5 Easy Ways to Save Money This Week (for your next trip!)

It’s Monday, the start of another grueling work week.

And I would be willing to bet you airfare that someone will to me sometime during the week about how expensive travel is.

They’re not wrong – travel is expensive. This is why we, at this point in our lives and careers, have to make sacrifices in order to do it. I’m all about trimming our expenditures wherever I can, but I also have to be realistic.

When we’re busy or stressed it’s easy to turn to convenience, sinking our money into things that we normally would be more prudent about in an effort to save what feels like our ever-shrinking time (think things like grocery delivery or eating quick meals out). When done every once in a while, the cost of convenience isn’t too high, and can indeed improve our mood. But when we let these things become the norm, we ultimately end up sinking costs into things we don’t enjoy – and those are the dollars we want to recoup and spend on things we do enjoy, like travel.

We’ve previously talked about free things you can do over your weekend, but we shouldn’t forget that there are plenty of money-saving opportunities during the work week. Our days are busy, making it easy to let money slip out of our wallets practically unnoticed. Today I’m identifying five ways we can reclaim and save over the course of a work-week; why not give one of these a try this week? And for bonus points, how about attempting a spending diary to see if you can find any other places that you’re spending in a way that’s not fulfilling a need or (true) want?

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1. Brew coffee/tea at home and skip the alcohol and soda while you’re at it.

Ugh, this again. You already know about the latte factor (and I’ve got you covered if you want to learn how to brew on a Chemex). But what about soda? And alcohol? Follow the advice of this wise meme and stick with water or other inexpensive beverages made at home. Alcohol is easily the largest beverage expense in our household, as we kicked our soda habit years ago. And once we tallied up the cost of those bottles of red and local six-packs, we quickly realized that we needed to abstain from drinking during the work-week. This has been a benefit both for our waistlines and bottom line, and we’re waking feeling more well-rested.

2. Bring your lunch to work/school.

Yes, packing your lunch is so annoying, but if you’re spending $7 on takeout each day – which let’s face it, is a pretty low estimate unless you’re hitting the drive-thru – you’re missing out on $35 each week (or put into a travel-perspective: more than the cost of my plane ticket to Louisiana). Experiment with different options until you find what works best for you. Got more time on the weekends? Maybe meal-prepping is best for you. Slower evenings? Cook an extra portion at dinner and bring leftovers to work the next day (but for the love of all that is good, do not reheat fish). No time to even think about it? Find a meal you enjoy and pack the same thing every day – this is what I do and it has streamlined my week so much. And be sure to stock your desk with healthy snacks you enjoy! The convenience store and the office vending machine are the best thieves because they siphon your wallet in small quantities without you noticing. Bulk almonds and tiny granola bars are my jam, and I keep a loaf of bread in my office freezer with some nut butter for a heartier breakfast or snack. Also slightly unorthodox: I keep a frozen meal in my work freezer for when I get desperate. This vegan meal is my favorite, and at $2.99, it’s much cheaper than any nearby lunch options.

3. Don’t replace it.

Do you really need to replace that pack of paper towels/that bottle of nail polish/that broken lamp, or can you do without? Once we stop at a store (looking at you, Target), we also increase our chances of making impulse purchases. Shopping is a coping mechanism that can lead to more stress, and it also puts a strain on our limited time that could be spent in other productive ways. Save these stops for the weekend if you can, when you can go in with a clearer mind and stick to your shopping list, or order the product online for in-store pickup and head straight to customer service and right back out the door.

4. Get there using your own two feet.

If you’re able, skip the commute in your car or on the bus/train, and give walking or biking a try. You’ll save on gas or fare money, and get a little exercise in the process. Even if your workplace is simply too far, create a household rule to walk/bike to all places within a certain range (for us, we generally won’t drive anywhere closer than a mile away). And since you’re walking or cycling, you’ll only be able to bring back what you can carry, which can be a great incentive to avoid impulse purchases.

5. Plan something for the weekend.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but planning an exciting outing can be a wonderful distraction from spending money during the work week. Perhaps there’s a food truck festival, a museum night, or a nature walk in your community this weekend. Kind of like dieting, where if we restrict ourselves too much we’ll eventually binge, when we reduce our expenses too much, we increase the likelihood of bingeing on our spending (whatever your money-vice may be – clothes shopping, video games, craft supplies, you name it). Schedule a small splurge every so often to give yourself a mini reward.

Final thoughts on easy ways to save for travel

At the heart of this post are two things: Planning ahead and delaying gratification.

It’s easy to feel like you’re depriving yourself of something while you’re saving for a big-ticket item, when the dopamine rush of small purchases is taken from us. But a shift in mindset can make a huge difference – and I promise it will be worth it.

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What are you most likely to spend money on during the week? And what changes are you willing to make to meet your travel goals?