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How to Travel in Your Twenties (5 Cheap Ways to Travel)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, MARS Wrigley Confectionery. All opinions are mine alone. #CreamySNICKERS #CollectiveBias

Cheap Ways to Travel

Being a travel blogger, I have the opportunity to see a lot of new and exciting places. It’s a dream job, partnering with tourism boards and PR agencies from around the world to showcase these destinations to my readers and followers.

That being said, I often get a lot of questions about what I do. How do I afford to travel so much? Surely not all of those trips are #sponsored, are they? Believe it or not, a good portion of my travels are on my own. They’re planned by me alone, and consequently funded by me as well.

A lot of people are confused and/or surprised by this. After all, I’m only 22. You might not understand how I’m able to travel so much in my twenties, especially when only a percentage of it is covered by my job. There’s a common misconception in our society, that you have to wait to travel until you’re older. Once you’re more established, that’s when you plan those big trips. That’s when you see the world.

Well friends, that’s just it. It’s a misconception.

Traveling in your twenties is totally doable, travel blogger or not. Just check out a few of my tips below to get started, and you’ll be hitting the road in no time…

How to Travel in Your Twenties (5 Cheap Ways to Travel)

1. Say Yes to Road Trips

I think I’ve done more road trips in the past year than I have in my entire life. After all, road trips are one of the best cheap ways to travel in your twenties! We’re lucky to live in an area that’s surrounded by tons of cool cities, so it’s not a big deal to spend six or even seven hours in the car if we’ve got a long weekend to spare. I just make sure we plan our itinerary in advance, so we can maximize our time in each destination.

You might save a few hours if you travel by plane, but it’s often much more expensive. I’d rather save the leftover funds to explore yet another city later on!

2. Bring Your Own Treats

One of the best ways to save money and travel a lot in your twenties is to bring your own treats on the road. Lately, I’ve been addicted to the new creamy SNICKERS® Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, and Maple Almond Butter flavors at Walmart. These new varieties include rich milk chocolate filled with creamy almond butter, peanut butter, or maple almond butter (all made with freshly ground nut butters!). They’re great for taking on the go, and the individual squares make them perfect for sharing.

R. knows I can get pretty hangry during road trips, so we’ve learned to always keep the car stocked with treats like these. Oftentimes my entire mood will shift once I’ve gotten past those not-so-smooth moments of hunger — ha!

I love all three new flavor varieties, but I do have to say the creamy SNICKERS® Peanut Butter is my absolute favorite…it’s SO good! We’ll actually be on the road by the time this post goes live, and you can bet I’ll be munching on one of these treats sooner or later during the trip.

3. Start a Travel Fund

Another simple way to travel in your twenties? Start a travel fund. Put even a small amount of your paycheck into the fund every month, and watch it climb until you’ve got enough for a weekend getaway. You’d be surprised how fast things add up, especially if you get creative and save money during the trip by doing things such as road tripping and bringing some of your own food.

4. Sign Up for Deal Alerts

A clever way to travel more in your twenties is to sign up for deal alerts. Airlines are always having different deals going on, so make sure you sign up for some awesome newsletters to be the first in the know when these deals pop up. It’s incredible how much money you can save if you’re simply in the right place at the right time.

5. Cash in on Your Rewards

One thing that I like to do when traveling is take advantage of certain rewards programs. For example, I get a small percentage of cash back every time I use my credit card. Therefore, I always use it when I’m making large purchases. It’s like free money! My family also uses different airline rewards programs to accumulate miles, which end up translating to free (or almost free) flights. Think outside the box, and I promise travel will be accessible for you — even if you’re in your twenties!

Do you like to travel? What challenges do you have when planning a trip?


Holly

Holly is a millennial travel and lifestyle writer based in New York. With ten years of experience in digital publishing and photography starting with her work writing for College Fashionista and Her Campus at Ithaca College, Holly has been featured in publications such as Southern Living and Lonely Planet. She enjoys sharing her travel expertise as well as lifestyle inspiration in categories such as home décor, DIY beauty, and fashion. More importantly though, Holly is a true Hufflepuff, and her Starbucks order forever remains a grande Iced Sweet Cream Cold Brew. When she's not writing or editing photos for this site, you can find her reading anything in the Sarah J. Maas universe or cuddling with her chihuahua x pomeranian pup Pixie.