No Travel Budget? Think Again. How to Save Enough to Travel the World Without Even Trying
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Summer might be coming to an end but it doesn’t mean you can’t think of your next travel destination.
If you’re thinking: “Yea sure, but I don’t have any money for it” we’ll help you re-evaluate.
Saving is hard, for sure. There’s something about the word “saving” that causes a mental roadblock for some people.
So the best way is to actually trick yourself into not thinking about it.
It’s possible!
Here’s How To Save to Travel the World Without Even Trying
For some background, I used to not take any PTO for travel.
I would take some days here and there for staycations (I live in California) but never really go anywhere exciting because of 2 reasons: I didn’t have the money and I also felt guilty for taking time off work.
Then I started seeing my friends go to some pretty cool spots, like Portland, New York, Chicago, even internationally to Japan, Italy, and Iceland. I’d scroll through their pictures on Facebook and think, “damn, I wanna go here!”
Some of those friends though, I know don’t have well-paying jobs. So what gives?
Turns out they use an online app called Digit to save money so they can travel the world.
The tool analyzes your spending and income to automatically save the perfect amount each day, so you don’t have to think or do anything.
It just connects to your bank account and the Digit app will take a little out and save.
These amounts are usually so small that you don’t even notice it’s gone.
You’ll receive texts to keep you updated on your balance, and you can easily tell Digit to Save More, Save Less and/or set a minimum balance that it doesn’t touch.
If there are any emergencies or if you need to take a break, you can also tell it to Pause to have it stop saving temporarily.
Is the Digit App Safe?
That was my first question to my friends when they started telling me about Digit.
After all, you’re connecting a bank account to a tool that’ll withdraw money.
I found out that the funds are held in FDIC insured banks and are secured by 256-bit encryption (the same level as real banks).
It protects your account from overdrafts and you’re able to withdraw from your Digit account as often and whenever you like with no fees or minimums.
Before you sign up, note that your first 30 days of the service is completely free, but after that, it’ll just be $5 a month.
When I asked my friends what they thought of the fee, they shrugged it off and said: “Still worth it. I just skipped getting a drink during one lunch and it’s cool.”
With all that knowledge, I felt pretty good with starting up an account of my own.
My Experience with the Digit App and What I Saved Up For
After I bombarded my friends with questions, I felt great in starting up a Digit account.
I wanted to travel more, and if this worked for them, it can definitely work for me.
Digit kept me updated every day via text on how much it saved from my checking account. Some days it would be 53 cents and some days it could go up to $12.
The amount really depends on what Digit deems to be safe based on your income, spending, and upcoming bills.
(I like getting the daily update, but if you don’t, you can easily adjust in settings)
There were a few times when I did ask Digit to “Pause” savings because of unknowns and it was really easy to do so. It was equally as easy to re-start it again.
Bonus: Every 3 months of saving with Digit, it’ll even give you 1% cash back bonus.
So after almost 8 months of using it and roughly saving about $150 a month without really noticing:
I saved enough for a flight to Italy this Fall, including enough to pay for my 3 Airbnb spots AND a 1 night layover stay in London!
Isn’t that crazy?
On a day-to-day basis, little savings here and there may not seem much but over time it adds up significantly and I’m so glad that Digit makes it so easy for us to set savings goals without thinking, whether its to travel more or anything!
I’m a firm believer now that no matter what your age is, traveling benefits everyone and can make you healthier in mind, body, and spirit.
A Parting Thought
Sure we’re talking about how amazing it is to travel and it’s now easy to save up for, but if you have any credit card debt, set your priorities right and work on that first.
One friend started using Digit to pay down her credit card debt first before focusing on traveling. “I want to be relaxed on my vacation and have fun so that’s why I’m paying off my debt first,” she said. I think that’s super respectable and another reason why Digit makes it really easy to do so without trying!
See Also: 10 Money Apps Every Millennial Should Have in 2020
