A lot of people wonder how I’m able to travel so much for my blog. I have a full-time job, but since traveling is a priority I try to fit it into my schedule. I usually try to travel once a month, but even then that’s not always possible. All I do is find ways to save money when I travel. Everyone has their own circumstances, but here are a few ways I find a way to save and travel with a full-time job.

1. Use Savings App

I have an app for everything and I especially have one of my travel savings. Qapital is a savings app that I have been using for a while. It automatically saves money any way you want. You can save money if you do a certain number of steps a day or Qapital can round up your purchase and add that to your savings. If you want to be really fancy you can link Qapital with IFTTT and program other ways you want to save money. Simple is a new app I’ve been using. You can create your budget and save money at the same time. You can even label your purchases and have money pulled directly from your budget savings. This app maybe a little more intricate, but I definitely recommend it. Both Apps allow you to purchase a debit card and you can also save with friends for a trip. Download one of these apps and save money for that next vacation you want to take.

2. Find the Cheapest Flights

Flights can be expensive so you want to get the cheapest flight possible. I sometimes fly standby which is the cheapest flight you can get, but not everyone has that opportunity. When I buy a ticket I use two apps to find a cheap flight: Hopper & Skyscanner. Hopper notifies you when the best time you should buy your tickets depending on the city you want to go to. Skyscanner does a similar thing, but it also shows you a graph of when of the low and high price season to buy a plane ticket.

3. Travel During the Weekend

I know a lot of people wonder how I can travel so often. The reason is I travel on the weekends and I also have the ability to work remote. I usually take weekend trips from Thursday to Sunday. If you can’t work remote or take a Friday off still take advantage of your weekends. Leave on a Friday night and come back on a Sunday afternoon. This is plenty of time to enjoy a city. I recommend checking out weekend.com. They have flight and hotel deals only for weekend getaways. You can also check out weekend trip options on Skyscanner as well. If you’re always working, try and find time in your schedule to travel if it’s something you really want to do.

4. Take a Road Trip

I think everyone should take a solo road trip solo. I did when I was in Colorado and that was 2.5hr drive. Road trips make trips a little cheaper and let you be a little more flexible. You can decide when you want to arrive and depart depending on your schedule. A trip does not have to be across the country it can be just a few hours drive away. Check out Roadtrippers for some road trip guides. Take advantage of all the beautiful places you can find close to your home.

5. Get an Airbnb Room

When I travel solo I usually book an Airbnb because is so much cheaper than a hotel. It’s even cheaper when you book a private room instead of a whole place to your self. This is a great way for you to meet locals right away or other visitors. When I was in Colorado I booked a room and there were two other women that were in a separate room. I talked with them and told them about my blog and they even invited me to join them on their hike. Unfortunately, I already had plans but being in that situation was a positive experience that was also cheaper.

6. Travel with a Friend

Traveling with a friend makes everything cheaper by at least 50%. When you book an Airbnb you can still book a room or a place with 1 bed /room (depending on how close you are with your friend). You can also split the price of your Lyft, use shared Lyft if it’s just two of you or alternate on who calls the rideshare every time. You can even save money on food. When my friend and I went to New Orleans we would order something we both wanted to try and just share family style. Help your friends travel more by taking trips together, it’s a great way to make memories.

7. Do Free or Discounted Activities

Laying on the beach, going to a museum or a park, and hiking are free things you can do while on a vacation. The point of a trip is to explore. You don’t have to pay for tours, you walk around yourself and if you do run into a tour that’s going on they’ll usually let you join in for free. I did this in Kentucky and the tour guide was very welcoming. You can also find discounted activities you can enjoy on Groupon or sometimes there are free festivals on the weekend. Be on the lookout for fun things to do when you visit a city. You’d be surprised what fun surprises you’ll find.

We all have jobs to go to and bills to pay, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from enjoying your life. Traveling is my escape when I’m too stressed or just need to get away from it all. If you really want to travel more start saving, find the time, and apply these tips to save and travel. When you get back from your weekend trip you’ll have memories to share and I’m sure you’ll be excited to plan another one.