The New Year is with us, and with it comes the opportunity for new beginnings.
Just like in years past, majority of us will be devoting 2019 to saving more money (or spending less of it) to pay for our travel life.
In fact, after putting up the post on my 2018 year of travel in review, I cannot help but recall some of the questions that people have been sliding into my DMs especially bearing in mind that I’d just been laid of in the latter part of 2017.
- “How did you manage to travel that much to all those countries without an 8 to 5 job? “
- “How can I travel more in 2019?”
- “How can I save money for travel in 2019?”
- “How do you afford to travel as a Kenyan?”
- “How can I make travel a priority in 2019?”
- “40 Things to do in Kenya on a budget!” Really? Is it even safe to travel to Kenya safe right now?
Life is all about choices, and choices have consequences. If you have a goal or dream in mind and you want it badly enough, you have to make those choices that will push you closer to making it happen.
Some people will argue that those who get to experience the travel lifestyle are merely privileged and super lucky!
Well, that may be true to some extent.
But I know many rich people in Kenya who don’t even own a passport, and some lesser privileged others with just as many personal obligations, work commitments, and financial responsibilities who skipped lunch at CJs in exchange of githeri for lunch, took a matatu to work or the salon rather than Uber, and made some impossible decisions when it came to walking away from the snares that are Nairobi exhibitions and hawkers on Nairobi streets; to make their travel dreams a reality.
I don’t know about you, but as a digital financial services consultant in Kenya, freelance travel writer based in Nairobi and Etsy business owner, I’m always a looking for creative ways to cushion my volatile income.
In spite of all this uncertainty, one of my top goals for 2019 is to continue traveling to as many more new places as will be reasonably possible.
That obviously calls for the need for creatively measures to achieve my dream.
It’s just the right thing to do and with how 2018 panned out, it is totally doable.
It doesn’t matter if you are on a tight budget or an enormous one, if you think you can make it work, you can.
Below are 10 ways I’m prioritizing travel in 2019 and how I intend to afford travel in 2019, and you can too…
What's Covered in This Article
Letting Go of Excuses
Although I was blessed to visit 10+ countries in 2018, I technically could have visited more had I not spent more time second-guessing myself with all manner of excuses.
In 2019, I determined to let go of any of irrational excuses that are merely coming out of a place of fear, and to let go of people and activities that don’t in one way or another steer me towards achieving such goals that are important to me.
I also purpose to find a workaround for the genuine cases such as the need to be in town during school term so as not to interfere with my boy’s school schedule.
Nailed Down My motivation
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page – Saint Augustine of Hipo
Having extensively traveled in the past 10 years, I have come to experience the depth of the above quote. Travel has challenged some long-held stereotypes, has exposed me first hand to cultures I previously never knew of, and has tremendously changed (for the better), my overall outlook of life.
Thus for me, if for the above reasons alone, over time it has become much easier to prioritize, to stick to, and to sacrifice for travel.
I decided that travel was going to be one of the top priorities in my life, and that there will never be a more perfect time to travel than now. Waiting any longer will only make it harder—if not impossible—to travel.
Struggles and responsibilities are part of this game called life and the only time they will cease is when I’m dead.
Besides, what guarantee do I have that the trip I’m planning to take ‘some day’ will even be possible. I mean, Venice could sink before I retire!.
Daaaa… Or I could get sick. Or die. Or China could buy all us Kenyans if we fail to pay the national debt we owe them!
I ain’t taking any chances…. No.
Therefore, the same way I make lifestyle adjustments and sacrifice time and money for other important things in my life, I have to do the same for travel.
This means focusing only on those activities that directly help me to reach my priorities (travel included) and achieve my goals.
Undoubtedly, it isn’t always easy. But it eventually pays off in the long run and is worth every sacrifice.
Set Up a 52 Week Savings Challenge
The 52 Week Money Challenge is a method of saving money in equal weekly incremental amounts over the year.
There are two main strategies to the 52 Week Money Challenge.
The first strategy is starting small and working your way up (KES 50 bob for week 1, KES 100 for week 2, KES 150 for week 3, etc.
Basically, so let’s say you start the year off by saving KES 50 bob the first week, in the second week, 50+50 = KES 100 bob, then 100+50 =KES 150 bob the third week, then 150+50 = KES 200 the forth week, and so on as so forth up to week 52.
The second strategy is reverse saving by starting big and working backwards.
In my case for instance, I’m using the M-Shwari Lock Savings Account for my #52WeekSavingsChallenge; and I decided to reverse save whereby I started with the largest amount of KES 2,600 in week 1, then (2,600-50) = KES 2,550 in week 2, (2,550-50) = KES 2,500 in week 3, and so on as so forth subtracting KES50 each week, until I finish off with KES 50 in the last week of December.
Either way you decide to take part in challenge therefore, you’ll have saved KES 68,970 bob total in travel money by the last week of December.
How cool is that!
If you’d rather start with the smallest amount of KES 50, please click here to download the M-Shwari #52WeekChallenge savings program.
Print it out so that you can be ticking the weeks off as you save to ensure you are on track.
Started a Side Hustle
Well, I started many side hustles.
I run this blog.
I sell African handmade baskets and jewelry on etsy.
I can process for you a dummy travel ticket for your UK visa or Schengen visa or Korean visa.
I started a YouTube Channel.
I occasionally take up digital finance consultancy projects.
While these side gigs won’t make me a millionaire overnight, the extra money they bring in will make it so much easier to afford travel and ramp up my savings travel fund.
Keeping an Open Mind
This is where nailing my motivation came in handy.
For me, I set my travel on one main principle: follow the deals, not the destination.
Since my main goal for traveling is to read as many pages of this book aka our beautiful world, I don’t really care where I go as long as I go, its a place I’ve never been to before, and the deal is great.
Keeping this kind of attitude and level of flexibility has really helped me score some excellent deals.
Like that time Kenya Airways had a sale on it’s inaugural Nairobi to New York flight.
To ensure I don’t miss out on any deals, I have subscribed to deal sites such as Secret Flying, and also gotten multiple entry visas for UK, USA, Canada and Schengen states which have tremendously increased the number of countries I can visit visa free on my Kenyan passport from 72 to 120+.
Making Advance Commitments
Over the years, I have learned that one way to achieve my travel goals is by taking immediate advance actions such as processing visas, buying tickets and booking accommodation way in advance of my travel.
Since chickening on such commitments are tied with a financial loss, I have no obligation but to honor them.
So as it is right now, I used my airline points to book a flight to Europe in April and another in July. I therefore have no choice but to hustle and find money for accommodation, food, and excursions.
Make Others Pay for My Travels
There are two ways I plan to go about this.
If you got a chance to flip through my post on my 2019 New Year Resolutions and Vision Board, one of the key highlights I mention is that instead of waiting for brands to approach me, I will proactively reach out to them for comped trips and stays, collaborations and partnerships.
My other game plan for making others pay for my travels is by entering travel competitions and contests open to contestants globally and trying my luck.
Having previously enjoyed full-paid for luxurious vacations, I am a firm advocate of putting yourself out there.
Remember you miss 100% of all the shots you don’t take.
So I will continue being on the on the look-out for opportunities to travel free contests and travel-related jobs with a special focus on those travel competitions with harder more complicated entry rules because the chances of success are higher as fewer people enter them.
Sharing my Goals with Others
So apart from making advance financial commitments, I have made my travel plans known to my close friends and family; and also to my internet family through my 2019 vision board and bucket list.
By sharing my travel commitments publicly, I hold myself accountable.
It’s gonna take a hell lot of balls to ditch these goals.
Well, there go my tips to making sure I meet my 2019 travel goals.
Steal any or all of these tips and I guarantee you you could be on a plane next month to visit some distant land!
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