One of my goals, especially for my family, has always been to travel internationally once a year. I have managed to maintain that goal for a long time now, sometimes even squeezing in a second international holiday. It’s not something I brag about, but openly share because I am proud for achieving the goal thus far. Travel has always been important to me, and when something is important to me, I make it happen.

A question I’m often asked is how are we able to travel as often as we do. Look, we are not millionaires…far from it actually. We do okay but I always believe that if you want something badly enough, you’ll make it happen. Here are some of the affordable tips, tricks and just finance advice that’s enabled us to see so many countries over the recent years.

Prioritize and save. If someone wants something bad enough, they will do whatever it takes to make it happen. If you really want to travel internationally, even if it’s once every two years, you can make it happen. Reduce unnecessary expenses like eating out, buying new clothing etc. Once you start prioritizing travel you will be surprised at how quickly you can save for this.

Specials and deals. Sign up for airline newsletters and aggregators like Travelstart. All of my international holiday flights were purchased on a special. The cheapest flight I ever paid for was to India in 2013 and it cost me R4500. Emirates and Qatar flight sales happen often and if your leave is flexible then you’re guaranteed to pick up flights for next to nothing.

Save on accommodation. I found that using websites like Booking.com, Hotels.com and AirBnB are the best options when traveling. I will be honest, I’ve never used AirBnB for international holidays as I prefer hotels but you can save a lot with this option. If you do find a hotel that you like, always check their website for pricing too. Some hotels offer a discount if booked directly through them and throw in added benefits like free breakfast or free room upgrades. Such a score!

Miles and loyalty programs. If you’re a member of incentive programs like Discovery Vitality or FNB eBucks, make sure you investigate what discounts you can get on flights. We’ve used our 40% discount on Emirates flights quite frequently in the past. This can help you save a few hundred bucks, which means more money for your actual holiday. Sign up for airline miles and watch them accumulate. I’ve used my airline miles for a free flight once…it was great!

Let’s talk about food. Depending on where you go, food can be very pricy. I was shocked at how expensive food cost in places like Spain, Hong Kong and Mauritius. Try and stock up on items from the local grocery store. If your accommodation includes breakfast then try and have breakfast as late as you can so you may not need a big lunch. When we visit the U.S., one of the first things we do is go to Target or Walmart, apart for obvious reasons, but also to stock up on 6 packs of water and other goodies. Every time we left the hotel, we would take a few bottles of water and snacks, which meant we didn’t have to purchase these at expensive tourist destinations.

Online savings and coupon codes. Don’t underestimate the amount of coupon codes floating around the Internet. Check the Groupon for the country you’re visiting for discounted vouchers for food and experiences. You will be insanely surprised at how many tourist attractions and restaurants are discounted on Groupon.

I hope these affordable travel tips help or at least inspire you to travel. Travel is expensive, there’s no escaping it but it’s totally possible.

*There may be some typos in this blog…sorry, not sorry! Just a mama getting some writing done when I should be sleeping*