Miles and points give my family a lot of “free” travel. But, “free” is always in quotation marks. Because as we all know, we still incur cash expenditures on trips.
It’s not just the taxes on a flight awards. We spend money on things like airport parking, pet sitting, excursions, food, etc.
In order to save money for these vacation splurges, my family cuts back in other areas to prioritize travel.
Cars
Compared to other people in our zip code, we spend significantly less on our cars. We keep our cars for 8-10 years or more. When my oldest son started driving, he got my husband’s hand-me-down car instead of a new car like most kids at his high school.
Home Repairs
When my husband and I got married and moved into our first home, some friends gifted us a DIY Home Repair book. That turned out to be a very useful tool for us. We rarely call anyone to help with home repairs, and my husband has become quite proficient using the book combined with YouTube videos to fix things himself. He’s performed a wide range of DIY home repairs on our air conditioner, plumbing, doors, dishwasher, garbage disposal and more.
House cleaning service
I believe we’re the only household in our neighborhood that doesn’t have weekly or bi-weekly house cleaning service. I don’t know if this is a Texas thing or what, but most people in our area have regular house cleaners. We save at least $200 a month by cleaning ourselves. Do we clean as well as the professionals? Probably not. But, good enough.
Makeup/Nails
I must admit that saving money on makeup and nails isn’t a huge sacrifice for me. I don’t wear a ton of makeup, and I don’t go to the nail salon regularly. Don’t get me wrong–weekly pedicures would be nice. But, I’d rather spend the money on a tour on my next trip.
Starbucks
I don’t drink coffee, and my husband doesn’t like Starbucks. When he goes into the office about once a week, he brews coffee at home and bring it to work in a thermos.
Bottom Line
I love travel, and these are areas I don’t mind cutting back on to afford more trips. I know some folks think we’re quirky and can’t imagine prioritizing travel over some of these things. But, that’s ok! Do what makes you happy.
Readers, do you cut back in other areas to allocate more money to travel?
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Nancy, your dedication to making travel a priority is truly inspiring! Many people dream of exploring the world, but you’ve taken tangible steps to make it happen. It’s important to understand that while travel rewards and miles can provide incredible opportunities, there are always other expenses involved. Your commitment to cutting back in some areas to afford those travel splurges is a testament to your passion for adventure.
By sharing your experiences and insights, you’re motivating others to pursue their travel dreams as well. Your journey reminds us that with careful planning and a bit of sacrifice, we can create memorable adventures and explore the beauty of the world. Keep up the great work and keep those travel stories coming!
Thank you, @guideharry182!
Well single female here who was raised by Another single female However I am glad to be owning Both my car and my home outright. But as far as repairs I am still on the hook for them. Don’t have a lick of do it yourself in me. So my cut backs are less eating.
@Deva Good for you for owning your car and home!
Life is all about choices. I’m with you on many, but as a fellow Texan, I will keep my cleaning service
@JJ I understand. When my husband and I were both working in the corporate world, we had a cleaning service. I do miss it sometimes.
I do all these things. We’re not alone! I also buy comfortable, flattering, well made shoes, and walk to a lot of places. I wear them for years, and then take them to be recycled/salvaged at a drop off box that takes shoes in any condition.
Also, for younger people entering the job market and looking into relocation, I would ask them to consider car ownership-free options, living near markets, restaurants, pharmacy, banks, and libraries (these neighborhoods exist even in rural areas), and learning to ride the bus and rails. I saved so much money living or working within 15 minutes walk of supermarkets. However, I know someone whose office is across from a Trader Joe, yet they don’t usually shop there and complain that the store doesn’t carry what the want. I would be delighted to work across from a Trader Joe and save even more money so I could splurge on travel.
@Sara J Great points! I used to live in downtown Glendale, California and I could walk to work. It was great! I saved so much money, and I was in the best shape of my life.
Thank you for this blog. It is funny because I feel reflected on each bullet point. On top of keeping the cars until “the wheels come off” :-), I slowly learned how to fix a big portion on them. That alone is saving us around $5K per year and I enjoyed getting more knowledgeable about it.
There were so many ways to save around the house and cars by fixing them that some time ago I decided to create a YouTube channel to pay back all the help I received. I hope it helps you: https://youtube.com/@gotitdone
@Sebastian This is such a great skill to have. We have just spent $1k to fix my husband’s car, and it was a budget buster, for sure.
My late FIL was a mechanic, so we got spoiled by getting our cars fixed for the cost of taking him out to dinner. Come to think of it, we totally took advantage of him!
I am with you there. For the first 7 years in these country I was going to the dealership and getting charge whatever they wanted since I didn’t have a clue. Then I asked my neighbor to explain me a few basics and youtube did the rest. That is why I wanted to pay it back. It is not that difficult. The absolute best advice is learn how to change your break pads every two years for free. You only pay for the pads once when you buy them from Autozone. They have lifetime guarantee and they actually tell you about this process: after two years, when you buy the second pads, you put the old ones in the box and return it to them to be reimbursed. You just keep doing that for the rest of the car’s lifetime.
Watch my videos to feel empowered on what you can do.
Good luck. I really enjoy your posts.
Thanks, Sebastian! Great advice. Will forward your channel link to my husband. Though he is not into trying to fix cars himself, sadly. 🙂
@Sebastian I will check out your YouTube channel for sure! That’s great that you’ve learned how to fix cars. My husband just changed his car’s air filters thanks to YouTube. It saved us at least $100.
I am with you on this. We do most of the things you said except we do have house cleaning but once a month. We do the cleaning in between. My husband is handy but cant do plumbing issues. We eat out on weekends but don’t go to fancy restaurants for dinner that costs $50+ pp. And we also don’t give each other gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, etc. Our trips are our gifts to each other.
@Liz I love that travel is your gift to each other!