The #1 question we get asked all the time is “Where are you traveling to next?”  Everyone who knows us is well aware of our wanderlust. Then the follow up question is “How do you afford to travel so much?!”  Friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances; they all ask me again and again how we do it. The answer is simple.

WE MAKE IT A PRIORITY! Are we millionaires? No! Do we bring in huge salaries? NO! Do we finance it on credit? NO! The answer is really quite simple, we forego other things in life that are not a priority for us in order to spend a little more on travel and seeing the world.

Would we love a brand new car? Sure, I think everyone likes something new and shiny. But are we willing to pay for it? Absolutely not! My husband and I both drive 10 year old cars and we both absolutely love our cars. I drive a 2005 Toyota Corolla and Mr. Bug drives a 2004 Honda Pilot. I have never had a car payment and we only briefly had a car payment on Mr. Bug’s very first car that we purchased used from my parents when he moved to the States. We know many people who easily spend over $1,000 a month on car payments. Us?  We would much rather spend $1,000 on a trip to Mexico or some other wonderfully exotic location. We live in a nice part of town and I’m quite certain our neighbors think we are on the edge of bankruptcy because we drive MUCH older cars than most of our neighbors but who cares? We certainly don’t.

What else is not a priority in our lives so we can make travel a priority? Starbucks. Now don’t get me wrong, Mr. Bugs loves him some coffee and simply cannot function in the mornings without it, but does he really need to spend $5 per cup of coffee? Nope. The solution? We invested in an at-home fancy coffee machine that grinds its own coffee beans and Mr. Bug swears it’s better than Starbucks. This is amazing coming from a guy who could easily purchase three venti cups a day back in the days. We spent $350 for a refurbished coffee machine on Groupon that retails for $600. We have had it over one year now and hubby still swears by it. Mr. Bug still makes the occasional trip to Starbucks but only when he has a gift card (he gets them from family each year from his birthday and Christmas).

These are only two examples of ways to prioritize your life and spending, there are other things we do not think are a priority such as designer shoes and clothes, but the above gives you an idea of how to prioritize and get where you want to be. There are plenty of ways to afford to travel the world, even if you’re not a millionaire or make a six figure salary; you just have to want it and to make it a priority.

What about you? What things are and are not a priority for you? I would love to hear how you cut back on some things to make others a priority.