Traveling more with a full-time job
Imagine traveling the globe without any limitations or constraints. Waking up in a new city everyday without a single care in the world. Having the freedom to live out your dreams without fear. Well back in the REAL World most people are working full-time careers and are limited by the currencies of life. I’ll refer to these scarce resources as time, money, and energy. In this post I’ll go into how I manage to travel without quitting my day job.
First Some Background
Although I’m an aspiring Travel Blogger with hopes of one day supporting my lifestyle with it, I am currently working full-time as an Aerospace Engineer. Having an everyday commitment definitely limits the amount of traveling you can do. Regardless, over the past 3 years I’ve visited dozens of new cities. This can be a real possibility for you as well. If you wish to travel more but working a full-time job is holding you back, there are three components you must acknowledge: Being able to prioritize your energy, maximize your time, and optimize your money. Lets get into how each of these elements will help you see more of the World.
Prioritizing Your Energy
One of the key ingredients of traveling more is focus. If traveling is a dream of yours then it needs to take top priority. Having too many hobbies will only distract you from visiting those places you’ve always dreamed of. Therefore before you do anything, you have to decide that traveling is an important aspiration.
Not saying you can’t do other things with your life, but if traveling is not near the top of the list, it may be difficult to accomplish. Focusing your energy toward traveling more will make sure that no matter the circumstances, success is guaranteed.
Another way to prioritize your energy to traveling while working full-time is proper planning. Every trip takes some research before it’s in the execution phase. Organizing your travels beforehand, finding cheaper deals, finding discounts, and deciding in advance will save you tons of money which will help you travel more.
*Check out these links if you need ideas of where to travel or how to decide which place is worth it.
Optimize Your Money
You are working full-time so obviously you have some income. The problem is there’s never enough to go around. Personal finance may sound like a boring subject, but it is absolutely essential if you wish to travel more. What helps me out is having a low rent cost (not more than 20%-30% of your income), reducing frivolous spending(don’t waste money on things that do not bring you closer to your goals), and limiting other recurring living expenses(I hate bills and debt since they take away from your income, which you need to travel).
Once your spending is under control you should consider saving as much as you can( at least 10% of your income for starters). Getting a credit card that you use for everyday expenses can help you build up some miles so you can score some free plane tickets. It’s a slow process but eventually adds up. Check out this post to see if you have the discipline to own a credit card.
Even with spare cash, traveling is an expensive hobby. If you can eliminate the most expensive costs, you might even be able to add more trips to your schedule. Shopping around for flight tickets on some awesome discount sites will save a bunch, leaving you with more to spend on your vacation. Avoiding peak seasons and having a flexible itinerary will also help cut costs while booking.
Another huge expense are hotels. Finding a place to sleep doesn’t always have to be expensive when there are a plethora of options available. Getting lesser known hotels, AirBnB, Hostels, or even Couch Surfing can help you save a ton of money. Just in case some of these budget accommodations freak you out, here’s a post showing you that hostels aren’t as bad as you think.
Maximize Your Time
So you have the right idea and some extra cash. But how do you find the extra time to go to new places?? Especially while working full-time, most people can feel trapped in the 9-5 work cycle. This can be job dependent, but there’s a few things you can do to maximize your amount of free time.
Deliberately planning your Paid Time Off is vital to seeing more of the world. Try splitting your vacation days over different trips. For instance, either use one week for a big trip or a few days around the weekend for a shorter excursion. Four days is usually enough time for an enjoyable getaway.
Working on Holidays and using those hours for the future can also lengthen your travel. Finding creative ways to flex your time off is a great way to maximize your time away from work. Trading shifts with other co-workers or working overtime a few nights a week can add to your time as well.
If you’re lucky, you may be able to work remotely certain days which is a huge benefit. Doing work on a beach or a hotel is always nicer than the usual office setting. Everyone has a different situation but the main take away here is creating opportunities that work for you.
Working Full-Time and Traveling
You might be weighed down by working full-time but you are the CEO of your own life. No matter the situation, you can decide how to spend your time. How to use your money. And how to focus your energy towards accomplishing your goals. Life is ephemeral. There’s no point in waiting for good things to happen. Make them happen! I hope you’re empowered to travel the world and not let anything stop you. As always thanks for reading and keep leveling up!
