Why 杰西卡（Jessica） is Never Going to 爱尔兰 But 您 Can Go Anywhere

更新：19年8月15日| 2019年8月15日

“Your 工作 sounds like the most exciting 工作 in the world,” the cute blond girl — let’s call 她的 杰西卡（Jessica） — said to me. 杰西卡（Jessica） had just overheard a conversation with some friends I hadn’t seen in years, and they were peppering me with questions about my 工作 and lifestyle.

“He has the best 工作,” replied my friend.

“所以，你能带我去吗 爱尔兰 便宜的？我真的很想去。”

“当然。”我回答。 “告诉我你的旅行。”

通常，当我被问及这些事​​情时，我会谈一些我的旅行指南部分，交出我的名片，然后告诉对方给我发电子邮件。有空的时候，我不想成为某人的旅行社。但这是一个长时间与漂亮面孔交谈的好借口。

“我的男朋友（d’oh!），我想在夏天去爱尔兰，但我们不知道如何负担得起。”

“好吧，您应该做的第一件事就是回家，每个人都应该 申请旅行相关的信用卡. 那 will get 50,000 miles as a sign-up bonus and you can use those points for a free flight. 那’s step one.” I said.

“Wait! 您 get miles for signing up for a credit card!? Really?” 杰西卡（Jessica） said.

“是的，仅在美国航空，我就使用这些奖金获得了40万英里的飞行里程。我一直以免费里程飞行头等舱。”我说。

As our conversation continued for a bit longer, 杰西卡（Jessica） was amazed at all the traveling I’ve done.

她对我说：“你要么有钱，要么就得到很多钱。”

“不，”我告诉她。 “您 just need $50 a day，每年的费用为$ 18,000。”

“Oh, 那’s too much money. I don’t have 那.” she said.

So I broke it down for 她的 and had 她的 think about 她的 own expenses and spending habits, and she soon realized 那 for more money per year, she does a lot less.

“Wow! I never thought about it 那 way,” an astonished 杰西卡（Jessica） told me.

我给了我女孩​​卡，并祝她一切顺利。当她走开时，我告诉我的朋友们：“那个女孩永远不会去爱尔兰。”

After years of talking to people about travel, I can tell when people are serious. 我的 friend’s friend who wrote down the name of companies and websites over a beer was serious. 杰西卡（Jessica）? She’s not going to 爱尔兰 with 她的 boyfriend anytime soon.

为什么？

因为虽然她被所有的事物吸引 省钱技巧 I was giving 她的, she wasn’t ready to implement them, not even for a 假期.

她被困住了。

可见，旅游业是阴险的。它向您显示这样的广告：

Ads like this create the idea 那 travel is a luxurious escape from the tedious nature of our lives. And to get to 那 fabulous place where fun awaits you, we have to pay for it. It’s 惊人 marketing, even if it is a bit evil.

Magazines show high-price ads, resorts, and tours. Even 预算 magazine hotel “deals” are $100 per night.

I don’t know about you, but 那 doesn’t sound 预算 to me! The whole industry colludes to reinforce this image 那 travel is a luxury 那 can only be rarely afforded.

那会怎样呢？

Bombarded by all of these ads, we assume it is the norm. “This is what you have to spend when you go traveling,” we think. Maybe 一天, you’ll find a good deal, but you’re still spending thousands for even a quick trip to 爱尔兰.

而且不管有多少 旅游提示和技巧 我同意，他们太难以置信了。杰西卡（Jessica）可能会很感兴趣，也许会感兴趣，但她不会承诺。 

因为这些年来她学到的所有东西的分量太大，无法突破。对她来说似乎太不可思议了。就像它不是真实的-如果是这样，对于普通人来说这是无法实现的。

发生这种情况有两个原因：

For starters, people like the path of least resistance. And my way requires more effort. 您 have to be your own travel agent. It’s a lot more work: I spend a few hours booking flights, doing research, and comparing deals.

但是您知道更容易吗？上网并选择您看到的第一笔交易，打包，然后出发。阻力最小的路径通常是最多的。

Secondly, there’s no frame of reference. People have no experience with my way. I’m just a stranger on the bus. I’m just a guy at a bar, and no matter how logical my argument is, 杰西卡（Jessica） will still be skeptical. Because she has no proof 那 this works. To 杰西卡（Jessica）, I could be selling a Ponzi scheme. But since everyone takes trips the easy way, she knows it, she understands it, and she’ll do it too.

但是做笔记的女孩？因为我是朋友的朋友，所以我内置了信任。我的朋友担保了我和我的方式。她更有可能上去，查找我说的内容，阅读我的网站并使用我的方法预订旅行。

If you are on this website, you’ve probably overcome both of these barriers. Why do I have “featured in” all over this site? So people can see 那 my advice has been vouched for. In the age of faceless Internet sites, trust is the most important thing out there. 杰西卡（Jessica） has no reason to disbelieve me — but she has no reason to believe me, either.

如果你来自 欧洲, 澳大利亚, 加拿大, 新西兰或其他经常出差的国家/地区，您可能遇到了到世界各地出差的人，因此您知道这个想法不仅是针对有钱人-’s for everyone.

无论我写多少篇关于恐惧的文章 要么 追逐梦想 要么 how tomorrow will never come, the truth of the matter is 那 I’m mostly fighting a losing battle.

即使和我的朋友。

我的朋友乔一直渴望去 阿姆斯特丹 自从我认识他以来。他喜欢抽大麻和赌博，阿姆斯特丹既有杂草又有优质的扑克。

每年夏天我去 欧洲, I say “Joe, come with me.” He says “I’m busy.” Last year, he quit his 工作. Did he come with me? Nope. In fact, I had to physically be there while he applied for his passport to get him to do it.

因此，在Joe克服＃2障碍的同时，他需要克服＃1障碍。

The old way of thinking is so ingrained into people’s heads, no matter how much I and others like me can prove 那 travel is affordable.

Which is why I know 杰西卡（Jessica） so well. Because 她的 story is like so many others I’ve encountered over the years. I’ve seen it happen so many times before 那 based on the conversations I’ve had, I can just tell. I know how committed people are to travel when I speak to them.

Maybe 杰西卡（Jessica） will prove me wrong and take 那 trip — but I’d bet she doesn’t.

出差时省钱的最好方法甚至都不会向她注册，因为它们太陌生，太虚幻了。

游牧马特’s 17-Step Plan to Realizing 您r Dreams

As I reflected on my encounter with 杰西卡（Jessica）, I realized 那 if I was going to send someone to 爱尔兰，我需要使其变得容易。我需要在整个过程中牵着别人的手，而要激励他们前进。

I don’t want to listen to people any longer as they tell me how 惊人 my 工作/life/way of being is. I don’t want people to tell me they will do it tomorrow 要么 there is some bill 那 needs to be paid. I often feel like I’m banging my head against a wall screaming “YOU CAN DO THIS!” but no one listens.

And I realized it’s because I’ve never made it easy for the 杰西卡（Jessica）s and Joes of the world.

I only needed a slight push to travel the world. 杰西卡（Jessica） and Joe need a shove.

他们需要一个计划。

And so I have 被创造 this step-by-step process on how to turn your dream into reality. 这里’如何使您的下一次旅行成为现实：

1. Decide Where 您 Want to Go
A lot of people talk about travel without naming where they want to visit — they talk vaguely about places. Picking a place is utterly important. It helps you plan better and makes your trip more concrete. It’s a lot easier to say “I am going to 巴黎” than “I’m going somewhere in 欧洲.” 您 need a goal to work toward.

那么，您想去哪里？

2. Plan How Long 您’ll Be Away
How much does it cost to travel? I don’t know — how long are you going away for? 您 can’t figure out how much you need to save if you haven’t decided on how long you’ll be there. Every place in the world is different.

These two are important first steps because you can’t know how much you need for your trip if you don’t know where you want to go and for how long. When I planned my 要么 iginal round-the-world trip, I made a list of all the places I wanted to visit and how long I wanted to be there. 您 don’t need to know the exact dates you will be in each place, but you should have a rough idea.

3.研究费用
Research how much your destination costs at the style of travel you want so 那 you can create an estimate of how much money you need for your trip. 您 can begin with my 旅行指南 要么 simply go buy a guidebook. All you want to know 她的e is a rough daily estimate. This way you know how much you need for your trip so you can determine the best way to save 那 amount.

4.开始省钱
跟随我的清单 减少开支的20种方法 to watch your bank balance grow. Put a number to how much you need. For example, if you need $2,000 for your trip 那 is in eight months, 那 means you only need to save $8.33 per day. Doesn’t 那 make 那 larger number more attainable? Couldn’t you find a way to save $8 per day? 这里 are some featured tips:

• 切咖啡 – 那 daily coffee costs you $150 per month ($5 per coffee). At $1,800 per year, 那’s two months in 东南亚。更重要的是：您每天喝杯Joe啤酒，或者在泰国的海滩上度过两个月的时间，或者探索婆罗洲的丛林？
• 学习烹饪 – We all need to eat, but restaurants are getting quite expensive these days. Even with this recession, coming back to the US I’ve noticed 那 food prices are a lot higher than they used to be. I learned to cook while in college (a skill 那 has helped me ever since), and before I left, I cut down my eating out to two times per week. Every other meal was cooked. I cooked dinner and then used the leftovers to eat lunch, thus saving more money.
• 丢了车 – Cars cost a lot of money between insurance, repairs, and filling your tank with gas (current average price: $4 USD per gallon). Learn to love the bus, take the subway, 要么 walk. It took me longer to get to work using public transportation, but you’ll find 那 you don’t really need a car as much as you think. I understand 那 this tip may not be feasible for everyone, especially those in smaller towns 那 don’t have a good public transportation system, but a good alternative is to sell your car and buy a cheaper used car.
• 摆脱电缆 –在Netflix和Hulu以及免费（和合法）流媒体电视时代，您没有理由每月在有线电视上花费50美元。
• 订阅旅行时事通讯 – No one likes to clutter up their inbox, but by signing up for mailing lists from airlines and travel companies, you’ll be able to get updates about all the last-minute 要么 special deals 那 are happening. I would have missed out on a round-trip ticket to 日本 如果不是美国航空的邮寄清单，则价格为700美元（通常为1,500美元）。

5.获得奖励信用卡
取得旅行信用卡. While you’re working to save money, get a travel credit card so you can use those sign-up bonuses 那 I told 杰西卡（Jessica） about to get free flights. I have accumulated over 600,000 free miles this way and despite all the cards I’ve acquired, my credit score is still 770. Yet you don’t need a lot of cards — you just need one. Do this the moment you decide you want to travel. 唐’t wait — waiting equals lost miles.

这是我最喜欢的旅行信用卡，可帮助您免费旅行!

6.切换到免费ATM卡
不要将您的血汗钱交给银行。使用免费的ATM卡，可以节省每一美元。我用 查尔斯·施瓦布, but there are lots of other banks (don’t forget to check your local banks) 那 don’t charge ATM fees. Additionally, you can join a bank in the Global ATM Alliance. Just do something to avoid those fees because they will add up!

7.保持专注和启发！
在开始计划时，请不断满足您的旅行需求。出行计划可能会令人生畏并且需要大量工作-特别是如果您的朋友和家人不在 ’t 那 enthusiastic about it! Without support, it can be a little depressing. Luckily, there are tons of ways to stay focused and keep your spirits lifted thanks to the 惊人 community we have on this website. 这里 are some inspiring travel stories to help keep you inspired to travel:

• 为什么明天为时已晚
• Why 您 Have More Time Than 您 Think
• 为什么像鲍勃那样的愤世嫉俗的人对一切都错了
• 迈克尔如何在六个月内节省$ 14k
• 如何在旅行（或生活中的任何事情）时停止找借口
• 每天花费10美元如何环游世界
• 保持旅行动机的8种方法
• 13 Travel 图书 那 Will Give 您 Serious Wanderlust

8.检查最后时刻的交易
Before you hit purchase on your flight, check for deals you might have missed. 您 may dream of 巴黎，但也许现在柏林有很多优惠。也许您可以享受70％的7天游轮优惠，以飞往巴黎的价格购买飞往夏威夷的套票优惠，或环岛航行50％的优惠 希腊.

虽然这不是您的第一选择，但从长远来看，它可能是一种节省的好方法。我一直在寻找交易。这个世界很大，我想看很多地方。

我最喜欢的交易网站：

• 机票看门狗 –非常适合搜索美国航班优惠。
• 机票交易 –非常适合全球航班交易。
• 假日海盗 –最适合欧洲航班。
• 斯科特的特价机票 –美国航班特价机票。
• 秘密飞行 –提供来自世界各地的机票优惠的绝佳站点。

如果发现有问题，请相应地调整旅行计划。如果没有，请继续-但值得一看。

9. Book 您r Flight
使用旅行信用卡并获得签约奖金后，请使用里程预订航班。这些天来，由于可用性较低，因此难以使用里程，因此您希望提早预订以确保可得到的航班。

这里’寻找廉价航班的更多提示!

10. Book 您r 住所
If you have a set schedule, there is no reason to wait. If you are going on a long-term trip, book just the first few days. Once you know the dates you’ll be in your destination, there is no real reason not to find a place to stay. 我的 view is 那 waiting will just lead to you losing your top picks.

情趣酒店？他们不会为您省钱，但您也可以注册一些酒店的信用卡并获得免费的房间。万豪酒店提供一张很棒的奖励卡，其开卡奖励等于一星期的免费住宿。喜达屋的AMEX卡也很棒，但是要获得积分奖励的支出门槛更高。

以下预订网站提供最优惠的住宿价格：

• 旅馆世界
• Agoda
• Booking.com
• Airbnb.com

11. Plan 您r Activities
勾勒出您想享受的主要活动及其费用。在最后时刻对您的储蓄进行任何调整，以确保您有足够的钱。这也将帮助您确定是否需要为您选择的旅行或活动进行预订。

12. Sell 您r Stuff
如果您要进行长期旅行（六个月或更长时间），请出售您的东西，以赚取额外的钱。请在离开前60天左右开始执行此操作。诸如Gumtree，Amazon和Craigslist之类的网站可以为您提供帮助。

如果您不打算长期离开，请跳过此步骤。如果您要长期离开但想保留自己的东西，请将其移到朋友家或存放。在美国，优秀的存储公司是Public Storage，每月起价为50美元。

13. Automate 您r Bills
摆脱邮件，实现无纸化，并为经常性账单设置在线账单支付，以确保您不会错过任何海外。如果您仍要收到纸质邮件，请使用以下服务 地球类邮件。 （如果您要进行为期两周的旅行，则不需要这样做，也可以跳过此步骤。）

14. Tell 您r Credit Card Companies 您’ll be Traveling
No matter how long you’ll be gone, it is a good idea to let your card companies know you will be overseas; 那 way any transactions 那 come up aren’t flagged as fraud and your card is less likely to be blocked. There’s nothing worse than having to sit on the phone with your credit card company instead of enjoying your 假期.

15.包装
It’是时候开始打包旅行了。 这里’s a suggested packing list 让您开始。只要确保不要过度包装！

16.购买旅游保险！
许多人认为，“我很健康，不需要旅行保险。我不会生病但是，旅行保险不仅仅是医疗保障。当您的相机坏了，您的航班被取消，家人丧生而您必须回家或被盗时，它会覆盖您。

旅游保险 is something you will need on the road. 您 never know what might happen, and most health plans won’t cover you overseas. I never thought I would pop my eardrum while I was scuba diving 要么 break my camera in Italy. 我的 friend never thought he would break his leg hiking; another friend certainly didn’没想到她的父亲会死，她将不得不飞回家。

旅游保险一天只有几美元，只有傻瓜才有’t buy it. 这里’是我挑选优质保险公司的终极指南 那 shod you how to pick a good plan 那 covers you for when you get sick, flights get canceled, you get injured, something gets stolen, 要么 your trip is delayed! 旅游保险 will cover you for all of it!

我最喜欢的公司是 世界游牧民族 我在旅途中都会用到它们。如果你’年龄超过70岁，请退房 确保我的旅行 因为它们是老年旅客的最佳选择。

17.去玩吧！
继续旅行，玩得开心！前往机场，登上飞机（别忘了护照），享受辛勤劳动带来的成果。

为了让您步入正轨，您可以 下载此清单 并将其放在您的冰箱上以供参考！

***

I’m a planner — I like lists. I like knowing what I have to do. Not everyone is like 那 — lots of people can simply keep a mental note. But no matter what type of person you are, for the vast majority of people 那 dream of travel, part of the reason it doesn’t become a reality is because it also seems like this unmanageable task.

I think people know 那 there are plenty of ways to travel inexpensively, but they also don’t know how to manage it — and when you tell them how to accomplish it, it all just seems too good to be true. So people fall back to the simple method of, “Let’s just go to Expedia” where they will spend more money — and thus the cycle repeats itself.

But there is no need to be like 那 girl in the bar. Once you understand just a few secrets about travel, a trip becomes simple and easy — whether you are on a year-long trip around the world, 要么 a week-long trip to 巴黎.

您所需要做的就是完成这些步骤，然后出门。
 

如何每天花费50美元环游世界

我的 纽约时报 best-selling paperback guide to world travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so 那 you’ll get 人迹罕至的地方, save money, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide 那 the BBC guide the “bible for 预算旅行ers.”

单击此处了解更多信息并立即开始阅读！