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One day we will all travel again. Until then, let’s focus on saving money for the epic adventures ahead. Let’s be honest – when I can hit the road, I’ll be traveling hard core! I have literally done 90% of the things mentioned below in the past year to save money. It’s been a tough year for a lot of people financially (myself included) so travel might not be an option for everyone. Regardless of your situation, these tips will help you save money for your priorities!
1. Trim Existing Bills
In all of my travels, the sloooowest internet I’ve found isn’t in Burma, India or Mongolia. It’s actually in my hometown in South Carolina where I’ve spent a good portion of the last year riding out the pandemic. When it became clear I wasn’t getting back on the road anytime soon, I glanced at my parent’s phone/internet bill and noticed they were paying $15/month for a static IP address they didn’t need. After a short call to AT&T, I reduced their bill by $40/month, which is $480/year. (Sadly, our internet speed remains painfully slow because we already had the fastest option, which has upload speeds that rival a carrier pigeon.)
It’s a good idea every two to five years to audit your normal monthly bills to ensure you aren’t paying for options you don’t need and check for a cheaper or better value plan since options change often. Call up the company and ask for ways to reduce your bills. ALWAYS be nice and you’ll be surprised how much you save! I saved $20/month on my cell phone bill by switching to Verizon’s pre-paid plan. To combat the slow WIFI, I upgraded my plan for a $3/month increase for seven times the data.
2. Use Rakuten!
Rakuten is a website and browser plug-in that offers cash back when you shop at over 2,500 stores ranging from Sephora to Lowes to Target. You simply click on the link on Rakuten’s site, phone app or use the browser plug-in like I do, which alerts you to the cash back amount. (Stores pay Rakuten a commission for sending you their way.) Cash back ranges from 1-12% but is sometimes higher. Often, it’s higher at holidays or peak shopping periods. Every three months the money is deposited in my PayPal. (I got $44.68 in February!) Since everyone is shopping online more than normal due to the pandemic, Rakuten is a must. Plus, you get $30 just for joining and spending $30 using one of their links! Use this link to get your $30!
I bought this $100 Marmot raincoat on sale at REI for $50. When the lining started ripping, Marmot replaced it for FREE. They’ve got my loyalty for rain gear for life. (Photo location: Ladakh, India)
3. Warranties
In my book, I talked about the importance of investing in quality products with lifetime or long-term warranties. This goes beyond just travel gear and electronics. One of the bathroom faucets at my parent’s house started dripping last summer. After a call to faucet manufacture (Moen), they shipped us a $150 part for free as part of their lifetime warranty, which covers the product as long as the original owner owns the home. For a company, this builds loyalty. I will always support Osprey Packs, Patagonia, Apple and Marmot for their quality gear and excellent warranties. They have all fixed or replaced my gear and electronics at no cost.
Next time something breaks or stops working properly, do a quick Google search on the warranty to check the terms. Then, send a nice email with a photo of the issue to ask if your product is eligible. Since proof of purchase is often required, consider adding a folder in your email to organize receipts.
4. Cancel Subscriptions
The subscription payment method is a great business model for company, but it can easily drain your bank account as a consumer. When auditing your monthly bills as I mentioned above, check your bank statement for reoccurring charges. It’s time to cancel that gym membership you didn’t use even before the pandemic. I’m honestly surprised at how many people are aware of paying for things they don’t use but won’t take the time to cancel them! I heard this constantly from friends when I released my book! I only pay for three subscriptions—Apple Music and two newspapers. That’s it.
P.S. Libraries still exist and offer ebooks and audiobooks for FREE with apps like Hoopla, Libby and Overdrive. Some movies are also included!
5. Sell Things
For the first time in over a decade, I fully unpacked and all of my things were in the same place. I used the time to declutter and clean out everything in my old room at my parent’s house. I donated the junk and sold the rest on eBay or Poshmark, a website for selling clothing, jewelry and new makeup. In the past six months, I’ve made roughly $478.99 selling everything from my old Hard Rock Café shot glass collection to jewelry I wore in high school. If you haven’t used the pandemic as an excuse to declutter, start now and make some extra cash!
Peak Design makes the BEST camera strap (left) on the planet. I just bought their lightweight travel tripod, which folds up to the size of a water bottle, with their education discount. They are one of the best camera accessory brands out there. Photo credit: Peak Design
6. Student, Teacher, Military & First Responder Discounts
My dad and I spent a good chunk of the last year remodeling my parent’s house ourselves—ripping out old carpet, reflooring almost the entire house (hardwood for bedrooms/hall and vinyl planks for the bathrooms/kitchen), repainting and moving toilets. (At one point, I had to crawl under the house on my stomach to cut a toilet pipe with a three-foot long saw to avoid calling a plumber on a Sunday during lockdown.) We saved a fortune by doing it all ourselves and using my dad’s military discount at Lowes, which is 10%! (We combined this with the Rakuten cash back by buying online for curbside pickup!)
There are countless places that offer discounts for students, teachers, military and first responders/medical professionals. If anyone in your household qualifies for these discounts, then take advantage! Most places will have them listed on their website, and you usually have to verify your eligibility with an email address, proof of employment or military service by filing out a form. It’s so simple!
Since I teach for a university part-time, I get slew of discounts from newspaper subscriptions, Apple Music, clothing (Banana Republic, J. Crew, H&M) and even camera gear! (I literally just realized a few months ago that B&H Photo AND Peak Design, who makes my favorite camera straps and lightweight travel tripod, offer education discounts!) I’m sure most K-12 teachers know that Michael’s craft stores offer a teacher discount. Even Amazon Prime offers a discounted student version! Websites like ID.me and myunidays.com provide access to a slew of discounts so give them a scroll.
Warby Parker changed my life last year with their $125 frames with lenses. (I have a high prescription so I’ve never been able to find affordable glasses until now!) I love the Daisy frame model, which I photographed above on my nightstand.
7. Warby Parker
If you have perfect vision, skip this part. I’ve worn glasses since kindergarten. The prescription in my right eye is so strong that the lens is so thick that it sticks out of the glasses frame. This got me picked on like hell in school. I started wearing contacts in high school and was so traumatized that I rarely wore glasses in public again. Year later, I realized it was possible to buy thin lenses that didn’t stick out past the frame, but they were expensive so I only bought glasses every 5-10 years since I mostly wore contacts. When the pandemic hit, I needed new glasses and my prescription was expiring. Since I didn’t feel safe shopping in person due to COVID, I decided to try Warby Parker, an online glasses retailer. While Target charges $350 ($250 for thin lenses and $100 for the cheapest frames), Warby Parker only charged $125 for the thin lenses AND stylish frames (Daisy model). For the first time in my entire life, I actually feel attractive in glasses and it saved me $225! Warby Parker is the greatest thing I’ve discovered in the past decade. I can’t recommend them enough. (This is not an affiliate link. I just honestly love them.) If you have a lower prescription that does result in a thick lens, there are cheaper places like Zenni.
8. Buy Nothing Project
There is NOTHING I hate more than clutter and being wasteful. Travel has made me a minimalist. I’m all about borrowing things or giving things away to help others, which is what I did during my declutter last year. While I haven’t used it, I’m intrigued by the idea of the Buy Nothing Project, which is a series of local Facebook groups where people post what they need/don’t want. It’s worth checking out.
9. REI Used Gear Program
I also had no idea this existed until recently. Last October, REI launched their used gear program. If you pick “excellent condition,” chances are you will get a brand new item that someone just tried out and returned, for 50% off the original price. REI members can also trade in old gear for store credit to avoid things going to landfills! If you need gear to hit the road, this is a great place to start looking!
*Please note that some affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no cost to you, which goes toward the cost of maintaining this blog. If you would like to support this blog and are ready to make a purchase, these links are one way to show your support. I only recommend products and companies I truly love and use. Please email me with any questions.
Want more budget tips?
In my book Good With Money, I share all the financial lessons I learned during the recession in 2008, which helped me survive the economic downfall from the pandemic when I lost 80% of my work. (Turns out, pandemics along with global recessions aren’t good for travel photographers! haha!) These same lessons are relevant today during our current crisis and can help you be prepared for any inevitable financial downturns in the future. Your savings will save you. Don’t wait to get your finances in order!
