Exactly How We Afford to Travel Often
How do you afford to travel so much? We get this question all the time.
The secret to traveling more often is to travel locally.
We’re sharing exactly how to travel more often (and affordably) so you can explore more and make the most of your time off. You don’t have to quit your job to do what we do, and you also don’t need a lot of money or to always use vacation time.
Tips for How To Travel More
Pablo and I love to get outside and explore our backyards. When we say backyards, we mean the state we live in and the neighboring states.
We appreciate seeking fulfillment outdoors through an active and healthy lifestyle, including hiking, camping, and road-tripping. Although we currently live in a city, we take every chance we can to get out and explore off the beaten path.
Travel Close to Home
If the drive isn’t far, it is easy to road trip somewhere for two to three days. Look for local places to explore.
We search for state parks, national parks, wildlife refuges, and Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds within two to (sometimes) five hours of the house.
Local trips to hike and camp are the perfect way to recharge and reinvigorate your soul. They are a great way to travel on a budget and an easy way to save money while traveling.
Plan a Road Trip
Planning a road trip doesn’t have to be complicated, and it is a great way to travel. Below are some easy tips to plan:
Find out where you want to explore: Start by doing a simple Google Search or find inspiration on Pinterest. Then, look for state parks nearby, national parks, the best hiking trails, and places to camp.
Get inspiration to plan your adventure with free apps for hiking.
Once you find camping and hiking areas that appeal to you, Calculate the distance to the nearest campground and make camping reservations.
We always make reservations because it is nice to know where you’re sleeping once you get to your destination. More and more people are camping (which is incredible), but that also means campgrounds fill up. A little planning goes a long way.
Take Weekend Trips You Can Drive To
If we have two or three days off, we leave early on the first day and drive to our destination.
Once we get to the destination, we set up camp and explore for the rest of the afternoon. On the first day’s afternoon, look for short hikes or familiarize yourself with the destination and plan the next day’s excursion. Then, depending on your time off, you have a full day or two to explore.
Drive home early on the last day of your trip so you have time to unpack and relax before heading back to work.
Go Camping
In 2021, we finally invested in our dream camper — the Aliner. It has been a game-changer in how we travel. It is our tiny house on wheels.
Most places we camp cost $20-$40 a night. Compare that to $200+/night in a hotel, Airbnb, or VRBO, and the camper has quickly paid for itself.
Bring Your Food
We bring all our food, water, and snacks — saving us so much money.
We might spend $50 on groceries for a weekend camping trip. And honestly, we usually just bring whatever we have from home and eat that.
Do Free Outdoor Activities
Free outdoor activities are a great way to reduce travel expenses, entertain yourself, and explore.
Hiking and mountain biking are free. Taking pictures is free after investing in the equipment. Driving back roads is free, minus the gas. Watching sunrises and sunsets is free. Roam and explore the woods, jump in the lakes, creeks, and rivers, and have fun.
Cost of a Typical Weekend Camping Trip
Below is a breakdown of the cost of a typical weekend camping trip.
- Camping fees: $20-40/night
- Food: $50
- Gas: $150–175. We usually buy a tank to go and a tank to come home.
- Highway tolls: $20
A weekend camping and hiking trip in Oklahoma and Arkansas costs us less than $300. The most expensive thing we pay for is gas.
The breakdown shows how we keep our travel expenses to a minimum. With this style of travel, a long weekend costs as little as $150 per person round trip.
You don’t have to have an RV or camper – you can always car camp or sleep in a tent.
Travel Locally, Travel More Often
Traveling locally helps your dollar go further. You can travel more often and make trips multiple times a month.
We aren’t spending much money on airplane tickets, hotels, or restaurants, and we are having just as much fun. Most importantly, we aren’t accumulating debt to travel places and are still having wonderful experiences.
These cost-cutting strategies and travel tips are a lifestyle that is so easy to do. So, plan your next trip close to home if you want to travel more.
We hope this article inspires you to explore more locally.
Ashlee & Pablo
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Absolutely LOVE this! We have been doing a little more local travel in the last couple of years, and are having soooo many amazing adventures. As a family, we are slowly getting into camping, and are thinking of getting small camper as well. While going abroad is nice, we live in Canada and our own backyard is gorgeous.
Hi Marianne! Thank for sharing. Everything we see about the Canadian wilderness is just incredible. I bet you will fall more in love with camping after you get a camper. We used to tent camp and after getting the Aliner – camping feels like our little house on wheels. Thanks for commenting. Happy adventuring!
I love this! Local adventures and camping are go-to’s for me too. There’s so many awesome places to explore once you start looking! I would love to have a camper someday, but for now I do tent camping.
Hi Susan – thanks for reading our article. We love hearing that you like to travel locally. You are so right – there are many awesome places to explore locally once you start looking.
Great ideas, I love camping adventures. I also house sit internationally, that’s another great way to be able to afford to travel so much especially if you love pets.
Hi Sarah! What a great idea! I’d love to hear more about how you plan house sitting out. Cool share.
There are so many tips for planning travel that makes it easier to afford. My biggest tip is to start a vacation fund…today.
Hi Jolayne – great advice! Thanks for adding that.
Ashlee + Pablo, Looks like an amazing trip! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Erin! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. We appreciate you!
Lots of great tips here! Eating at restaurants all the time while travelling is so expensive, so I often bring my own food where possible as well.
Yes, Krista! Eating in restaurants DOES get expensive. We loved reading you try to bring your own food as well.
Love this article! We have put a lot more local plans in our upcoming travel and I’m so excited to see more of what’s nearby. We don’t do a lot of camping (kids make it a little more work!) but I’d actually love to try camping more if it means we can travel more!
Hi Megan! Thanks for reading! There are so many neat things to do close to home (in most places). I know you live in CO, just a little drive and there is something to see every weekend. Maybe as the kids get older you can enjoy camping. Have a great week! Safe travels.
Some great tips to help people travel for less. We too love to head out for local day trips with our cooler packed for the trip. There are indeed so many outdoor experiences that are free. And help us to slow down and enjoy the moments.
Hi Linda! Thank you for stopping by and reading our article. We love hearing that you bring a cooler too!
These are great tips and I love the photos of the article! I think doing what the locals do is always the best decision!
Hi Lasma! Thanks for reading and commenting on our article. You are so right!
This is a great article, informative. Have FUN camping, Ashlee + Pablo !!
Hi Burt! Thanks for reading and commenting. We appreciate you!