How to Afford MORE Travel and Adventure

Have you ever wondered how people were able to afford to travel and adventure so much?

You know, the people you see over on Instagram who seemingly are in another country every week? Or, go on so many camping trips you genuinely wonder if they even have a job?

Yeah, me too. I’ve totally wondered how they do it and how we can travel more often ourselves. Truth is, we are mostly “weekend warriors” at the moment – and that’s okay. Still, even though we realize we really do get to travel and adventure more than your average person, we would still love to be traveling more often.

I’m gonna drop a little spoiler though. I’m pretty confident those people aren’t actually traveling as much as we think they are – unless they are truly full-time traveling. And, even then, I know there’s a LOT of work that goes on behind the scenes, and those little squares you see are really just the best of the highlights. Honestly, they probably still spend half their time (or more) behind a computer screen – just maybe in a more exotic place. 😉

But, I’ve still totally wondered how do they afford it, especially when they have kids?! I mean…is it a trust fund? Do they just have a ton of debt?? Do they only travel to inexpensive countries?

Honestly, it’s really not talked about or shared that often. I feel like I see the people who are doing their best to achieve FI (financial independence) and are paying things down aggressively all the time. I think it’s pretty impressive, honestly.

And, then there’s travel hacking. Which, again, is fantastic, and we try to dabble as much as we can. I mean, who doesn’t love to travel more for less?! But that’s really not all there is to it, right? 

What about those of us who are trying to find the balance between living a fulfilling life and enjoying our kids while we still can and racking up mountains of debt? I feel like it’s a topic that doesn’t really get that much attention.

For us, we’re done with school loans (woohoo!). Still, we have one car payment and a mortgage (recently refinanced for excellent rates – thank goodness!) And…we have plans for something else pretty sweet soon. 😉 However, we know we can’t throw caution to the wind and dig ourselves into a hole we can’t get out of. So, there’s definitely a bit of juggling that goes on.

Because it does add up fast, my friends – camping gear, snowboarding gear, hiking gear, and shoes (how do they grow out of them so dang fast?!)

So, if like me, you’ve ever been curious about how people afford to travel with children, how to save if you want to travel more, or how people make extra money for travel, this post is for you.

How We Afford to Travel and Adventure More

I don’t know about everyone else, but here are a few things we do to save money where we can to make our adventures possible.

Prioritizing Everyday Travel and Adventure

Getting out and taking a trip doesn’t always have to mean a week-long stay at a hotel. Especially in 2020, when we aren’t doing the big trips we usually do, we use these tips to keep us sane. And, truthfully, some of our favorite adventures ever have been semi-local day trips, nearby weekends, and camping trips. 

Day trips 

We’re lucky to live in the PNW, where there are so many spectacular spots close by to explore on a day trip. Honestly, when we really just need to get out of the house on an adventure, this is one of our favorite things to do. We can go at a moment’s notice, it’s cheaper, and allows us to save that money for bigger trips. Plus, there’s way less packing. 😉

Camping

I’m gonna be honest. If it was up to me, I’d always sleep in a bed. I love the seclusion, exploring, and peace that comes from the woods, but I do NOT sleep well on the ground. BUT, it’s a huge cost saver that can add up big time. Plus, a cot and a good sleeping pad help a TON.

Going Out for Dinner

Okay, not going out for dinner like you would usually think of it, but going outside.

Lately, one of our favorite things has actually been to pack up dinner and our camping stove and head out to the coast or the mountains for dinner. Even if you don’t live close enough to the beach or mountains to regularly make this happen, what about a neighborhood or state park? Find small ways to help you live a life of adventure, even when you can’t go far.

Bonus: When we head out on the weekend evenings, the crowds are usually smaller. Win-win.

Budgeting at Home and During Vacation

Yup, like it or not, one of the best ways to save some serious cash is to curb your spending. This is honestly one of the hardest things for us. We really have to work on our priorities when it comes to budgeting. 

There are so many times we would love to add another snowboard to our quiver, buy another pair of shoes, or decorate the house like an HGTV episode. The truth is, though, we have to decide what’s most important to us.

And, that’s exactly why, if you come to our house, it won’t be super fancy. It’s a nice house, and we have everything we need, don’t get me wrong. But it has some projects it needs to truly bring it up to date. 

I’d really love to decorate it in my dream style and colors right now. But, here’s the thing…that includes a lot of gray and white. And we have two young boys and a dog. So that’s just asking for a whole lotta trouble. 🤪

Plus, none of them are required right now and are really just cosmetic. So, instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars at once on a remodeling project, we’re slowly working through one small project at a time.

Eating in

Yup, even during vacation. Most of the time, when we are on a family vacation, we plan to eat one meal a day out and the rest on our own. Sometimes, our meals may be simple during trips, but that allows us for more play in our vacation budget!

We do LOVE to eat out and good takeout. And, we still totally do indulge, but we don’t let ourselves grab it several times a week, because it adds up so fast!

Split the Cost of Travel

Whether it’s splitting a beach house with extended family for the weekend, sharing an Airbnb near the slopes, or renting out a small resort with several other couples in Bali, sharing the cost can be huge. Breaking the cost down with others has made trips possible that we otherwise would have had a much harder time doing. Obviously, this has taken a pause right now, but when we’re able, we will totally do it again! 

Prioritizing Activities During Travel

Activities can become a HUGE portion of our travel budget, so we try to pick the one or two that are the most important to us and opt for more frugal options (hiking, beaches, etc.) otherwise. For instance, during our trip to Hawaii, we splurged on a helicopter ride, but otherwise spent most of the time hiking, playing in the pool, or at the beach.

Planning Ahead for Upcoming Travel & Adventures 

This is a huge one. It can seem counterproductive, but I can tell you that the years we have spent the most are the ones where I didn’t plan ahead.

Buying Passes at a Discount

We save a TON of money by buying passes at a discount. Whether it’s Indy Pass for access to tons of mountains during the snow season, National and State Park Annual Passes, or season passes to our local mountain, we try to consider the overall price we expect to spend. 

If it looks like we will come close or over the cost of a pass during the season or year, we go for it. Yes, it is more upfront, but overall, this has added up to hundreds of dollars in savings over the course of the year.

For instance, Indy Pass pays for itself in less than 3 days most of their partner resorts, our local season passes pay for themselves in around 7 days during spring sale, and an America the Beautiful Pass pays for itself in just two trips to Mt. Rainier National Park!

Gear Deals 

Gear is another spot that can add up significantly and blow the budget. There are a few things we do to save on gear.

Buy Quality

First, we do our best to buy quality gear, especially for things like snowboarding, camping, and hiking. Every single time we’ve tried to buy something cheap to get us along for a shorter time, it’s totally crapped out on us in no time flat (I’m looking at you off-brand headlamps). Some of our favorite places to find high-quality gear that will last (and have excellent warranties) are REI, Evo, and US Outdoor.

Yes, there are areas that we know don’t matter as much, so for things like basic shorts, shirts, and pants for the kids that they will outgrow quickly, we will buy what is the most cost-effective. But, when it’s for something that we know will be used heavily or for a long time, we always go for quality first. However, that doesn’t mean that we always have to pay top dollar, either.

Buy on Sale

We aren’t always lucky to find what we need on sale, but we really do our best to shop the deals first. Especially with two quickly growing boys, it can add up FAST, and sale shopping each year for outdoor gear can save us hundreds of dollars.

ProTip: If you know your kids are close to outgrowing something or if an item is almost worn out, don’t wait to start shopping! Start looking ahead of time, so you don’t have to buy full price when you’re desperate. 

Buy Used

Another way we’ve saved big bucks is by buying used gear, especially for the kids. I’ve found great deals on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Offer Up, and brick and mortar stores that offer consignment, like Next Adventure.

Earning Extra Money

On the flip side of saving more money for travel is making more money for travel. There are many ways you can do this, but here are a few of our favorites, plus a few extra ideas for you.

Find a Side Hustle

Charge for Your Skills and Knowledge

First, think about the skills you already have. 

• Are you a web developer or accountant at your day job? Offer some services to small businesses on the side.
• Are you great at teaching? Find a family that needs a tutor (virtually or in-person). 
• Love pets? Dogsit with sites like Rover! 
• Do you have a ton of homeschool resources you’ve made for your kids that you could sell on Etsy?

Maybe you’re great at selling, or you have a product you already are head over heels in love with. Consider selling it to make a little extra cash.

Consider Different Careers

If you had asked me 5 years ago if I thought we would get free or discounted trips for our work, I would have said no, but here we are! And it’s been great. 

One way we’ve made some of our recent trips more affordable is through partnerships with brands. Sometimes they are in exchange for a stay or use of a campervan, sometimes they may be paid, but the point is, they allow us to travel more often. If it’s something you’ve ever wanted to try, I would suggest starting with a blog and Instagram account. 

Then, there are two memberships I’m in that I love with and couldn’t do it without that have truly guided us and made it possible for us to continue to grow.

1) Insta-Success, which is key to learning to grow your brand on Instagram. Seriously, I really wish that this was the very first thing we had purchased the moment we started our account. It’s our biggest secret for knowing how, when, and what to charge as well as engaging our community on Instagram. The absolute gold in this course is the Facebook community – I’d pay for that alone.

2) Online Impact, which is a blogging membership perfect for those who’ve been blogging for a little while (like a year-ish) and are ready to level up. I’ve learned so much in the last year or so since joining. It would have taken me years to learn it all on my own, guaranteed.

Pick up Extra Hours

I know…this is the least sexy option on the list, but it’s truly a big deal. Over the years, John and I have picked up extra shifts at work to help cover extra outdoor gear or travel expenses. It’s not always the most fun, but it truly works.

Rent Your Stuff

We haven’t done this yet, but it can be a way to earn quite a bit of extra money. Do you have an RV or vacation house? Rent those out to fund your travel to other areas. Don’t have those? Consider renting a room or apartment in your house with Airbnb, or even a camping spot on your property with HipCamp! 

Reselling Quality Gear

This is one of my favorite ways to get a little extra cash in hand for travel and adventures. Or, more gear! 😉

Especially with the kids’ outdoor gear, we can often resell them and recoup part of the next round’s costs. And, honestly, most of it they outgrow before it’s worn out! 

Seriously. We once had two pairs of Keen sandals that had been through BOTH of our kids, washed several times, and I was able to resell them for $15/pair. It all adds up!

But, even for John and myself, we do this. I bought a pair of snowboard pants a couple of years ago and realized I really wished I’d bought bibs instead. So, I put them up on Facebook marketplace. Within a few days, I had them sold. And, get this: I was able to sell them for THE SAME PRICE I paid for them after using them a few days. Why? Because I bought them on sale at the end of the prior season.

Safeguarding Our Travel

I have to admit, we haven’t always bought travel insurance. We’ve always made sure that we could at least get a refund or credit on airline tickets, hotels, etc. at least up to a week in advance, especially if the amount wasn’t something we were willing to lose.

However, I can tell you that after the events of this year, we likely won’t take the chance on big trips ever again. We’ve always made sure our international trips were covered, but from now on, even domestic trips seem a little riskier. After doing some research, there are a ton of travel insurance companies out there, but you might start with checking out World Nomads or Travel Guard.

Final Thoughts on How to Afford to Travel More

It’s not always perfect. In fact, it’s always somewhat of a balancing act. And, we definitely get it wrong sometimes, too, and spend when we shouldn’t have. 🤷‍♀️ #RealTalk 

Ultimately, what’s made the most difference is shifting our goals and mindset to prioritize travel and adventure. When it’s what you think about often, it’s impressive how much you can truly cut out and earn on the side to reach your goals.

And, the truth is that every little bit adds up, making it easier for us to take that next trip or buy the gear we need (or want). 😉

What about you? Do you have any tips for saving and prioritizing travel and adventures?

Posts Related to Making Travel & Adventure Happen More Often

• 3-Day Yellowstone Itinerary – We rented a campervan and used campgrounds and even free sites along the way to cut on costs.
• How to Find the Best (and Free) Campsites – Our top tips for finding campsites that are unique and, sometimes, even free.
• Brilliant Camping Apps All Campers Should Use – The apps we use the most for camping!
• How to Plan a Road Trip – Travel doesn’t always have to be big, international trips or flying to the opposite side of the country. Check out our step by step guide on planning a road trip for a more cost-effective family vacation.

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