Tips on How to Make Travel Happen Without the Perks of Credit Cards

When you were younger, do you recall taking on certain challenges and requesting that nobody help you? Whether it was from your parents or from your friends, you didn’t want help with whatever it was you were trying to accomplish. Doing it on your own was important to you because you needed to prove to yourself that you could do it.

That same determination can be applied in multiple areas of life. Although it is okay to ask for help and to receive help, it’s also okay to push yourself to see how far you can go. This “push” that you sometimes need to do on your own can be applied to your physical health, your mental health, and also your financial health.

When it comes to your financial health, people challenge themselves to not “ask for help” from credit cards or loans. They challenge themselves to not utilize credit in any form for various occasions unless they really need the help. Traveling is an area that people tend to utilize the “help” of credit cards and loan companies, and that’s perfectly fine but if you’re trying to improve your financial health, the best way to do it is to ease up on the use of credit cards and rely on the income you currently have to fund a trip.

In fact, Dave Ramsey talks about the different ways you can travel without the use of credit cards… he even talks about the different accommodations that cater to debit cards just as much they cater to credit cards. If you’re someone wanting to challenge your finances by traveling without the use of credit cards, take a look at the different ways you can pay for your trip without using them.

Create Extra Income

Nothing in life is free and in order to get the things you want, you have to work for it. If it’s extra money you want, no one is going to just hand it to you… you’re going to have to work for it.

Take on a Second Job

Maybe “working for it” means working weekends at the mall or working the night shift as a night auditor at a local hotel. It’s not necessarily something you want to do but we all do things we don’t want to do because we have to do them sometimes.

When it comes to working a part-time job to fund your trip (even though you don’t want to) you have t keep your motivation at the forefront of your mind. Remember, this doesn’t have to be a permanent gig… it’s just something to help you pay for your trip. Just continue to think about how good it will be to feel the sand between your toes!

Become an Entrepreneur

They say it takes money to make money and in the world of entrepreneurship, the same logic applies. Maybe you’re an expert at crochet. People ask you all the time to make cute crochet tops and baby hats for them… why not become an expert at your trade? Consider opening your own online store.

You can crochet several baby hats, tank tops, and various other articles of clothing and put them up to sell on your website. People are always looking for unique pieces to wear that no one else will have. If you open up an online boutique, you will surely make enough extra money to fund your trip.

Save Like a Crazy Person!

With a trip on the horizon, this is the time when you want to pinch every penny you have because every little bit counts. You can open an interest accruing account that will add interest to your account the longer you let your money sit. That second job you have from above… all earnings from that should be set to go into your interest accruing savings account so that your money can work for you.

You can save in other ways too. Maybe start to pack your lunch instead of grabbing sushi or a burger every lunch break… it might not sound like it would make too much of a difference but it can indeed make a huge impact on your pockets. If you were to hold on to all the receipts that you send on food, you’d see that you spend anywhere from $70-$100 on food per month… some people spend more than that! You’ll be glad you let go of a few Starbucks lattes when you are able to sip on endless margaritas at your at an all-expenses hotel while enjoying your dream vacation that is much needed!

Another way to save is on your cable. If you’re currently paying for cable, you should consider getting rid of cable. A lot of cable companies like to charge you an arm and a leg to give you channels that you don’t even watch. These days, people are starting to stream television now. Things like Firestick, Roku, and Netflix are now taking over people’s entertainment needs and it’s providing entertainment at a reasonable price!

Remember, It’s Okay to Need Help Sometimes Too

So, let’s say, you’ve applied all the tips from above but you’re still a few hundred dollars short of being able to fully fund your trip… what do you do now? Not go on the trip you so desperately want to attend? Absolutely not! You can absolutely apply to a credit card of your choice to fund your trip.

There is nothing wrong with using credit cards at all, as long as you use them responsibly. Being that you are trying to improve your financial health, you can apply for a credit card and see what amount you get approved for. If you get approved for a high amount, you can accept it but that doesn’t mean that you have to spend all the money you were approved for.

You can still have a credit card, you just have to be mindful to use it responsibly.

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