PROJECT INSPO TEN SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER BY : JINNA YANG
Dying to travel but don t think you can afford it? Well, you re wrong. And you re not alone. People end up spending 3x more on travel than they should, and never know they re doing it all wrong. The airline industry s primary profit goal is to get you to overspend as much as possible. So much so, that you ve most likely been doing just that - overspending - on your flights, your meals, your hotels and so on. Before I quit my corporate job to take my first trip to Europe - I was like everyone else. I had no idea how much I had been overspending. The only traveling I had done was go on a few vacations. I booked on third-party sites when I had the money to spend, or squeezed the few days off from work. Bottom line is, I didn t take any time to investigate how to travel smarter, better and cheaper. But that all changed just two short years ago. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 2
Who am I? My name is Jinna and almost two years ago, I quit my corporate job in New York City to travel the world for the very first time. I left my apartment, sold most of my belongings, and booked a one-way ticket to Europe with my camera, a backpack, and a life-sized cutout of my father s photograph. At 24 years old, I took the biggest risk of my life in response to the biggest loss in my life. And taking this risk was the catalyst in allowing me to live the life of my dreams. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 3
I m just a normal girl. I didn t come from a rich family. I worked hard to save my own money, and I never let my failures convince me to give up on my dreams. And in two years since changing course, I ve traveled to over 20 countries to collect stories and share them on Project Inspo. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 4
I went from having no job, no apartment and no purpose - to creating a career for myself as a full-time travel photojournalist - with a platform to help bring more positivity into this beautiful world. My work + story has been featured in Conde Nast Traveler, The Huffington Post, BBC World Radio, Yahoo, Time Magazine, CNN Travel, and hundreds of media outlets around the world. And if I can travel the globe for smarter, cheaper, and longer - so can you. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 5
And now I m going to show you how I scored the cheapest flights around the world, and even traveled for free in as little as 3 months. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 6
SECRET 1. Fly for free. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 7
You could score a free flight, free hotel stays and tons of other perks by signing up for an airline miles rewards credit card. Do a google search and you should find dozens of options, and almost all of them will offer a sign-up bonus upon approval. This is where the free flight comes in. When I signed up for my first airline miles rewards credit card, I had to spend $3,000 within 3 months in order to get 50,000 bonus points. Those 50,000 bonus points are now the equivalent of around $600 for a flight. I just used some of those points to book a ticket to Spain. I got that flight for absolutely free. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 8
Now, slow down. This is not an invitation to rack up credit card debt, making purchases you can t actually afford. I m not going to tell you how to spend your money, but when I had to make that $3,000 minimum spending limit, I made d-mn sure that I could pay my bill off in full at the end of every month. Okay, but who really wants to spend an extra $3,000 on top of everything else you re already paying for? No one. I didn t either. But I found a way around that. I found a way to meet the spending requirement without actually spending any additional money. What if you could you pay your monthly rent and/or utility bills - payments you already make anyway with your new credit card? 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 9
That s exactly what I did in order to meet my spending minimum, without having to spend an extra $3,000 on stuff I didn t need. I used a third-party company called William Paid to use my credit card to pay my rent every month, for three months. For a small fee, William Paid will send a check to your landlord (or anyone else) - qualifying those monthly expenses to contribute to meeting your monthly spending minimum. So you won t have to spend any additional money in those three months. You re simply shifting money around strategically. Instead of using your bank account or your debit card for purchases, use your credit card. Boom. You now have 50,000 bonus points - around $600 - to use towards free flights. hotels. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 10
SECRET 2. Take a trip when it s not the busiest time of year. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 11
I know. You ve got a busy schedule. And responsibilities. It s tough to take time off to travel. You ve got to get those vacations in when you can, right? Well despite not having as much flexibility in your life and/or work schedule, there are still smarter ways to go about booking travel. These are NOT some of those ways : Taking a fancy trip to the islands during the holidays. Planning a quick getaway from home, flying out on Friday and returning on Sunday. Traveling to Paris for a week with friends in the summer. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 12
You are guaranteed to overspend on your flights, food and hotels. And it s all because of your timing: Everyone else will be taking that same trip to the islands during the holidays. Your flights will be dramatically more expensive because everyone else will be flying out on Friday and returning on Sunday. And unless you like super crowded and steamy streets - don t visit Paris in the summer. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 13
Here s how you can save money on those same trips : Take that fancy trip to the islands two weeks before or after the holidays. Plan a quick long weekend getaway from home, but fly out during the week and return on Monday or Tuesday. Travel to Paris for a week with friends in the spring or in autumn. The smart thing to do is to research your destination beforehand to find out when high season is for that particular place - and plan to go there before or after those months. Plan to travel during shoulder seasons, or low season. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 14
And because I love you, I did some of that research for you: Best time to book (weeks in advance) Saving on avg flight price Cheapest month to travel Most expensive month to travel Malaga 7 12% August New York 18 9% February July Barcelona 8 14% August Amsterdam 15 30% August Dublin 12 33% August London 2 24% May December Bangkok 18 5% May December Paris 17 25% July Dubai 20 9% November December Orlando 7 8% May July Rome 9 17% August Berlin 18 21% August City 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 15
Notice any trends here? Best time to book (weeks in advance) Saving on avg flight price Cheapest month to travel Most expensive month to travel Madrid 18 27% December Edinburgh 13 24% July Lisbon 17 20% August Budapest 20 11% August Istanbul 19 21% November August Prague 19 18% August Belfast 20 28% December Venice 9 17% August Milan 8 29% July Geneva 10 16% July Sydney 18 7% November July Las Vegas 20 7% February July City 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 16
is often cheapest month, and August the most expensive. Best time to book (weeks in advance) Saving on avg flight price Cheapest month to travel Most expensive month to travel Copenhagen 13 37% July Glasgow 5 26% November June Paphos 3 6% August Nice 13 22% November March Hong Kong 18 12% February July Reykjavik 18 19% May July Marrakech 16 15% August Murcia 8 11% April August Luqa 7 10% August Munich 12 23% September Toronto 18 8% July Crete 18 6% April December City 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 17
SECRET 3. Plan your dates around the cheapest flights. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 18
If you re looking up flights on flashy third-party booking websites that you ve seen commercials for on TV (Orbitz, Priceline, etc.) - you re already making a mistake. Instead, use search-friendly sites that let you see flight prices for the entire month, and even the entire year -- like Google Flights or SkyScanner. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 19
Put in your starting and end destinations, enter in a general date, then click on it. A window will pop up, showing you the flight prices for each day of the calendar year. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 20
They even put the lowest price of the month in green, so you can save almost $300 by flying on Thursday, instead of Friday. That s $300 in savings to leave just one day later. Using sites like these will allow you to plan ahead of time, find the best days to fly for the cheapest price, and eventually book the best flight deal. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 21
SECRET 4. Travel somewhere that s not so d-mn expensive. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 22
London? Paris? Geneva? Chances are, you ll end up spending way more money than just your flight when you get to bigger cities and popular tourist destinations. Remember that your flight is not the only expense you have when traveling. Think about the food, restaurants, exchange rate, inter-country travel (trains, metro) and activity fees (i.e. museum entry, etc.). They say, Don t judge a book by its cover. Don t choose a destination by the flight price. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 23
When deciding on your next travel destination, start by cutting out places that are huge tourist destinations. But don t cut out a place just because of the cost it takes to get there. It may be more expensive to fly from New York to Thailand, but the expenses that I would incur during my trip to Thailand would amount to a lot less than what I d spend in Western Europe. Cambodia, Thailand, Bulgaria, Hungary these are just a very few of the countries around the world that are actually insanely cheap to visit. P.S. This list of cheap destinations on Project Inspo was read by over a million people : 10 Of The Cheapest Countries To Travel To 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 24
SECRET 5. Take public transportation. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 25
It s almost unbelievable how much money you can save just by taking public transportation. Avoid taxis. The price you re paying on the meter is not only to get from point A to point B - but also for the convenience factor. Taking the underground train (subway), or local buses can save you tons of money - money you can spend on other flights, better food or a few more glasses of wine. I use the Google Maps mobile app to look up directions on how to get around using public transportation. It shows you schedules, various routes and estimated times of arrival. The GPS works even if you don t have data. P.S. If you simply can t do the subway or bus - don t hesitate to reach out to other travelers. If you re headed to a popular destination for a day trip, or to the airport - ask other travelers if they re headed the same way. See if they d be interested in splitting the cost of a taxi or reserving a shuttle bus as a group. Many companies offer shuttle buses to/from the airport, or to/from popular tourist areas and landmarks. It requires a minimum number of people - but it s more convenient than a local bus, and cheaper than a taxi trip solo. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 26
SECRET 6. Don t make your bank any richer. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 27
I m guilty of giving too much of my hard-earned money to my bank while traveling - through foreign exchange and ATM fees. If you are in a relationship with a bank that charges you a ridiculous amount of money in foreign transaction and ATM fees, you need to break up with them. I used to bank with Bank of America, and I was charged a $3-4 ATM fee on top of a 3% international transaction fee for every purchase. Every single purchase I made while traveling was more expensive than it had to be. I did a bit of research, and found that there are banks out there that charge less in fees, or none at all. I chose to open up a bank checking account with Charles Schwab - they refund me every single ATM fee that I incur every month - and never charge me foreign transaction fees. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 28
SECRET 7. Consider booking directly. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 29
If there s anything that hotel owners hate more than bed bugs it s third-party booking sites. Consider reaching out to hotels directly - you d be surprised at how flexible and accommodating some places can be. Some owners may not charge you tax if you pay by cash, or offer a discounted rate if you stay for an extended period of time. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 30
SECRET 8. Reprioritize your spending. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 31
I felt like I never had enough money to travel because I never prioritized it. I spent money on nice dinners out, new clothes, modern furniture, a luxury apartment the list goes on. If I had an extra 300 dollars one month, I d splurge and treat myself to buy a pair of shoes at a department store - instead of thinking to book a flight somewhere or save it for an upcoming trip. But two years ago, I decided to make a change. I started to cut out all of the unnecessary spending that would prevent my dream trip from becoming a reality. I started making travel a priority. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 32
This consisted of the following day-to-day changes: No more eating out during the week, and buying groceries to cook dinner instead. No going out to get drinks and paying $14 a cocktail at a bar. I would buy a $10 bottle of wine and enjoy a quiet night inside with a friend or two. It was still just as much fun, I promise. No more buying unnecessary clothes or shoes I could barely walk in. I invested in items that were functional (i.e. could be worn on a glacier hike in Iceland) and necessary for my upcoming trip. No more taxi cabs, and more walking and taking the train instead. No more $5 lattes at Starbucks every morning I made coffee at home and took it with me to work. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 33
Take a deep look at how and where you spend your money on a weekly and/or monthly basis. Do you go out to eat often? If so, how often? Is there a way to decrease that number? (The answer is yes.) Do you spend a lot of money on clothing? Electronics? Do you really need that cable plan? Can you remember the last time you left on the lights before leaving the house, and can you remember to prevent that from happening? Shave off your expenses, little by little, and track your spending. Hold yourself responsible for your unnecessary expenses. Save little by little. Over time, you ll turn that $5 saved here and there, into hundreds of dollars. There are always going to be ways to save money you simply have to reprioritize your spending. The more you stop spending on the things that you don t really need, the more money you ll have for your travels. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 34
P.S. No one likes spam, but it s actually a good idea to sign up for airline and hotel newsletters. They ll send you miles and/or flight deals that you would have probably never known about otherwise. Everything you buy should benefit your mileage account. Put everything on your credit card and avoid paying in cash whenever possible. Most airlines have partnerships with major retailers - Amazon, Best Buy, Target, etc. - and shopping at these preferred airline stores can get you more miles per dollar spent. You can rack up to 3,000 miles for spending $1,000 in one month. More points means more miles. More miles means more free flights. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 35
SECRET 9. Live (and probably eat ) for free. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 36
That s right. You could live abroad and meet people while exploring an exotically foreign or bustling new destination. You can do this by trading labor for free accommodation and meals at a hostel. Throughout my travels, I ve met dozens of people - everyday people - volunteering to live for free. You can teach yoga, take photographs, teach surfing, cook, work reception or bartend at hostels around the world - in exchange for free accommodation and free meals. Approach a hostel manager and negotiate a deal to exchange work for your room (or bed). If they re short of staff (as many places are), you can barter your labor for a free place to stay - and even a few free meals per day. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 37
SECRET 10. Be flexible with your itinerary. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 38
Don't forget about alternate airports. In many cases - flying into alternate airports can save you a lot of money. A large number of major cities have more than one decently-sized airport. Search for flights to these nearby gateways that often offer lower airfares. For example: New York: Newark vs. JFK Southern California: Long Beach vs. LAX London: Gatwick vs. Heathrow. Basque Country: Bilbao vs. Biarritz Select the "All Airports" option shown on booking and airline sites, including a city code instead of an airport code to include these airports into your search. 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 39
Take multiple flights instead of flying direct. I wanted to fly from Bali to London, and the cheapest one-way flight I found was over $700. I didn t settle for this price. I knew find a way to get there for cheaper. So I looked up a flight from Bali to Singapore - a major Southeast Asian hub. It was only $60. Another quick search later - I found a flight from Singapore to London for $300 leaving the next morning. I saved $340 on my airfare by booking two flights separately. Sure, I had to spend a night in Singapore, but who would complain about that? 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 40
WHAT S NEXT? I just shared with you the secrets I ve used to travel the world for cheaper, smarter and longer. And if you found any of this information helpful, you ll find this and a h-ll of a lot more on Project Inspo. 50 CITIES YOU CAN TRAVEL TO FOR UNDER $25/DAY 10 JOBS THAT WILL ACTUALLY PAY YOU TO TRAVEL THE WORLD S BEST DESTINATIONS FOR THE SOLO TRAVELER 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 41
I urge you to travel - as far and as much as possible. Throw yourself out of your comfort zone. Find out how other people live and realize that the world is a much bigger place than the town you live in. And when you come home, home may still be the same. Yes, you may still go back to the same old job, but something in your mind will have changed. And trust me, that changes everything. JOIN US. INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK 10 SECRETS TO TRAVELING SMARTER, CHEAPER & LONGER page 42