Tuesday 28 March 2017

How I Afford To Travel While Being A Full Time Student


Travel is something that I love more than anything in the world. It makes me feel alive. But since I am a full time student in final year with a tonne of work on my shoulders, how do I afford to go travelling? This is something people ask me a lot,
they tell me they can't travel because they've no money, they have too much work to do, that they would never get the time. Well if you just change your lifestyle a little, it's 100% possible. Like I went to Russia two weeks ago and it was totally fine for me! So get the pens out and I'll give you my fool proof tips for travelling while you're a student!




1. Prioritise

This is probably one of the most fundamental things you can do in order to be able to travel. Like I said above people tell me they have no money to go abroad, yet they go shopping and go out every week. The difference between me and them is: I don't shop (probably once every 2 or 3 months as I'll only buy one or two STAPLE pieces that I can re-wear) and I never go out. I would only go out if it was an extremely important occasion. I believe if I really want to go travelling, I have to cut out other pleasures in life (even though I hate going out so it works in my favour), if you are really passionate about travelling sacrifices have to be made. You are probably thinking, "how are you a fashion blogger if you never buy clothes?", well I do but like I said, rarely and they are always staple pieces. 



2. Save, Save, Save

Adding to the first point, when you have cut out some pleasures in your life, you must save every cent that falls into your view point. I rarely buy food at college, I always make myself lunch and I bring my own teabags so I don't waste money on my endless cups of tea if I bought tea in college I would be spending about €5 a day on it alone. It all adds up you don't realise. A huge tip I have, if you get any money put it immediately into your bank, because if you spend your cash you will be left with coins which is just a nuisance to put into your bank and odds are you probably won't lodge it; in turn you might not be able to book a flight! I'm telling you every euro helps (I sound like such a poor person hahaha -but I'm serious!)



3. Planning

You can't just book a flight and head off the next week. If you believe you have the money then go for it. But usually when I plan trips its always about two months in advance except when it came to my trip to Russia, which we booked 4 months in advance and had been speaking about it for a whole month or two before that. This way you have enough time to save for the visa (if you need one), accommodation and living expenses.

When you book flights always browse around before purchasing, check for the cheapest dates, if there are any sales, I know Ryan Air always have sales on. And my favourite: Sky Scanner it's so good to help you find the cheapest flights. I once flew to Rome for less than €60 return and I flew to London for €30 return.



4. Organisation

You guys know I love to be organised and with my amazing journal I organise every inch of my life. When you're in college and you want to travel you should always know when your deadlines are for assignments/essays/in class exams, I always make sure I'm not away when I have a deadline. Here's a prime example: before heading to Russia I had a deadline during our time there, a 2000 word essay so I made sure I completed it before I went. So if you accidentally book a holiday when you have something due, make sure to organise your schedule to be able to get that assignment done. There's nothing worse than college work ruining your trip or your trip ruining your college work!



5. Cheap Accommodation - Pair Up

Don't feel bad if you have to result in booking accommodation that's not of a high standard. Sometimes you can actually find a decent place for a cheap price if you just do the research. I don't think I could ever stay in a Hostel as I've heard too many horror stories so I usually result in low star hotels, and I always have amazing experiences from them. Remember it doesn't have to be Instagram worthy!

Another tip I have when saving money with accommodation is dividing the price between two (or more if you're travelling in a group), you'll end up spending less than you've imagined. This is one of the reasons why I never travel alone because, 1, it's too lonely and 2, it's more expensive. 



6. Short Trips

You don't need a 2 week trip, that would just cost a fortune, if you want to make quick city breaks like I do, spend 2/3 nights maximum. If you research the city well you can put an itinerary together and see everything you need to see. Many places are free too.
However, if you plan to stay more than 4 nights in a city, I would recommend buying food in the nearest supermarket and eat on the go or in your accommodation. You can still go out and dine but try have one nice dinner and one nice lunch (usually on the last night of my trips I go to a nice restaurant). 

This is how I manage to travel, you don't need a huge wad of cash, if you budget well and follow these tips it's completely doable. I hope it has helped you see that it is in fact possible to get that much needed break. If you have any tips you would like to share you can leave a comment below or on any of my social media channels linked below. 



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