Posted in: Blog
Let’s get one thing straight – upping sticks and travelling around the country (or even the world!) and expecting to do it all for free is just something that can’t happen. There is some expense that has to be spared, and if it’s not coming from you, it’s somebody else who’s footing the bill. With that said, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t tips and tricks to help you get ahead with your savings and ensure that you are spending the least you can. It is possible to be a nomad on a budget? Absolutely – it’s how we are able to work and live the way we do.
Search Around For Gas Prices
Gas prices can differ depending on the location you’re in and the day of the week. Certain gas stations hike up the prices on the weekend, knowing that people are desperate and will be willing to pay out more for it as they utilise their days off. Don’t be these people! A quick search around (or asking for recommendations) can certainly help you to find where you can get a great deal on the fuel for your vehicle. Remember to fill up mid-week to ensure that you are getting the best amount for your money, and keep a note along where you’re going if you pass a station that has good offers on.
Look For Vouchers, Coupons and Discount Codes
If you are picking up magazines, look for the vouchers and coupons that are within them and remember to save them for your next shopping trip. Make sure that you have a good stash to make use of to really bring your bill down. There are discount codes available online from sites like DontPayFull.com, which will be able to give you something to go onto online stores with to reduce your spending. You simply tap in the store that you want to get a discount from and see if it returns any results that are worth using. There’s really nothing to lose when you do this, and it could end up saving you a pretty penny. It literally only takes a few minutes of your time if you’re looking for something in particular, but be careful – you could spend hours searching through all the deals that are there to be taken advantage of.
Ignore Trends
This is especially for the ones travelling with children who are more susceptible to want to buy into trends – don’t do it! They will be over and done with before you know it, and you have just spent out money on a fad that will probably last a couple of weeks at the most. Your money can definitely be spent on better things rather than investing in a temporary joy. Unless you know something has been tried, tested and stood the test of time in terms of practicality and style, don’t buy it. This is something that a lot of people would benefit from taking on board in order to save themselves a lot of money.
Something Broken? Fix It!
We’re in a generation where the mentality is that it’s more productive for us to go out and buy something brand new again, than put our valuable time into making sure that it’s repaired again and back to its former glory. There are repair workshops that are operating around the globe to help people get back to what they had to do in former generations. Did stuff just last longer because it was built better or actually was this because our ancestors actually put the time and effort into it, knowing that they weren’t living off a disposable income and every penny counted? It’s probably a combination of both, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t attempt the latter to really help us stick to our budget. There are simple fixes for most things that we often skim over, and the internet is always on hand to guide us through something that we aren’t too sure about. This will give us skills to use later on, most of which are transferable; what could work for a washing machine, for example, may also help to fix a dishwasher. This can also help you to earn money doing odd jobs out on the road – you’ve always got to think outside the box, but do keep your income at the forefront of your mind.
Stretch Your Meals
While it’s nice to experiment in the kitchen and try out different recipes, it’s also very costly. Buying all of the ingredients for one meal can add up, especially if they’re extremely perishable and won’t last longer than a couple of days. Batch cooking is becoming extremely popular as it is saving people not just money, but the ever-precious time that they crave. For example, if you were to cook up a big pot of bolognese, you simply take your portion out for the day and then freeze the rest rather than letting it go to waste. It can even be bulked out with different vegetables to really make it stretch further. There are sites online dedicated to giving recipes for batch cooking meals, so you won’t ever be short of something to do. You can even cook desserts in bulk … no way are you limited to main meals!
Grow On The Road
Depending on how you’re getting about, there is possibly the opportunity to be able to grow food while you’re travelling. If you’re getting about in a campervan, or on a boat, then the opportunities are endless. There are grow boxes that you can have to hook up to your power to grow fruit and vegetables inside, and the decks and tops of boats offer a great space to be utilised by putting on planters full of seeds of whatever you are wishing to grow. This can be a great opportunity to teach your kids as you are travelling – science can be found all around us, but it’s better if it’s a contained experiment for you to work on together.
