Why You Should Travel In Your Twenties

Not sure whether you should travel in your twenties? Here's why you should (and how to save enough money to do it)
If there’s anything you should spend your money on it’s travel, hands down.

Yeah, saving money for something like a house is good and responsible and blah blah blah but travel? Travel is amazing.

You have SO much fun, you learn a crazy amount about yourself (the good and the bad) and you meet the most amazing people (especially if you’re travelling by yourself – which I highly recommend by the way!).

I know I’m probably preaching to the choir here but trust me, I have a point.

Saving money for travel

Unless you’ve already got a lot of money, deciding to go travelling means you’re probably going to have to spend at least a few months scraping together every penny you can find to fund your adventure.

But it’s not always easy.

I’m getting so seriously excited about my trip to Europe and Asia in July but lately I’ve found myself really wanting to just buy stuff.

I’ve been making a serious effort to save this whole year and sometimes I really just feel like not caring for a little bit. It can be so easy to lose sight of the reason I’m saving and even though I’ve been doing really well with it, delaying gratification is something I still really struggle with!

So whenever I feel like buying stuff (which is quite often, I go to my Facebook page instead of ASOS (don’t underestimate how much will power this takes) and spend some time to looking back at all of my favourite photos and videos from my travels and try to remind myself why I don’t actually want to spend all of my money on stuff.

It always works.

When I was looking through my Facebook page earlier I found a video my friend put together that makes me so happy I thought I’d share it with you.

It’s from my trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls last year (which was SO much fun) and watching this video has seriously made me so excited about travelling again!

Check it out:

What about you?

Do you have the same problem I do? Do you find it easy to lose motivation when you’re saving for something far off in the future?

Let me know in the comments below – I’d LOVE to hear from you!

Sam xx

 

Author: Sam Brown

  • Travel is the most rewarding experience! I’m very thankful my parents put money towards my first trip to Italy; however, it’s my job now to come up with the money for my second trip! Thankfully, I have an awesome adviser who knows all the connections to get the best deals. Advice: The best place to look for hotels and apartments in Home Away From Home. Love this post.
    xoxo
    Caroline

    • Hi Caroline,

      Thanks so much for your comment I LOVE it! I’m grateful to my parents for putting money towards my first overseas trip to Paris when I was in high school – it was an absolutely unforgettable experience and I could have never saved enough money for it when I was 15! haha

      And I’ve never heard from Home Away From Home – thanks for the suggestion! I usually either stay in hostels (best way to meet people!) or if I’m in a group of a few friends we will stay somewhere using Airbnb but I’m definitely going to check it out!

      Sam xx

  • I know exactly what you mean! I love travelling, but counting down the days until you leave is the worst. I always find it hard to save money as well. My trick is to go to an online store, fill my cart with all the things I want, and not buy anything. Looking at how much everything would cost is enough for me not to spend my money.

    • Hey Ray,

      Thanks SO much for your comment! I absolutely love love love your suggestion to fill up your cart and then just not buy anything (assuming I will have the will power to not click ‘proceed to checkout’) I sometimes do this with net-a-porter. Well, I mean I always do it because I can’t yet justify paying for anything designer but I mean I sometimes pretend I’m going to buy really nice designer stuff haha maybe that’s weird? I don’t know!

      Sam xx

  • Saving for traveling seems like one of the few successful way people can achieve their savings goal…Yet again, like you note Sam, it’s really hard to avoid temptations before the trip…I guess it’s only a female thing, but it’s sooo difficult not to want to buy new kaftans for beach destinations or cute sweaters/boots for snow trips…However (aside from the stuff you don’t have at all and you need, like rain boots for a rainy spring trip) with a little harsh self control, like: “am I going to feel like a goddess in this thing and not give a damn about anything, even if I will wear this everyday?”- If a honest yes – buy it … if a maybe, but I have other cute old pieces too – let it go (get away with a head scarf or necklace at most)…Also, I guess traveling with female friends and saving up together upfront, would make the process a little more painless and more fun if you keep each other on track 🙂

    • Hi Lisa,

      Omg I know EXACTLY what you are talking about! I feel like I have no summer clothes and since it’s summer in Europe there are a million and one things I want to buy! I mean, who wants to go on a holiday and feel like they have nothing to wear for 5 weeks?! That is my dilemma at the moment haha my hail Mary is that clothes are going to be a lot cheaper in Europe than in Aus so I may as well wait until I get there and get by with what I have in the mean time.

      Thanks so much for your comment!

      Sam xx

      • I don’t know which countries you are going to visit exactly, but good sales from 50% start somewhere mid July and go up to 70% in August, so I’d definitely suggest you do some research for each country to find out more info about the stores. What a better excuse than than to save up for shopping 🙂

      • Thanks so much for the suggestion Lisa! I’m definitely going to be looking the sales up – I really want to make the most of being in the same city as Zara and H&M (since we don’t have them in Brisbane!) So excited! Haha

        Sam xx

  • Travel is my favourite thing of all! I’m having to hardcore save my pennies for my move to oz later this year, and having to resist booking flights all over Europe! Claire x

    • Hey Claire,

      You are moving to Australia later this year?!? Welcome in advance! haha I hope you like it here! It must be really hard to resist booking flights all over Europe (I’m pretty sure that’s the position I’d be in if I lived so close to so many amazing countries) but at least you know that it will be worth it in the long run to save your pennies!

      Thanks so much for adding your thoughts!

      Sam xx

      Sam xx

    • Hey Motilayo,

      Thank you so much for your comment! Travelling by yourself is the best do not even get me started on my rant about it haha I was super scared to do it before I left and about 24 hours before I left I was thinking “why am I doing this I am totally crazy I’m not going to make any friends” but travelling by yourself puts you out of your comfort zone so swiftly that you kind of don’t have a choice but to really immerse yourself in where you are and talk to new people or you know you will just have a shitty time. There are definitely struggles now and again but these are the things that really let you grow! Plus when you don’t ‘know’ anyone you can do whatever you want! People often think that travelling alone wouldn’t be good because you have no one to share experiences with but you meet new people so, so quickly (especially if you stay in a hostel) that you will find yourself with tonnes of new friends!

      Definitely do it next time you have the opportunity!

      Sam xx

  • I could not agree with you more! I get an allowance every week to support me through college, which is meant to go towards food, transport and a social life. However, I always save at least half of it for travel – since January alone I have been to France, Switzerland and Germany, and in the next three weeks will go to England and Canada. Spending money on memory-making experiences is also scientifically proven to provide far more long term satisfaction than material goods!
    http://www.sophieharriet.com

    • Hey Sophie,

      Thanks SO much for your comment – I really appreciate it! It sounds like you have an amazing saving habit going on! And I totally agree with that study that spending money on memory-making experiences provides far more long term satisfaction than material goods! I can’t even remember half of the shit I buy most of the time so it’s definitely not adding to my long term happiness!

      Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!

      Sam xx

  • This is definitely good advice. Studies have shown that people are happier when they spend their money on experiences over material goods. Now, I like new clothes and makeup and I won’t deny that, but experiences give you memories that last as long as your memory does. Experiences can create or build friendships, “stuff” is exciting for a few days, a few weeks, then you’ll just want something else. Studying abroad provided me with endless amounts of memories and experiences and stories that I treasure more than any material good I ever purchased.

    • Hey Alex,

      Thanks so much for your comment! I totally agree with you about studying abroad – even thought it cost me about $20,000 to do it (including maybe a little bit of that spent on shopping haha) I would not exchange that experience for anything and would probably have paid double that knowing how amazing that experience was!

      Sam xx

  • I agree completely!! I’m at work and can’t watch the video but will have a peek tonight, and you are definitely preaching to the choir! Money always well-spent lol!

    • Hey Jen,

      Thanks so much for your comment! Yes travel is always a great way to spend money!

      Sam xx

    • Hey,

      Thanks so much for your comment I LOVE that way of looking at it – it’s a win-win-win for sure!

      Sam xx

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