It’s almost a new year, which means it’s time come up with the New Year’s resolutions that you’ll completely forget about by mid-February. Kidding! New Year’s resolutions can feel like a marketing gimmick for gyms and health food stores, but the values behind them—visualizing what you want your life to be and committing to make it happen—are awesome. If you’re thinking about committing to explore your inner wanderlust by beginning to travel the world, read on for tips on how to make an achievable New Year’s travel resolution. 

New Year’s Travel Resolution Step 1 | Deciding on a Destination

Source from your bucket list

Everyone has a bucket list of where they’d like to go.  It could be in the USA, or somewhere international; maybe it’s to return to somewhere you previously traveled or make a pilgrimage to where your family is from. Regardless of where or why, start researching your destinations now. 

The first step is to determine if traveling to that bucket list destination is within your budget. If you discover that it’s not right now, don’t get discouraged.  This post is about making and achieving New Year’s travel resolutions, which means you may not be able to afford all the destinations on your Top 3 list now, but that with good planning and prioritization, you’ll find a place that you’ll love and that you can afford.

Whittle down your bucket list to feasible options

Do your research on which destinations on your bucket list align with your budget and make sure you give yourself a diverse option set. For example, if you’re in the States, research one international trip, one trip in the USA, and one trip in your home state or within driving distance, all to places that interest you. If you haven’t made traveling a priority in your life in the past, but know it’s something you want to do, you need to start by going somewhere… anywhere, really.

I’ve been there… after my husband and I had our youngest daughter (making it three kids total!), I wanted to go on a family vacation.  I knew that buying airfare for the kids would not be very budget-friendly, so our first family vacation for the five of us was to a coastal town within a six-hour drive of us.

We ended up visiting that same coastal town for a couple summers in a row before we were in a position where we could afford to fly somewhere with the three kids. Once we were in that better financial position, it wasn’t like we immediately bought five round-trip tickets to Europe. Instead, we purchased $200 round-trip tickets to Reno, Nevada, so we could take the kids on an affordable summer vacation to Lake Tahoe.

Honestly, Lake Tahoe was never on my radar for a family vacation, but it ended up being amazing! I only came across it because I was researching affordable family vacation destinations. My wanderlust was filled, I got to share a beautiful place with my kids, and my resolution to travel more as a family was achieved.

The point being: don’t hold out for a top-tier bucket list destination, because you will end up missing out on a lot of amazing trips in the meantime. You can start traveling while also saving for your big(ger)-budget trips at the same time. On to that!

New Year’s Travel Resolutions Budget Locations

Whittling down your bucket list to the most feasible budget-friendly destinations takes a lot of research, but you are in luck! As a budget-savvy traveler myself, I’ve created travel guides on how to visit places all over the world in order to achieve your New Year’s travel resolutions:

Travel to New York City on a Budget

Disneyland on a Budget Travel Guide

London on a Budget

Tips for Visiting Rome on a Budget

Amsterdam Travel Guide

Buenos Aires Travel Tips: A Budget-Savvy Guide

The Cheapest Way to Travel Europe

Secrets to Budget Travel: How I Traveled to 3 Continents, 4 Countries & 7 States Last Year

New Year’s Travel Resolution Step 2 | Budgeting

So you’ve found an affordable destination and now it’s time to budget for the trip.  There are several savvy ways to plan and pay for an affordable New Year’s travel resolution:

Use travel reward points

Do you have a credit card with travel rewards?  If you do, it’s time to redeem those rewards for airfare or hotel accommodations! If you can cover your airfare or hotel with points, you’ll have more money to spend on dining and entertainment.

For example, I recently redeemed travel rewards for a free hotel stay on the Big Island, Hawaii, for five nights over a long Memorial Day weekend. We were able to experience Kona on a budget because of our free accommodations combined with an $675 round-trip airfare hack (for 2!) that came with our credit card.

Airbnb > room service

An easy way to save money on travel in the New Year is by staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel. Not only can Airbnbs be more affordable on a per-night basis, but they are also more cost-effective for meals, especially if traveling as a family.  Having a kitchen is vital for cost-savings, because purchasing food from the grocery store is a lot more affordable than eating out for every meal (and healthier, too!).

Tip: If you are new to Airbnb: sign up here to receive a $40 travel credit on your first stay!*

Be a savvy-spender all year round

The ability to afford traveling starts with reigning in spending on things that don’t enhance travel experiences.   I am a firm believer in spending money on experiences instead of “things” – clothes, furniture, TVs, etc. 

Don’t get me wrong, we provide all of the necessities (and more!) for our kids, we live in a nice house, and we drive decent cars.  We don’t, however, buy a new car every 2-3 years or buy the latest and greatest smart TV on the market.  In fact, our main TV is about 10 years old and is not “smart” at all. Trust me, my kids prefer our family vacations over the ability to stream Netflix from the TV in the living room.  

Show me the money!  

Even after finding a budget destination, using airline reward miles, booking an affordable Airbnb, and reducing your spending on non-travel related items, you still may not have all the funds for your trip.  It happens, but the solution is not to cancel the trip or put it on your credit card and pay it off over the course of the next year or two. 

Instead, you need to step up and bring in the money to pay for the trip.  Maybe you work full-time and that means you have to find a side-hustle.  Or maybe you are a SAHM and that means you have to find a part-time gig that brings in some income.  Do whatever it takes to achieve your New Year’s travel resolution. I never said it was going to be easy!

My little secret: So, I am going to let you in on a little secret.  I work so that we can travel.  Honestly, we could survive if I didn’t work and just lived off my husband’s income. But we would not be able to afford to travel… ever.  In fact, I wouldn’t be able to fulfill my inner wanderlust and my kids wouldn’t be able to experience the world-expanding, patience-teaching, magical moments of travel.

I don’t stop at working full-time, either.  I actively manage Airbnb rentals of our second home, a lake condo in Sandpoint, Idaho, so that my accountant husband can’t say that we can’t afford to travel because we spend money on a second home.  I also started this blog, which someday may bring in passive income to also assist in paying for my wanderlust.  Again, it’s not easy, but if you are going to achieve New Year’s travel resolutions, then it’s going to take some work.

New Year’s Travel Resolution Step 3 | Make Traveling Easier

There are a few savvy things travelers can do to make the journey easier and these should be part of your New Year’s travel resolutions planning.

TSA Pre-Check

Enrolling in TSA pre-check is a must for anyone who travels by air.  For only $85, travelers experience a shorter security line at the airport and don’t have to hassle with removing liquids and laptops from bags or taking off shoes and light jackets. TSA Pre-Check lasts for five years and pays for itself after just a few hassle-free trips through the security line.  

The best part about TSA pre-check is that children under 12 automatically get pre-check if they are on the same itinerary as you.   In fact, this usually applies to anyone on the same itinerary as you, which can be an added bonus especially if you are married to an accountant who refuses to pay the $85 enrollment fee. 

Related: For more tips on how to make your airport experience easier, see fellow travel blogger, C Boarding Group‘s post on Airport Travel Tips!

Use paid vacation time

Most likely your employer provides paid time off / vacation.  Since I work in HR, I know that a large portion of employees do not use all of their paid vacation every year.  Don’t be like those employees.  Take the mental break from work, regardless of how busy you are, and use your paid time off to travel.  Don’t feel guilty about taking the time off work; it’s well known that employees who use their vacation time tend to be more productive than those who don’t. 

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So as we head into the New Year, start researching a destination that aligns with your budget. Don’t get discouraged if your destination isn’t the dream vacation you’ve always wanted.  Start by planning a trip to “somewhere” this New Year and then begin budgeting, planning, and taking the steps necessary to make the trip become a reality.  If you follow those tips, you should be able to achieve your New Year’s travel resolutions!

What’s your travel destination for the New Year?  Be sure to comment below!

Cheers to a Happy New Year and to achieving a travel-related resolution!