I like nice things.
I like a good meal, a pretty hotel, a cute outfit, a great cup of coffee, and yes, I absolutely love shopping. I'm not interested in living a life where I never spend money on anything fun just so I can say I saved every penny.
But there is one thing I like even more than buying stuff and that's traveling.
Over the years, I've realized that one of the easiest ways to make room in my budget for travel isn't necessarily to find more money. It's to stop spending the money I already have on things that don't matter nearly as much to me.
This isn't about deprivation. It's not about never going out to eat, never buying clothes, or making yourself miserable in the name of saving money. I've always believed that frugal living works best when you can still enjoy your life. Instead, it's about deciding what deserves your money.
And for me, travel wins.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately because my relationship with money has changed over the years. When I first wrote about the things I was wasting money on, my kids were younger, our family expenses looked very different, and I was looking for every possible way to stretch a dollar. I wrote about borrowing books from the library instead of buying them, avoiding unnecessary fees, limiting expensive coffee, skipping upgrades, and buying classic clothing instead of chasing every trend. Those ideas still hold up surprisingly well.
But now that I'm in a different stage of life, I've realized that I'm not just trying to save money anymore.
I'm trying to save money for something.
And that something is often a plane ticket.
So here are the things I stop, or at least drastically limit, buying at home so I can travel more.
What I Stop Buying at Home So I Can Travel More
I've talked a lot about living well on less through the years. A quick search on the search bar will pull up a few pages worth.
One of the biggest advantages of being financially free is so that you can be in control of your money and not let your money control you.
Earlier this year, I was approached to be part of a reboot for a popular reality show. While they never said the name of the show, I quickly gathered that it was probably for a reboot of Extreme Cheapskates. I never really watched the show, but I had an idea pretty quickly that I wasn't the person they were looking for.
Some of that is a story for another day {they definitely tried to come up with a story that wasn't my reality}. All that to say, I am frugal, but as we have gotten older, and our income has increased, the way we spend money is different.
What hasn't changed is that I do still reign in my spending so that I can allocate it for things I want to do more. Here are the things I don't buy at home so that I have a bigger budget for things like travel.
If you haven't read this yet, start here: 5 Things To Stop Wasting Your Money On
1. Stop Buying Books
I'm an avid reader, but I've never been an avid spender when it comes to books. I did just see a quote from Ted Lasso about how Americans spend more money on lottery tickets than books. I don't buy either. But not because I don't read.
The library is my first stop.
Don't Miss This Post: Surprising Library Benefits That Will Save You Money!
It's easy to forget just how much your library offers beyond books. Depending on where you live, you may have access to ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, movies, museum passes, classes, and other resources. Libraries are the best community resource I think that we have have and most people never step foot into their local library.
I also love those little lending libraries. I'm happy to swap out books and enjoy a book that doesn't belong to the library. I know where a handful or more are in my area and often stop at them when I'm nearby.
Pro tip: Resorts will often have a lending library with a book swap. These are great resources when traveling.
I will also buy books at garage sales. I can stomach paying a dollar or less on a book so that I can have a physical copy.
I respect authors and the hard work that goes into writing a book, but I'd rather not pay $20 or more on a book I'll only read once. I'd rather spend it on lunch when I'm traveling.
Don't Miss this Post: 20 Things Frugal People Do
2. Convenience Fees
Convenience is expensive. And it's one of those expenses that can sneak up on you because each individual purchase doesn't feel like a big deal.
A $15 lunch because I didn't plan ahead {because failure to plan is planning to fail!}. A $5 delivery fee {I'm looking at all of you who love UberEats!}. An extra charge because I wanted something shipped faster. Paying someone to do something I could reasonably do myself.
None of these purchases will ruin my budget. But when they become habits, they add up.
I've learned that one of the best questions I can ask myself before spending money is:
"Am I paying for something I actually need, or am I paying because this is easier?"
Sometimes the answer is that I really do want the convenience. And that's okay. But sometimes I'll realize that I can pack lunch, make dinner, wait a few days for something to arrive, or take care of a task myself.
That money can go into the travel fund instead.
Pro Tip: Once a year I like to do a personal family audit of the things we are spending money on. You can read more about that here.
3. I Stop Buying Trendy Clothes Just Because They are Trendy
This is another idea from my original list that still holds up. I don't need a closet full of clothes that were fashionable for approximately six weeks.
I've always leaned toward classic pieces, and over the years I've gotten even better at knowing what I'll actually wear. I love secondhand shopping, and I have no problem finding something fabulous at a thrift store, consignment shop, garage sale, or discount rack.
My rule has become simple, don't just buy something because it's cute. Buy it because I can picture myself wearing it.
Especially when I'm traveling.
I would rather have a smaller wardrobe with pieces that work in multiple ways than spend money on an outfit I'll wear once for a photo.
And honestly, I've discovered that nobody cares.
When you're traveling, you're far more likely to remember the incredible dinner you had overlooking the water than whether your sweater was from the newest collection at your favorite store. If you really feel like you need new clothes for a trip, you might be shocked at what you can find at your local thrift shops.
Pro tip: If you are following influencers who share OOTD that are pushing you to buy on the regular, it's ok to unfollow them. "It's only 20 bucks" easily turns into $100 spent in a week on clothes you might not wear at all or just once. I know how easy it is to smash that Amazon buy it now button, but I also see those "viral" clothes sitting on the bottom of the pile at garage sales too.
Read this: 8 {Money Saving} Reasons Why You Should Keep Your Receipts!
4. Stop Paying for Subscriptions You Don't Use
This is the modern version of the old "fees" category from this post. Subscriptions are sneaky. They don't always feel like spending because the money comes out automatically.
A few dollars here. Ten dollars there. Another streaming service. Another app. Another membership. Before you know it, you're paying for a collection of things you barely use.
Every few months, I think it's worth going through those recurring charges.
Ask yourself:
Would I sign up for this today?
If the answer is no, cancel it. And if you miss it later, you can always sign back up.
That $10 or $15 a month might not seem like enough to fund a vacation, but several subscriptions canceled over a year can become hundreds of dollars.
That's a plane ticket. That's several nights in a hotel. That's a rental car. That's dinner on your first night in a new country.
Small savings become much more motivating when you give them a destination.
Pro tip: if you are signing up for a subscription or a trial, set a reminder in your phone to cancel it {or at least reconsider if you still want it} before you get charged for another month.
Read this: 5 Expenses that Are Ruining Your Budget
5. Stop Buying Expensive Coffee
I still live in the Seattle area, so I realize I'm taking my life into my own hands by saying this. There is a coffee shop on every corner. And I like coffee shops.
I also like sitting down with a friend over coffee. I like exploring a new coffee shop when I'm traveling. And sometimes I want the fancy drink.
But there's a difference between buying a coffee because I want the experience and buying one because I happened to drive past the coffee shop.
That's the distinction that has helped me. I don't have to give up coffee. I just don't need to make every cup a purchase. Making coffee at home most days and treating myself when I really want it gives me the best of both worlds.
And honestly, that makes the coffee I do buy feel more special.
Pro tip: I allow myself a coffee treat from a coffee shop once a week. This helps satisfy my love for a coffee shop, and also makes me more intentional about going out for coffee.
6. Stop Eating Out Just Because You Don't Feel Like Cooking
This one is probably one of the biggest opportunities for most families. Eating out isn't bad. I love eating out.
But there is a huge difference between going to a restaurant because you're excited about the food and going because you didn't plan dinner.
One is an experience. The other is often just an expensive solution to poor planning.
I've gotten much better at keeping easy meals available at home so that "I'm tired" doesn't automatically turn into a $60 restaurant bill.
And here's the part that matters, I'm not saving that $60 so I can look at my bank account and admire it. I'm saving it so I can spend $60 on something I really want.
Maybe that's a meal in Ireland. Maybe it's a tour in Italy. Maybe it's a great hotel breakfast. Maybe it's lunch somewhere I've never been before.
I don't necessarily spend less. I spend more intentionally.
7. I Stop Buying Things Just Because They Are a Good Deal
A sale isn't a savings if you didn't need the thing in the first place. This is something I've learned through years of thrifting, shopping secondhand, and trying to be frugal.
A $40 shirt marked down to $20 is still $20 spent. And if I didn't need the shirt, I didn't save $20. I spent $20.
This is especially important now because there are sales everywhere. Email inboxes are filled with promotions. Stores constantly tell us that we're missing out if we don't buy something immediately.
I've gotten much better at walking away. If I still want it tomorrow, I'll think about it then. Most of the time, the urgency disappears.
Pro tip: there are some exceptions to this rule. I generally break this rule if I know I can resell an item and make at least twice as much on an item. But the reselling part still takes time and effort, so I only do this if I have the time to designate to it.
Read this: How To Make Money Buying and Reselling on Facebook Marketplace
8. I Stop Buying Stuff
This might be the biggest change of all. As my kids have gotten older and I've entered this empty-nest stage of life, I've become much more aware of how much stuff we accumulate. Maybe it's because we just moved and I had to pack up all of our belongings and part with a lot of stuff I didn't need and don't miss.
The more I travel, the less interested I am in owning things simply for the sake of owning them. I don't need another decorative object. I don't need something just because it will look cute on a shelf. I don't need to buy something because I have an empty corner. And I definitely don't need to bring home something from every shopping trip.
I'd rather have a home that feels comfortable and uncluttered and use that money for experiences.
Because here's the funny thing about traveling...I don't come home wishing I bought more stuff. I come home wishing I had more time. More time in the little Italian town. More time wandering through an Irish countryside. More time sitting at a cafe. More time talking to people. More time exploring. That's what I want my money to buy.
Pro Tip: my favorite souvenirs when I travel are found objects. I love finding unique rocks on a hike or driftwood from a beach I've visited. You don't have to spend money to have a keepsake from your trip.
*packing carry on only helps limit what I have room to bring home as well!
9. Stop Spending Money When You Don't Know What It's For
This might be the most important lesson I've learned about saving. It's much easier to say no to something when you're saying yes to something else.
"Don't spend money" isn't particularly motivating. "Don't spend that $30 because you're saving for your trip" is completely different.
When I have a trip coming up, I can look at an unnecessary purchase and think would I rather have this or would I rather have that $30 to spend in Italy?
Suddenly the decision gets a whole lot easier. That's why I think every savings goal needs a why. If your goal is travel, make it specific. Don't just say, "I want to save more money." Say something like "I want to save $2000 for my trip to Scotland." Then see how your spending starts to change.
Do you remember my Trash to Travel Challenge? It helped me score a 10 day trip to Vietnam just by reselling items.
I'm Not Trying to Spend the Least, I'm Trying to Spend on What Matters
I don't want anyone reading this to think that I'm suggesting you stop enjoying your life. That's never been my philosophy.
Frugal doesn't have to mean cheap. I've written about this before, and I still believe it. The goal isn't to eliminate every little pleasure from your life. It's to find cheaper or free alternatives for the things that don't matter as much so you have more money for the things that do.
For me, that's travel.
I'd rather make coffee at home most mornings so I can sit in a cafe in Rome. I'd rather shop secondhand so I can spend money on a memorable dinner. I'd rather borrow a book from the library so I can buy a plane ticket. I'd rather skip the random shopping trip so I can spend a day exploring somewhere I've never been. I'd rather say no to things I don't care about so I can say yes to the things I do.
And that's really what this is about.
I'm not trying to become the person who never spends money. I'm trying to become the person who knows exactly why she's spending it.
Because at this point in my life, I'd much rather collect passport stamps than stuff.
And if giving up a few purchases at home means I can have another adventure somewhere else? Well...I'll take the adventure every single time.
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