A YOUNG traveler has cracked the code on how to take a trip every two months on an income of just $54,000 a year.
The Chicagoan jets off to both domestic and international destinations , taking advantage of a handy travel hack which helps her stretch her budget and make the most of each adventure she embarks on.
Stella Bukovick is a travel writer and content creator who loves to vacation[/caption]
Bukovick has visited a number of domestic and international destinations, such as Thailand, France, and Utah[/caption]
The explorer makes roughly $54,000 per year and uses several budgeting tactics to help stretch her dollars[/caption]
Stella Bukovick, a 32-year-old travel writer and the face behind Oui Roam, has a passion for exploring, packing up her bags in Chicago and traveling every two months or so.
Beyond blogging about her adventures, Bukovick works full-time as an administrative assistant at a university, applying her years of experience maximizing PTO so she can travel frequently.
She has an annual income of roughly $54,000, shelling out around $1,300 every two months for vacation, or just over 14% of Bukovick’s earnings.
While her spending is slightly higher than the 5% to 10% range suggested by financial experts, Bukovick employs a number of strategies to help her manage her travel budget in a way that accommodates her lifestyle.
For example, she pays off her expenses immediately and books affordable accommodations through platforms such as Booking.com, Airbnb, or VRBO.
“I mix free or cheap activities with a few splurges to make each trip worthwhile,” Bukovick said.
The vacationer also emphasized that taking advantage of credit card points for flights, mostly from Chase, was especially helpful in being able to afford frequent travel.
With years of experience maximizing PTO, I travel about every two months, averaging trips around $1,300. I’m able to afford my travels by using credit card points, mainly Chase, for flights.”
Stella Bukovick
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points or miles on everyday purchases and redeem them for flights, hotels, or upgrades, often making trips far more affordable.
If you’re not into solo travel, pooling points with a partner is a great way to stretch your budget.
Travel blogger Courtney Muro and her husband, for example, planned a round-the-world trip roughly 1.5 years in advance, selecting their credit cards based on where they wanted to visit and making the most of their points.
“We got two $50,000 10-country, three-continent, month-long first-class flights that ended with us hiking Kilimanjaro,” she previously told The U.S. Sun.
“We did have to pay $1,200 in taxes for each ticket, but that’s nothing compared to the value we got from it.”
Isheeta Borkar and her husband similarly flew business class from Europe to the US for the price of taxes by pooling their airline miles and credit card points, saying that they treat points as a separate ‘travel bank’ and only use them when it gives them the most value.
GET UP AND GO
Bukovick’s vacations stretch both abroad and domestically, with one of her favorite international destinations being Iceland.
“I’ve been lucky to explore so many places that it’s hard to pick just one, but if I had to, it would be Iceland. That place truly lives up to the hype,” said the adventurer.
Some of her top memories in the Nordic island nation include chasing waterfalls and witnessing the Northern Lights.
“That was a moment I’ll never forget. I’m still in awe of it,” said Bukovick.
The globetrotter has also ventured to Paris, where she saw the Eiffel Tower after dreaming of doing so for 20 years, making the little girl in her happy, she said.
Vacation destinations
Stella Bukovick has traveled to a number of spots over the years, both in the US and abroad, such as:
- Thailand
- Paris
- England
- Ireland
- Aruba
- Quebec City
- Iceland
- Washington State
- Utah
- Florida
- Wisconsin
- Michigan
- Ohio
When Bukovick travels abroad, she likes to focus on discovering unique experiences while exploring, such as visiting the Krauma Spa instead of the crowded Blue Lagoon in Iceland and exploring the village of Doolin in Ireland.
Closer to home, the Chicago-based explorer enjoys going on curated Midwest getaways, taking trips to Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio, for example.
In the latter state, she especially enjoyed visiting Dublin, which she said “truly feels like the ‘Ireland of the Midwest,’ coming from someone who visited Ireland.”
Her travel adventures first kicked off with a trip to Seattle, with her passion for travel spiking during the pandemic.
“Now I use my PTO to discover must-see destinations and hidden gems. Whether it’s finding unique stays, exploring small towns, or embracing new cultures, every trip teaches me something new,” Bukovick wrote on her travel site.
STRETCH YOUR DOLLARS
For those looking to incorporate more travel into their lives like Bukovick, the first step is to create a budget for yourself, which can be empowering in that it offers you financial control.
Many avid vacationers open dedicated travel savings accounts or cut back on minor spending, such as their daily coffee run or eating out, which can free up $200 to $400 each month, Christian Petzold, travel and tourism expert at BCN Travel, previously told The U.S. Sun.
Once vacationers set a reasonable budget, they can optimize their savings with a few travel hacks.
For example, traveling during “shoulder seasons,” or the time between a destination’s peak and off-peak seasons, is a great way to reduce your spending.
More Travel Tips
Daniel Clarke, travel expert and director of the UK-based vacation home platform Parklink, shared a number of handy money-saving tips for avid travelers.
“Traveling frequently doesn’t have to cost the earth – especially if you are able to time trips during the low season, take advantage of public holidays to make the most of enforced time off, be savvy with your budget,” Clarke told The U.S. Sun.
He shared several tips to help make your money go further and allow you to travel more each year:
1. Always Pay in Local Currency
“This will help to save money when traveling, as it avoids hidden fees and poor exchange rates set by the ATM or retailer.”
2. Avoid Insurance Offered by Airlines
“Airlines will often try and sell you insurance when you are buying the tickets, and in most cases, this won’t be the best value option. Travelers can be prompted to add it on to their purchase. The better option is to shop around and find an insurance cover that will likely protect against more eventualities for a lower price.”
3. Eat a Good Breakfast
“To save money on dining, always invest in a good breakfast! Whether it’s included in the hotel, visiting a local café, or buying food to prepare, by ensuring you have a hearty breakfast, it will keep you going longer in the day and reduce the need to pay for an expensive lunch.”
4. Take an Extreme Day Trip
“A growing trend is to travel for 24 hours or so. Catch a late-night, short-haul flight and spend one full day in a new destination before returning home. Or even travel early in the morning, stay one night, and then return the following day. Just a short trip can be enough of a dose of adventure that you need, until the next one!”
Visiting Europe in late September instead of July or August can save you 30% to 50% on airfare and a ton of money on hotel expenses, said Petzold.
Being flexible with your travel destinations is also a great way to slash your vacation spending, as is packing light to avoid baggage fees and resisting the bundles, offers, and scaremongering tactics used by airlines.
The U.S. Sun previously spoke with a 25-year-old who spends more than half his income on vacations – he even traveled to 11 countries in a year.
We also spoke with a family living a “nomadic life” in their car and traveling Asia – four apples were $25 but their “expat” tip saved them so much money.
The travel writer makes roughly $54,000 per year and spends on average $1,300 per trip[/caption]
Bukovick takes advantage of credit card points to help her afford vacationing so frequently[/caption]
Bukovick’s favorite travel destination thus far has been Iceland, where she saw the Northern Lights[/caption]
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