I remember the exact moment I decided to stop dreaming and start saving. I was sitting on a damp bench at a bus stop in my hometown, watching the rain pool in the gutter, and I thought: I could do this for another three years, or I could be in a café in Lisbon next spring watching a different rain fall on a different street. That evening I opened a second bank account, named it “Lisbon + beyond,” and transferred the first £12. The sum was laughably small, but the act felt enormous. Over the next fourteen months, that account grew into a one-way ticket and three months of slow travel through southern Europe. Here is exactly how I did it — and how you can, too, without resorting to extreme deprivation or a second job you hate.
Step 1: Name the Number — and Make It Honest
Before you save a single euro, you need a target. Not a vague “as much as I can,” but a real, itemised number. I sat down with a notebook and listed every expense I could anticipate for the first two months of my trip: flights, trains, accommodation (I aimed for hostels with a private room every fourth night), food, local transport, a travel insurance policy, a small buffer for emergencies, and a line item I called “joy” — museum tickets, a cooking class, a glass of wine by the sea. The total came to €3,850 for two months. That felt attainable. When I broke it down further, I needed to save €275 per month for fourteen months. Suddenly the mountain was a molehill.
If you are unsure about your own number, start with a budget-friendly baseline. I wrote about my exact daily spending in I Travelled Solo on €35 a Day – Here’s How, and that framework helped me estimate realistically. The key is to be honest with yourself: do you need a private room every night, or are you happy in a dorm? Will you cook most meals, or do you want to eat out daily? Write your number down and keep it where you'll see it every day.
Step 2: The Automated Transfer — Your Best Friend
The single most effective saving strategy I used was automation. On the first of every month, a standing order moved money from my current account into the travel account before I could spend it. I started with £100, then increased it to £250 after three months when I realised I wasn’t missing the cash. The psychological trick is simple: if you never see the money in your spending account, you never learn to rely on it. I treated that transfer like a non-negotiable bill — rent, electricity, travel fund. No exceptions.
Step 3: Audit Your Subscriptions — the Silent Leak
I am not going to tell you to give up coffee or cancel Netflix. What I will tell you is to look at the small monthly charges you have forgotten about. I found a £7.99 app subscription I had not opened in eight months, a gym membership I used twice, and a magazine subscription that piled up unread in the hallway. Cancelling those three things freed up £34 a month — that is €408 a year, or roughly two weeks of travel in Southeast Asia. Go through your bank statements for the last three months. Highlight every recurring payment. If you have not used the service in the past thirty days, cancel it. You can always re-subscribe later.
Step 4: The Side Hustle That Doesn’t Feel Like Work
I did not take a second job. Instead, I looked at skills I already had and found ways to monetise them without adding stress. I am a decent writer, so I picked up two small freelance blog-editing gigs — four hours a week total, an extra £200 a month. A friend babysat one Saturday night a month for a neighbour and earned £80 each time. Another friend sold vintage clothes on Depop and used the proceeds exclusively for travel. The rule I set for myself was: the side income goes directly into the travel account, no detours. Every article I edited added a little more to the balance, and I watched the number climb.
Step 5: The 24-Hour Rule for Non-Essential Purchases
Impulse spending was my biggest leak. A dress on sale, a Friday-night takeaway, a new book when I had three unread at home — each seemed harmless alone, but together they added up to hundreds of pounds a month. I implemented a simple 24-hour rule: any non-essential purchase over £15 had to wait one full day. If I still wanted it after twenty-four hours, I could buy it. More often than not, the urge passed. That single habit saved me roughly £80 a month, which I redirected to my travel fund. Over a year, that is nearly a thousand pounds — enough for a flight to India and a week of accommodation.
Step 6: Celebrate Small Milestones
Saving for travel is a long game, and it can feel joyless if you never pause to acknowledge progress. I set three milestones: £500, £1,000, and £2,000. At each one, I allowed myself a small reward that cost no more than £10 — a nice notebook, a solo picnic in the park, a fancy bath bomb. The celebration reminded me why I was saving. I also printed a photo of the place I wanted to visit — a narrow street in Lisbon with a tram — and taped it to my bathroom mirror. Every morning I saw it and felt a little closer.
Step 7: Rethink Your Living Situation — Temporarily
I do not suggest moving back in with your parents if that is not feasible or healthy for you. But I do suggest looking at your rent and asking whether a short-term change could accelerate your timeline. I sublet my flat for three months and stayed with a friend who was travelling for work; she needed someone to water her plants, and I paid only half my usual rent. That three-month period alone added £1,200 to my travel fund. Other options: house-sitting, taking a temporary roommate, or moving to a cheaper neighbourhood for six months. Even a £100 reduction in monthly rent adds up to £1,200 in a year — that is a month of travel in many parts of the world.
Step 8: Travel While You Save — Micro-Trips
You do not have to wait until the big trip to explore. During my saving year, I took three weekend trips — two by train, one by bus. Each cost under £150 total, and they kept my travel spirit alive. I visited a town I had never been to, ate local food, and walked aimlessly. These micro-trips reminded me that travel does not have to be grand to be meaningful. They also taught me packing skills and budgeting habits that served me well on the longer journey. Those short trips taught me to pack light and budget smart, which paid off later.
Step 9: The Pre-Trip Pause
Once you have saved the money, resist the urge to leave immediately. I learned this the hard way. After my first big saving sprint, I booked a flight for the day after my last paycheck — and arrived exhausted, with a cold, and spent the first three days in bed. For my second long trip, I built in a pause. I wrote about that practice in The Art of the Pre-Trip Pause: Why I Now Schedule a Still Day Before Every Journey. That single day of rest, with no packing or errands, transformed how I entered the journey. Your saved money deserves a rested traveller to spend it.
Step 10: Keep the Vision Tangible
Numbers on a screen can feel abstract. I kept a small jar on my kitchen counter where I dropped loose change and the occasional £5 note. When the jar was full, I counted it — usually around £30–40 — and transferred it to the travel account. It was not a big source of savings, but it was a daily visual reminder that every coin brought me closer. I also wrote a short letter to my future self, describing what I hoped the trip would feel like. I sealed it and opened it on the plane. That letter reminded me why I had said no to a dozen small indulgences. The joy of reading it at 30,000 feet was worth every skipped takeaway.
That first morning in Lisbon, I sat in a small café near the Alfama district, a pastel de nata in one hand and a coffee in the other. The rain was tapping on the window, but I didn't mind. I had the receipt from the bus stop bench folded in my wallet – a reminder that £12 and a decision can change everything. Every skipped takeaway, every cancelled subscription, every hour of freelance editing had led to this. Starting small and staying consistent works. Now, open your own account and make the first transfer. It doesn't matter how little.
