Why we never have enough money to travel- and how to change that


Starting my second year in Uni I had this obsessive idea that on upcoming summer I will go on a long journey and travel across half of the world and take on the biggest adventure I've had.
However as we know, these dreams require a descent amount of money.
I hope my story helps you to get inspired and motivated to take a step forward to start your own dream travel.

When I ask "Why won't you take on your dream travel" I mostly hear one thing. People imminently answer to me "I would go, but right now there's no money for it"
Right, I also did not have money "right now". However, the important thing is to realize that even if we don't have that money right now, it doesn't mean we could not have it in near future. So why not start acting on it right now.
We might not have the money right now, but it doesn't mean we could not have it in near future.

Before I start I want to make something clear. People think that my parents paid for all of my travels and here I want to step in and say - no they didn't. I'm proud to say that my travels I earned myself. With my own strategy of savings and choice of minimal costs for lifestyle. Of course I got financial support in some extent before, however from the day I turned 20 I've been making the financing happen for my travels myself. For a year I gave up my every day coffee from a school cafe in order to get something bigger and better.


So how to make your dream travel true?

Obviously there are many ways, however this is what I did.
I went to my bank to open an extra account for my travel savings, an account apart from my every day transactions. This is what I called my "travel saving account". I even  took some cash with me when I went to the bank so as soon as i opened it, I put some money on it. Therefore I knew the start has been made and I really am doing this. Seeing numbers on my brand new account boosted my motivation to raise the numbers even more. 
The most important thing is to strictly keep it only for travel savings and not allowing yourself to take money from there for any other purpose. Till today, years later I have kept adding little saving to my travel account. For now it has become an essential thing in my life.

I'd say at the time I was quite busy with life. Other than having courses 4-5 times per week, I also was volunteering for a student organisation. I was lucky to find a job where there was no fixed working hours. I worked when extra staff was needed. This allowed me to work after school few hours in evenings and mostly on weekends. I didn't make much money, but all what I made, I directly added 100% from it to my travel account. Doing this I received my salary around 150 euros per month.
After few months I booked my first and most essential ticket on direction Tallinn - Mumbai - Tallinn.

I was working at my part-time job for 9 months till the summer, when I was ready start my adventure.

"Hard work pays off"  I believe this to be entirely true. It all comes from the way of thinking. If you really want something, you'll do what it takes. And the key for successful saving is sticking to the plan. Having extra bank account strictly only for travel savings and not allowing yourself to take money from there for any other purpose.

This is how I brought my dream travel to life.
I'd be happy to hear, how did you?


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