Traveling….one of my favorite things in the entire world. Each time I get on a plane, my heart races a little bit and with each passport stamp, I realize just how much I haven’t seen. I love to travel as you all know, but at the same time, I have to take a step back every so often and make some money in order to finance these travels. It’s never easy, but it’s really necessary. I do a few major things in order to afford my travel, but they all truly help in the long run. 
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1. I Take Any Job I Can Get While I’m Home.
I babysit….a lot. Also, I do a lot of freelance work for photography and writing to help supplement. I don’t have a 9-5 job (that’s what school is), but at the same time, I make enough money to get through my travels comfortably. By finding odd jobs here and there, I finance my travels myself and am able to travel the world.
2. I Plan Months in Advance.
Remember that trip I took to London last year when I went to London Fashion Week? I planned that trip in the summer. Planning months ahead allows me to find the best opportunities possible and flights possible. I can mix and match with hotels and people and if I’m lucky, pitch a brand or hotel to sponsor my trip.
3. The Pitch…an Essential.
As a blogger, travel is not as expensive as it may be under other circumstances. I’m able to pitch hotels and other companies and offer my services in exchange for a stay or other help when it comes to travel. This is only an option when I am able to plan far in advance, so I can send enough to get a yes eventually!
4. Don’t Always Travel by Air! Land Options are Good Too!
When traveling in Europe, trains are a beautiful thing. You can almost get a cheaper rate when it comes to traveling if you use a train and you also get a look at the scenery. I took a train from Paris to Amsterdam, and it really paid off. I was able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride all the way to a different country without a lot of the hassles that air travel can provide.
5. Save, but Also Use Miles When You Can.
I have a lot of Skymiles…a LOT. I fly with Delta so often that it’s impossible for me to not have a lot of miles saved up and I definitely recommend that. Flying with one airline enough to save up miles has many perks and allows for you to save money on flights by using miles. Look into credit cards for certain airlines, which you can find more info with on Google. Use your miles when you can, because they will come in handy.
Some of these tips may only be helpful to me in my circumstances, but at the same time, these are tips that I have applied in my own life and seen work time and time again. You don’t have to be rich to travel, you just have to be determined to get to your destination no matter what.
If you want more tips, be sure to check out my resource guide where you can find 10 tricks I use to travel frequently as well as a monthly content planning calendar for FREE!
pia
these tips are awesome! Thank you for sharing them 🙂
Fash ‘n’ fudge
Fash ‘n’ fudge
Chelsea
Loving these tips! One of my biggest resolutions is to travel more this year and in years to come, but it drains the wallet so fast! I need to start reaching out well ahead of time to plan trips better.
Chelsea
Chow Down USA
Instagram
Jordan Chapman
ChelseaI hope you get to travel more and that these tips help!!
Mariann Yip
I am a travelholic and definitely use all of your tips! I think a lot of people always think travel is not an option due to their circumstances but there are actually so many ways to make it happen. Saving and planning are my top two tips!
Jordan Chapman
Mariann YipDefinitely agree!! Everyone can travel if they put their mind to it and save up and plan!! x
Josie
These are really great tips! Thanks for sharing them with us. Being a blogger comes as an bonus when you travel for sure as you can try to have huge discounts or even a stay! Traveling by car is essential too. I am planning to visit more of Canada this year so we will definitely use the car instead of spending a ton of money on flights!
Bisous, Josie
http://www.petiteandbold.com
Jordan Chapman
JosieBlogging has opened so many doors and I love what I do so much!! There are so many great bits that I can do because of it so I’m glad I can share it with you all!
Christine Kong
Traveling is so amazing and I also get excited with every stamp on my passport. There is so much out there that needs to be seen. I love all these tips for organizing travel and planning trips. These are very useful and will definitely keep them in mind as I plan for my next vacation! xoxo, Christine
http://dailykongfidence.com/
Samantha Mariko
These were great travel tips Jordan! I’m planning a trip to Europe for the summer, so this was the perfect post to read 🙂
http://www.samanthamariko.com
Jordan Chapman
Samantha MarikoDefinitely work your magic with these tips!! x
Thomas Falkenstedt
That’s the spirit! You don’t have to spend endless amount of money if you plan ahead and are smart (and sometimes lucky with collabs). Just like you I stick to one airline within one alliance (Star Alliance) so whenever I fly with any of the airlines in that I get skymiles which can be used either for free trips, hotel nights or if I’m feeling like pampering myself, upgrading to business or first class. 🙂 Thanks for the tip about taking a train in Europe. Despite living here, I fly wherever I go and I’m thinking of taking the train from Milan to Paris this summer just to see what it’s like 🙂
xoxo
Thomas
http://thomasfalkenstedt.com
Jordan Chapman
Thomas FalkenstedtSticking with one airline is the best because you can get so much simply by working with one airline and just taking advantage of all of the benefits!! I definitely recommend trains, they’re so comfy and easy to do, especially over the summer!
Jo
I love your tips on making traveling more affordable! I miss living in Europe where traveling from county to country was so cheap, whether by train or budget airline! I can’t wait to plan my next trip abroad and will definitely try to plan it well in advance 😉
xo, Jo
http://www.cutandchic.com
Atsuna Matsui
I seriously hope to travel more this year. I’m working on saving up to do more local travels that won’t be as costly. I’ll definitely try pitching some hotels to get some free stays as well. 🙂 I’d love reading a blog post about how you pitch hotels.
http://www.atsunamatsui.com
Jordan Chapman
Atsuna MatsuiDefinitely pitch hotels and I will definitely do a post about that!! I’m trying to figure out content, so this may be a great addition!
Jenn Hanft
These are amazing tips! I never thought about reaching out to hotels or even thinking about options other than air – depending how far they are. And omg I should definitely get on skymiles because I’m sure it’s such a good saver in the end. I always figured that I don’t really fly enough to bother. Thanks for all the tips!
XO Jenn
http://www.jennsemble.com
Jordan Chapman
Jenn HanftDefinitely recommend pitching hotels, you never know!! It has saved me hundreds if not thousands of dollars, so definitely do that!
Stephanie
These are amazing tips, I never thought about useful it could be to travel by train in Europe, but I do hear that it’s easier, so now I know to look into that if I ever get the chance to visit. I still haven’t been out of the country, and I’m in the process of figuring out how to pitch to hotels hahaha. I definitely agree that gaining flying miles can be super efficient. JetBlue lets you gain a lot of miles and points with each trip 🙂
Stephanie // SheSawStyle.com
Jordan Chapman
StephanieI hope you get to go out of the country and if you ever want tips on pitching hotels, let me know and there may be a post in the works on it!! I’ve heard great things about JetBlue so I’ll have to check it out!
Candace
I also have enough miles with Southwest built up where I can fly somewhere for free! I just need to figure out where to go next. Keep on traveling girl. Live life 🙂
http://www.thebeautybeau.com/
Yasmin
I totally need to get an air miles credit card. Such a great way to save on travel. Love your photographs! They’re so vivid and clear. I hope to plan a trip this year either to India or Europe so these tips will come in handy.
xx Yasmin
http://banglesandbungalows.com
Jordan Chapman
YasminI have mine and although I’ve had to learn how to curb spending, it’s been so nice to have!
Sharon Wu
What great tips babe. One of my resolutions this year is to travel more often without breaking the bank so these tips will definitely come in really handy! xo, sharon
http://www.stylelullaby.com/beauty/2017s-beauty-favorites/
Jordan Chapman
Sharon WuDefinitely the best thing I’ve done all year!! If there’s one around you, I definitely say get involved next time!!
marcy
Such a great post babe!! Really enjoyed reading this since I’m also a wanderlust heart that always looks for new adventures.
xoxo
Marcy
Miki
Great tips! I set aside a budget every year for travel. Babysitting is such a great idea. I knew someone that did that for extra cash on the side and she made so much. I love to travel and try to be away for a few months of the year, so I always need to budget various trips, especially since I’ll plan 3 and book… like 8 for the year. Haha. I hope you travel to beautiful destination ations this year!
Xo,
Miki
http://mikialamode.com
Jordan Chapman
MikiI do so much babysitting, it’s tiring, but so worth it when I get to travel so much!!
Deddeh Howard
9-5 jobs are not aways the best and I love that you get that and still make your life fun. I love traveling too.