Do you also have a fervent case of FOMO when you scroll through your social media feed? It’s like everyone else is enjoying their life while we hammer away at our laptops every single day. And it gets unbearable when people go live showing the amazing places they are visiting and we are just commuting to work and back.

If you also want to travel and explore the big wide world, you really don’t have to quit your jobs and become a travel blogger (you must have thought about it at some point). A regular 10 to 7 job gives you enough weekends, holidays and leaves to discover new places. The trick is just being smart about how you are planning to travel. And this blog is dedicated to helping you give realistic notes on how to travel without quitting your job.

1. Be Smart About Your Long Weekends and Other Holidays

#1 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job

#1 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job | (Img source)

Every year has 52 weeks which means 52 weekends and if you double up this number (because weekends are 2 days) you get 104 days worth of travel. While logically and practically travelling on every weekend might not be possible, even if you travel for half of these weekends, you still get 26 weekends to travel. And that is a lot!!

Add the public holidays and your paid leaves to this and you can easily conjure up enough time to take international trips or backpack through North East India (it has been on my bucket list for a long time).

If this is not motivational enough, there are plenty of travel bloggers who haven’t quit their jobs to maintain their social media feed. If they can travel on weekends, blog about it and work 9 hours, you can surely summon some strategies and planning to discover beautiful offbeat destinations.

2. Set Your Priorities Straight

#2 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job

#2 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job | (Img source)

While there are some people who have a serious case of wanderlust, others are just pretending they like to travel. So the first step to travelling without quitting your job is to decide whether you really want to travel or not. After you have decided this, you need to zero down on the places where you can experience the things you really like doing. Be it a laid-back vacation in the mountains or paragliding and adventure camping, there is a lot of things one travels for.

Be firm with what tops your priority list and plan accordingly. After you have set your travel priorities in order, you won’t be tempted to blow up 500 bucks at Starbucks. Every little thing counts!

3. Book Your Travel Tickets and Hotel Stay in Advance to Lessen your Expenses

#3 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job

#3 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job | (Img source)

Often times, I have been guilty of not feeling like travelling when the time finally arrives to board the bus (flight or train). But, thanks to my friends, I have already made my booking and the option of not going is not even a consideration. And guess what, I have never regretted trips on which I wasn’t initially excited to go. Of course, the only reason why I wasn’t willing to board the bus is always my laziness.

This is why you should consider booking in advance for your trips. Not only it saves you a lot of money (flight tickets and hotels are cheaper when you book early!) but it also avoids your sluggishness being in the way of your next adventure.

4. Open a Travel Fund Account for those International Trips

#4 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job

#4 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job | (Img source)

Just like an RD or FD account, you can also open a travel fund account and save some part of your salary every month if you want to go on a long vacation or travel to an international destination. ICICI bank offers iWish account for the same. You can check with your bank whether they have any such options.

The idea behind saving some amount of your money is a sure shot way of travelling when the time arrives. This is perfect for those people who are perpetually broke and cancel last minute because of money. (Been there so I understand how it feels). 

5. Stop Taking Leaves Without Any Reason

#5 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job

#5 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job | (Img source)

At some point of time, everyone has called in sick just because they are not feeling like it. Or getting drunk on weekdays only to wake up with a throbbing headache and again calling in sick. Stop doing this if you want to travel because you can use that leave in the future to travel.

6. Work with Companies that offer the Opportunity to Travel

#6 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job

#6 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job | (Img source)

This is easily one of the best ways to travel while you work. You don’t have to rely on long weekends when your company sends you to beautiful locations for meeting, acquisitions or simply experiencing it. Several firms including FabHotels offer plenty of travelling opportunities. Some travel and tourism companies even offer room nights, free flight tickets or discounts to their employees.

Case in point is one of my friends who works in an aviation brand and gets enough discounts on his flight tickets. For me, that is enough motivation to work at a company.

7. Travel like a Denizen

#7 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job

#7 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job | (Img source)

When you are travelling while working, not making the most of your trip is the biggest mistake. Seriously, won’t it be a bummer if you couldn’t visit some hideout spots that are peaceful and less noisy compared to the famous tourist attractions.

This is why gathering local knowledge is very important. For this, you can stay in hostels or homestays instead of big hotels. The benefit of a homestay is that you will be able to talk to the locals and also other travellers who will offer tidbits that you won’t find on any travel guide online. From book cafes in McLeodganj to mud house hostels in Jibhi, there are literally a lot of places that are not touched by tourists which make it all the more worth visiting.

8. Discover One Place Properly

#8 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job

#8 of 8 Tips to Travel Without Quitting Your Job | (Img source)

If you just have two to three days to travel, it is wiser to stay in one location and discover it properly instead of hopping from one place to another every single day. Even if the two places are just 6 hours apart. Remember, travelling doesn’t have to be a competition where you mark off as many places as you can on the map. It is all about knowing the place, indulging in the local flavors of the place and of course, making memories.

Apart from these things, you simply need to have a desire for travel. There are plenty of volunteer programs, events and festivals happening all around the world, and with referral programs, social media marketing (making live videos from the event itself) has sprouted enough opportunities for every individual to maintain their jobs along with their travelling goals.

You just have to decide the destination, day and plan in advance. Of course, impromptu plans made up at the last minute are also pretty amazing but the chances of those happening are limited to college students only. For working professionals, it is all about strategizing and planning. 

Travelling is not just a thing you do for leisure or business, it has become a passion for some and a way of life for others. If the wanderlust bug has bit you too, read this blog to get pointers on how to travel without quitting your job.