to paycheck which, if you're listening, I hope you are. You want to reduce financial stress. You want to build savings. You want to finally pay off debt for good, but you're not sure where to get started. Don't worry, we've got you covered here at Debt Free Dad. Simplify my Money is sent each Sunday to your email. We make it easy and Simplify my Money. It's your step-by-step roadmap to better financial control, and you're also going to learn easy to follow strategies to manage your money effectively. You're going to get stress-free money decisions that will help you simplify your financial life with proven tips that actually work. You're also going to gain the tools and the confidence to tackle your financial goals head on. You can sign up for Simplify my Money by clicking the link at the top of the show notes. Thanks for joining us on today's show and we will see you guys on the next episode.