Abundant Travel Tips: Travel Myths and Lobster Boat in Maine

The Abundant Traveler, YouTube influencer, travel vlog, laid back luxury travel, female travel blogs, luxury travel website, luxury experiential travel, top travel influencers, video influencers, travel influencer, luxury travel expert, luxury travel blog, women travel guide, travel essentials for women, YouTube travel influencers

Expelling Myths! So not true 🙂

Friends and acquaintances continually ask me,  “Aren’t you scared to travel alone?  Isn’t it dangerous?”  And, “How do you afford to travel?  I can’t afford to do what you do.”  Or, “doesn’t travel hacking credit cards effect your credit score.  That’s so bad for my credit, I’d never do thaaaaaat…..”  Well, I think this is all a bunch of malarky.  This week I share a funny story about being robbed, my thoughts on credit card hacking and how I save for travel.

Please spread the word

Please share this email with friends and family who love to travel.  Ask them to Join the Travel Tribe.  I love sharing these weekly tips, and I’d be so grateful if you’d spread the word!

Myth: Travel is dangerous - Robbed in Pamplona, Spain

In all my years of traveling, I’ve only been robbed twice.  I’ve lost a couple of things, but theft has really never been an issue. Yes, I am very aware of my surroundings, but the world is generally a safe place, and I’ve had more issues in the US than in the 55 countries that I’ve visited.  So here’s a funny story about being robbed. I was 22, at The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain.  I was invincible and broke, and since there were no hotel rooms available, I decided to sleep in the park with the thousands of other tourists.  I was traveling light, and I only had my camera and undies with me (I’d left most of my luggage in Barcelona).  As I slept, someone stole my chacos sandals off my feet, and left me a pair of ratty sneakers.  Can you imagine waking up without your shoes, having no idea what or when the robbery happened? I was freaked out, but at least the robber was thoughtful enough to offer me a “trade in”.  Today, this is a great travel story and all part of the adventure.  PS. No, I don’t sleep in parks anymore!

Myth: Credit Cards hacking ruins my credit

Abundant Travel Tips, Travel Credit Cards

Does credit card hacking hurt your credit?  Did you know, The Points Guy has a credit score over 800?  I’m a huge credit card travel hacker, and I love this game!  I currently have more than 15 credit cards, and a credit score of 790.  Why do I love credit card hacking? 

  In August, I’m flying to Nice, France, Biz class, for free.  Staying 3 nights in Nice for free, 2 nights in Cannes for free, 2 nights in Monte Carlo for free and 3 nights in Cap d’Antibes for free.  My trip to Spain in May also had 3 hotel nights for free.  Personally, this hacking hasn’t effected my credit, but I pay off every credit card, every single month, without fail. I also keep records of when I received these credit cards, and make sure that I keep track of due dates, and renewal dates. My personal belief is that my revolving credit limit is growing over time with more credit cards.  This means I have access to more revolving credit, but since I pay off my cards every month, my DTI (debt to income) percentages gets smaller and smaller.  Here’s a recent article.

Myth: I cannot afford to travel

Do you think it costs too much to travel?  Do you believe that you’ll never be able to afford that once in a lifetime trip? In my 20s, I traveled 4 months a year with a $1500/month budget.  Yes, that’s an average of $50/day.  Today, I’m not as frugal, but my belief system still says I can afford any trip I want to take.  Here are 4 tips to help shift “I can’t” to “I can”. 

  1. Make travel a priority.  If you put travel at the forefront of your mind, you will make it happen. 
  2. Sign up for flight alerts.  Remember FareDrop and Scott’s Cheap Flights from a couple weeks ago?  It’s worth spending $35/year to save thousands.
  3. Have a Piggy Bank.  I have a travel piggy bank on my kitchen counter where I deposit at least $1 a day.  It reminds me to prioritize travel, and helps me know I’m working towards my goal every single day.
  4. Sign up for hotel deals. I love agoda, and they have great daily deals to inspire your travel bug. 

All in all, being able to afford to travel is just a mind shift.  It’s a big world out there, and yes, you can afford to go on that incredible adventure.

Croatia Travel Guide, Croatia Travel Tips, Croatian Currency, Croatian Kuna

This week’s YouTube video: Lobster Catching in Maine

The new video this week shares a fun adventure lobster catching with Lucky Catch Cruises in Portland, Maine.  Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means that, at no extra cost to you, The Abundant Traveler may earn a small commission. Using these links is a huge way to support me, and these will help keep the blog running and free for everyone to enjoy.

All my reviews and opinions are based on my own experience, which may not be the same for everyone. If you choose to use them, then thank you for your support.

Advertiser Disclosure: The Abundant Traveler is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as DailyDrop.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.