How To Travel More While Working Full Time

It’s ingrained in us that travel is expensive and taking vacation days is “selfish.”  My friends, I am here to tell you that is all a lie. In fact, it’s extremely important to take your paid days off for your mental health alone! And it is 100% possible to travel more while working full time, and I’m here to show you exactly how I do it.

During the week I am the typical worker.  Every day I commute to my full time job and sit behind a desk.  I talk with clients, answer emails and make phone calls.  All day long.

I have days I want to throw in the towel, buy a one way plane ticket, and start all over.  

Scrolling on Instagram, I get a daily reminder of my mundane routine.  I see hundreds of travel bloggers teaching me how they quit their 9-5 job to travel the world.  As they explore the quaint streets of Prague, swim with sharks in South Africa, and eat breakfast in bed in the Maldives, I sit at my desk and day dream of the days I was exploring the streets of Reykjavik. 

However, just like many of you, quitting my job isn’t realistic.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t maintain our sanity in the workplace and travel as much as possible while working our full time jobs.  I work a 40 hour work week and am still able prioritize travel and maximize my days off as much as possible. 

In one year I managed to travel across the US to visit family in Nebraska, spend Christmas in Vermont, sun bathe on a beach in Florida, and explore the ancient tombs in Egypt.  I took 19 flights total, and I did it all while working full time.  But, you know what the best part is?  So can you. 

Here’s 15 ways to travel more while working full time.

1. MAKE TRAVEL A PRIORITY

First things first, if you don’t make travel a priority, it won’t happen.  No one is ever going to keep you in check and tell you to go on a trip and use your vacation days.  In order to travel more, you really have to want it. 

This means, planning, budgeting, and being very smart about where or when you plan your trips. Figuring out how to travel while working full time is not easy, so you gotta want it!

2. USE YOUR VACATION DAYS

If you look at statistics on the number of vacation days given in each country, the United States is shocking low compared to most.  For example, the United Kingdom gets on average 28 paid vacation days, and nine public holidays.  The United States gets a total of 10.  When I saw this for the first time I was absolutely floored.  That’s a difference of 27 days!  TWENTY SEVEN!

I know first hand that becoming a workaholic in America comes naturally.  It’s easy to feel guilty when taking time off.  You don’t want to disappoint your boss, or put more work on your coworker’s plate in your absence.  However, it’s extremely important not only for your mental but also your physical health to take time out of the office.

Studies have proven that taking time time off:

In fact, a recent study found people who make time for regular trips had a 68.4 score on the Gallup-Heathway’s Well-Being Index, compared to a score of 51.4 for those who travel infrequently.  Neurologists have found that the brain structure can be altered by chronic stress, which leads to anxiety and depression.  This is science, my friends!  Science is proving that it is unhealthy for us to work the way we do.  It’s time to not only prioritize travel, but also our well being. 

So, please, for the love of god, stop feeling bad for taking your vacation days.

3. EXTEND A WORK TRIP

Some people travel for work.  I don’t often, but sometimes I have a conference or meeting I may have to go out of town for.  Use these to your advantage and add a day onto your work trip.  This way you can see more without having to pay for your travel expenses!  What’s better than that? 

By adding a day to my work trips I was able to experience one of the best meals of my life in Montreal (thanks Wienstein & Gavino’s!), and explore a complete recreation of the Parthenon in Nashville.  All while only using one vacation day.

Treat your work conference destination as if you decided to go there yourself.  Sometimes the places you have the least expectations for, end up being some of the best!

4. SAVE YOUR MONEY

You can’t travel if you don’t save your money.  Even if you learn to travel hack like a boss, you still have to spend money on travel.  Unfortunately, free trips aren’t being handed out left and right.  Saving your money comes hand in hand with what we talked about in #1- prioritizing travel. 

There are so many things an average person does that I opt out on.  For example, I cannot tell you the last time I went to a nail salon, got a massage, or bought expensive new clothes.  I have drove the same 12 year old car for years to avoid a car payment.  This is a perfect example of how I prioritize travel.   Spending money on things I don’t need would only keep me from achieving my goal of traveling more. 

Here are some every day apps that help me save money on everyday purchases:

1. Rakuten– Install Rakuten on your web browser and as an app on your phone. It will give you cash back (sent via check) on purchases you qualify for. This is an easy easy way to get cash back on purchases you were already planning on making! Use this code to sign up and get a $10 bonus after you spend $25.
2. Honey – Honey is installed onto your web browser, and will search through 1,000’s of coupon codes for items in your shopping cart. Often, it will find a coupon code you didn’t know about and save you money on purchases you would have already made!
3. Ibotta– Ibotta is an app for your phone that saves you money. You “clip” coupons in the app. Simply take a picture of your receipt and you will get cash back that you can redeem for credit cards! I’ve saved over $100 on groceries using Ibotta! Sign up here!
4. Shopkicks– Using the Shopkicks app, you can scan certain products, or even just walk into a store and earn “kicks.” Eventually your kicks will add up for points you can redeem for gift cards! Sign up with this link or use my code COOL045179 to earn 250 kicks from the jump!
5. Fetch– Earn rewards on this app from simply scanning your grocery store receipts! Eventually your points can be redeemed for gift cards for airlines, hotels, stores, or restaurants. Sign up here and get 2,000 points added to your account!

5. PLAN TRIPS AROUND HOLIDAYS

Think about it, holidays are like built in vacation days.  Am I the only one that gets excited when a holiday lands you a perfect three or four day weekend?  I hope not!  Take a look at your calendar and think smart about Labor day, fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas this year.  If you don’t mind being away from home on any of these holidays, taking off a day before or after this “break” sometimes means a four or five day vacation!  That’s a whole work week off while only using one vacation day!

6. NEGOTIATE YOUR BENEFITS

Have you ever heard your coworkers wishing they didn’t have to take their vacation time and just get paid for their unused hours?  Honestly, it’s so hard for me to wrap my brain around this.  To me, my vacation days are just as important as my salary.  There,  I said it!

I have known people to negotiate paid time off in their position up front.  Instead of asking for a raise or settling on a salary, ask for extra vacation days.  This way your boss knows up front the importance of time off to you, and may be more willing to give you those than a higher salary up front.  This way you can ensure more travel while working full time. 

I know, I know.  This is much easier said than done.  But what’s the worst they can say?  No. 

7. TRAVEL CLOSE TO HOME

Let’s try an exercise….

Give yourself a five hour radius.  Now think of all the great places you could be at within those hours.  Whether that time is spent driving or flying, I would bet there are many places you haven’t seen yet!

So many people think big about all the places they want to go, but forget to explore their own backyards.  Recently I have made it a priority to do at least one long weekend a year traveling close to home. 

This has allowed me to:

• Discover the beauty of Lake Placid
• Taste amazing craft beer in Vermont
• Test my luck at casinos in Atlantic City.

Use Skyscanner to check out what direct flight options your home airport offers.

Not sure how to do that? Click the link here. Enter your home airport into the ‘from’ box. Click the box below that says non-stop flights only. When you press ‘Search Flights,’ it will show you every option your home airport flys without a layover! This will give you ideas of weekend trips you can make while not worrying about losing time sitting in an airport waiting for a connection.  I was able to visit Naples, Florida for two nights by finding a direct flight from my home airport!

8. RETHINK YOUR TIME OFF

Many people think you use your vacation in one lump sum.  But why?  Start using your days off in the smartest way possible.  Combine with weekends and holidays to maximize those days off.  Using a day here or there will allow for more trips over a longer span of time.  By doing this I am typically able to fit one longer vacation with many shorter breaks into a year.   This means both international and national travels each year and keeps me mentally sane!

9. START AND END TRIPS ON WEEKENDS

By starting or ending your trips on weekends you can spend more time somewhere.   Think about it, leaving Monday and coming back Friday, you would use five days vacation to be somewhere for five days. 

However, if you leave on a Friday night and come back the following Sunday, you can use the same amount of time off, but be somewhere for nine nights.  You heard that right!  Nine vacation days for the price of five! 
This could easily be a way to upgrade a short beach getaway to a longer trip in Egypt!

10. PLAN A YEAR IN ADVANCE

I typically plan my trips about a year in advance.  This way I can sit down and crunch some numbers to budget my time and money.  The best way to do this is start researching places you want to go.  How much does it cost?  How long should you stay to see and do the things you want?

I sit down with a calendar and look where the holidays fall and see what my options are for the year ahead.

Also, if you know what days you’ll need off far in advance, let your work know sooner rather than later.  Knowing ahead of time, they can also plan work coverage accordingly and are less likely to have a problem with you leaving for a couple days. This is key for being able to travel more while working full time!

11. DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRAVEL SOLO

If you aren’t afraid to go somewhere alone, this opens the door for endless amounts of flexibility.  That means if your travel partner is doing something for thanksgiving this year, it’s no big deal!  You can still take advantage of a crazy good deal and rent that beach house in North Carolina for a couple nights!  When you aren’t waiting for two, three or even four schedules to align, the possibilities are endless!

12. TAKE UNPAID TIME OFF

This can be different for everyone, but if your work allows you to take unpaid time off, use it!  This is one thing I feel very grateful for with my work.  As long as you plan your unpaid time in advance, they typically won’t question it.  I will often use my unpaid time off for any of my sick days or when I have to leave early for doctor or dental appointments.  This allows me use my paid time off for strictly vacationing, and I can keep my paid time off for more important days!

13. WORK YOUR BUTT OFF IN THE OFFICE

I can’t stress how important this is if you want to travel more while working full time.  When you are in the office, work hard and stay focused. This will create a good reputation for yourself, meaning more understanding and flexibility when needing time off. 

You need your bosses respect to be able to take those trips or use unpaid time off.  If your job knows your work ethic and values you as a team member, they will be more willing to let you do these things.

14. WORK REMOTELY

If there is anything 2020 taught us, it was that more jobs can be done virtually than we ever thought before.  Work from home doesn’t actually have to mean home though.  You could use this time to be in another city and work remotely.  There may be a way you can negotiate a couple work from home days with your place of work that will allow you to stay in a location a couple extra days without having to use more of your time off.  For example, if you are able to work a Friday virtually, you can fly somewhere Thursday night, and have the full Friday night, Saturday and Sunday to explore the area.

I don’t have this as an option, so if you do, take advantage of it for me!

15. FIND A JOB THAT ALLOWS YOU TO TRAVEL MORE

Listen, I know this won’t work for everyone, but if this could be you look into it further!  If there are ways you can work while traveling, you can spend little to nothing on travel and still get to experience places once you are off the clock!  There are lots of people who don’t want to worry about hopping on a plane to a conference every week, so if you don’t mind, make sure you are upfront with the company in a job interview.  If you keep an eye out for job listings that say “must be willing to travel,” you never know what may fall into your lap!

I truly believe companies that prioritize their employees work life balance will find long term success. And if they don’t, do you even want to work for them anyway?

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Having these 15 tips in mind will help you be able to achieve your travel goals while working full time.  I never said it’s going to be easy, but if you want it, you can 100% maje it happen!  You don’t have to quit your job to see the world and start crossing off your bucket list.  Keeping these tricks in mind makes my time at work a lot more bearable.  Because I know just like those Instagram bloggers, I too, will soon be taste testing the local cuisine in Lima, Peru! 

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BEST TRAVEL RESOURCES

1. DO NOT FORGET TRAVEL INSURANCE ON YOUR TRIP!
2. BOOK FLIGHTS WITH SKYSCANNER
3. BOOK ACCOMMODATIONS WITH BOOKING.COM or HOTELS.COM
4. BOOK ACTIVITIES AND TOURS WITH GET YOUR GUIDE

Need help planning your future trips? Go to my travel resources page for my favorite travel companies to save you money, time, and headaches!

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