I do not have extra money to travel. My money goes to my bills. How can you afford to travel? These are questions I have gotten especially when considering adding your child to travel plans. Here are five easy ways to save money to go toward your next travel adventure.

Disclosure: The opinions expressed in this article are my own. Should you click on a link in the article, I will receive a small commission.

1. Have Money Put Into A Savings Account At The Time You Are Paid

A great way to save money without trying is to have a small amount of money taken out of your paycheck and directly deposited into a savings account. You will not even miss the money if you do not see the money from the start. This savings account can be earmarked specifically for travel.

2. Credit Card Points

Dave Ramsey advises you to not have a credit card if you are wishing to save money. I do not agree with this theory and in fact pay for all of my bills on a credit card. I do, however, pay off the credit card each month so there is no interest accrued. What is the advantage of having a credit card? Certain credit cards offer travel incentives. There are many credits cards specific to airlines or cruise lines, but the credit card I use and recommend is the Citibank Preferred.

You will receive points that you can use for travelling such as booking a hotel, airfare, or cruise, but you can also use these points toward day to day bills such as an Amazon order or gift cards for Christmas. Using points to pay day to day bills will in turn save money which you can use toward traveling as well.

3. Sign Up For Rakuten (formally known as Ebates)

Signing up for Rakuten (formally known as Ebates) is free. This service provides cash back on any online purchase from a participating company. If you are planning to book a hotel, make sure to log into your Rakuten account before going to the travel website of your choice to book your hotel, flight, cruise, etc. You can receive cash back from travel websites such as Expedia, Travelocity, and Priceline through Rakuten. Many hotel chains such as Holiday Inn, IHG, Marriott, etc also offer cash back option.

Even if you are not booking travel, why not use Rakuten before purchasing on Amazon or before placing an order at Walmart.com. You are going to make the online purchase anyway, so why not get cash back which you can then use toward travel.

Related: Find a travel bargain for more money saving tips

4. Become A Preferred Member

Most airlines, hotels, and cruise lines have membership programs. Many times, joining the membership programs are free. When you book travel, you accumulate points which can be used for future travel discounts. Be sure to log into Rakuten before booking using your membership so you can get cash back as well. Accumulate enough points and your next flight or hotel stay will be free!

5. Pay Extra On Your Monthly Bills

Pay extra on your monthly bills? How will this save money that I can use for travel? At first, it will not. In fact, because you are paying more on your monthly bills, you may have even less money to travel. In the long run, paying a little more on your high interest loan payments such as your car, house, and especially credit card bills will free up money for travel. The extra cash toward the principle of a loan can be as small as an extra $50 a month. Example: If you are not paying on your car for the full five years, you can then use your entire car payment toward travel when it is paid off in 4 1/2 years. Here is a car loan payment estimator you can use to see what any extra money can do for your overall pay off date.

In summary:

These five easy ways to save money to travel can be started today without much effort. Start putting aside the money you save and you will soon realize your dream of a vacation of a lifetime!

Do you have tips on how to save money for travel? Drop me a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

About the Author:

Hi! I’m Chris. I’m a mother, wife, college professor by trade and micro-influencer by hobby. I am a bargain hunter, jack of all trades, and master of chaos.

Thank you for reading my random thoughts on travel, my stories of life as an under appreciated mother of a teenager, and my easy recipes that have won no awards but instead my family’s love and adoration (which is WAY better, right?).