Annual Travel Budget

Travel Budgets are tricky, but necessary if you have other costs of living like me. Rent, utilities, car payments, and student loans are few of the many expenses that can interfere with your ability to travel if you're not careful. While your monthly expenses probably differ from mine, with proper planning and serious saving you can devise an annual travel budget that suits your lifestyle.

Though planning ahead can extricate the spontaneity of travel, it allows you to maximize your adventures. Whether you prefer spending more time in one place or a couple days here and there, planning in advance can save you thousands that can be put toward your next trip.

If you read my post from last week, you'll notice that most of my trips were taken in the past two years. That wasn't because I inherited a trust fund from dead Uncle Joe or was sponsored by some rich relative that afforded me the luxury of travel.

I was able to travel through 20 different countries in the past 2 years because I budgeted and book major things, like flights and accommodations, early. I worked hard, saved money, and took advantage of travel deals that made a few thousand dollars go really far.

TRAVEL TIMELINE:

Before 2016: Ireland, Canada, Mexico

2017: Jamaica, Thailand

2018: Costa Rica, England, France, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Vatican City, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro

2019: Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, USA: Miami, Upstate NY

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So what's my annual travel budget?

My travel budget for 2020 is $5k.

My travel budget in 2019 was also $5k.

Yes, I was able to travel to 9 countries, 10 including domestic travels, with as little as $5000. While $5000 is a lot in the grand scheme of bills and expenses, it's not when you consider the amount of flights, accommodations, and activities that were included within this budget. Not to mention the amount of food I consumed!

So how was I able to fit 10 countries (& all that food) into this budget?

Remember the travel deals I mentioned earlier? What's the one I use most frequently? Chase Travel Rewards. Chase Travel Rewards is literally my best friend. This is not a shameless promotional plug but an actual tool I utilize to help offset my annual travel costs.

How does it work?

Points. In 2019 I was able to accumulate enough points to purchase major flights which saved me a little over $1000. When I first signed up for the card in 2018, I took advantage of their sign-up bonus which gave me $750 toward my first solo-trip. That is a free roundtrip flight to Asia.

That is a free roundtrip flight to Greece during PEAK SEASON.

That is FREE MONEY!

Okay, cool. What's the catch?

Literally, no catch. I, Rachael Marie Houston, HATE catches. If I sense there's a catch, I literally quit reading. So for the sake of your future travels- read on because I'm about to break down how this works.

To take advantage of this sign-up benefit, all you have to do is apply and spend $4000 in 3 months. And yes, there is a small annual fee (first year free) of $95 which you make back in points, tenfold. All you have to do? Spend $4k?! You said there was no catch?'

There isn't. There isn't because it doesn't matter how you spent the $4000 or who spends the $4000 as long as it's on your card. If your landlord is old school like mine and doesn't wire your rent, or if you don't foresee yourself spending $4k in 3 months, allow your parents or someone you trust to make major purchases on your card and have them pay you directly (venmo, cashapp, etc.) for that purchase. I did this.

And while you're doing this, you should make every single purchase on your card so that you can unlock this benefit faster.

So what are the 3 ways you can get a free $750 dollars toward travel?

1. Apply for Chase Travel Rewards (if you use the link below, I get travel points!)

• https://www.referyourchasecard.com​/6a/V9SM65SP9X

2. Spend $4k in 3 months by:

• Paying all your bills through your card/set up direct withdrawal if you can to make it easier

• Allow someone you trust to make major purchases with your card, have them pay you directly for that purchase

• Make every single purchase with this card

Again, this is not phony promo advice. This is a walk-through of how I literally earned $750 toward my first solo-trip. Using this card throughout 2018 earned me nearly $1000 toward 2019 because I used it for everything I purchased.

Here's a quick snapshot of their point breakdown:

• Earn 2 points per dollar on travel

• Earn 2 points per dollar on dining

• Transfer points to 12 travel partners

• Redeem points for 1.25 cents a piece through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal

Here's a quick list copied straight from their website:

• No foreign transaction fees (Another major reason I use this card)

• Trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance (I used this twice & it worked)

• Auto rental collision/damage waiver insurance

• Travel and Emergency assistance services

• Travel accident insurance

• Trip delay reimbursement (Also used this & was reimbursed)

• Baggage delay insurance

• Lost luggage reimbursement

I've personally used many of these benefits which have saved my ass in more than one travel trap. It really is the best travel card on the market so you might as well make money on the money you're inevitably spending.

While this card increases the milage I get from my annual travel budget, it is just one of the ways many ways I save. *Keyword: save.* If you wants tips about other ways I make it work or have questions about

Chase Travel Rewards, feel free to comment or email me directly!

Thanks for reading :)