How Money Mindfulness Can Help You Travel More Next Year – Episode 149

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

The other day I was asked what’s the most important thing that fuels my ability to travel. I gave it some thought and one word came to mind. If you would have asked me this same question a couple of years ago, my answer would have been completely different. Yet, today I’m confident that this one thing unlocks the ability to travel more. That thing is…mindfulness… money mindfulness.

In addition to sharing the benefits of embracing money mindfulness in our everyday lives, keep reading because in this article I share practical ways we can be more mindful with our finances as travel enthusiasts.

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In this episode we cover:

[3:10] What is money mindfulness?

[4:10] Mindfulness and money benefits

[6:15] Practical ways financially savvy travelers can be more mindful.

[10:18] General ways to incorporate in our everyday lives

How Money Mindfulness Can Transform Your Travel Experiences

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What is money mindfulness?

Money mindfulness is defined as being fully present in your financial choices and aware of your thoughts, attitudes, and emotions around money.  

Mindfulness will prompt you to pause, reflect, and consider making decisions aligned with your values and goals. Some of the words that may come to mind when you think of mindfulness include: 

• Self-awareness
• Intentionality 
• Mindful spending
• Mindful planning
• Engaged 
• Attentive

Mindfulness is contrasted with living on autopilot, being absent minded, and reckless with finances.

Why money mindfulness is important for travelers

Money mindfulness enables us to make conscious and informed decisions about our finances. By being fully present and aware, we reduce financial stress and uncertainty, and feel empowered and hopeful about our financial situations.

One of the benefits of money mindfulness is improved decision-making. By being mindful, we can make better choices about our spending, saving, and investing. This is crucial for travelers, as it allows us to prioritize saving for travel and expenses that aligns with our travel goals.

Mindfulness can help travelers make conscious decisions about where they want to spend their money, whether it’s on accommodations, transportation, or experiences, ensuring they are getting the most value out of their travel budget.

Another benefit of money mindfulness is the ability to reduce and even avoid debt. By being fully present and aware of your financial choices, avoid overspending or taking on unnecessary debt. Therefore, practicing money mindfulness is essential for travelers who want to make the most of their travel experiences while maintaining financial stability.

Practical ways travelers can practice being more financially aware

Being financially mindful involves understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to money management and taking intentional actions to address those weaknesses. Furthermore, commit to learning more about areas where you lack knowledge, understanding or know-how.

Another aspect of financial mindfulness is acknowledging and understanding one’s travel style.

Every traveler has a unique travel style that reflects their interests and values. By defining your travel style, align your spending with what brings you joy and intentionally reduce expenses that do not align with your values.

This not only helps with making better financial decisions but also leads to more fulfilling trips and vacations.

Listen to this podcast episode to learn how to define your travel style.

Financially preparing for a trip is another mindful practice for savvy travelers. This includes creating a pre-trip financial checklist, setting a travel budget, and tracking expenses to ensure they stay within their means. By practicing discipline and being mindful of their spending, travelers can avoid financial stress and anxiety, and enjoy their trips without worrying about overspending.

Starting a travel fund is a mindful practice that can transform one’s ability to save for travel. By saving a little each month, accumulate funds to afford epic vacations. This practice requires discipline to prioritize saving for travel over other expenses.

In addition to these specific practices, general mindfulness in everyday financial activities is important too. Checking bank account balances daily and being aware of one’s emotions while doing so can provide valuable insights into your financial well-being.

Setting a weekly money date to review finances, paying bills, and planning ahead is another way to be mindful of one’s financial situation.

Financial journaling can also be empowering, as it allows time and space for reflection and setting goals for improvement.

“Being cognizant and aware of how you feel can really help you to tap into that next level of fulfillment.”

Danielle Desir Corbett, host of The Thought Card Podcast

Expressing gratitude is another aspect of mindfulness that can improve financial decision-making. By being grateful for your current financial situation and acknowledging achievements and progress over time, develop a positive mindset and outlook towards money.

While sometimes difficult, I am grateful for the lessons I have learned as a new mom and entrepreneur, and how these lessons will help me reach new levels of financial success.

Lastly, money mindfulness is a journey that we should not beat ourselves up over.

Financial success and fulfillment can be transformative, but unexpected events or circumstances may require us to learn new lessons and adapt our financial strategies. This mindset of continuous learning and growth is essential. I cannot stress this enough.

“And sometimes when you feel like you’ve arrived, and you’ve unlocked a new level of success and financial fulfillment, something may happen which transforms your whole life and you have new lessons to learn as a result.”

Danielle Desir Corbett, Host of The Thought Card Podcast

Here are ways financially savvy travelers can be more mindful: 

• Knowing financial strengths and weaknesses
• Defining travel styles
• Financially preparing for trips
• Starting a travel fund

More generally, mindful money practices can also look like: 

• Checking bank account balances daily and acknowledging how you feel
• Setting a weekly money date
• Financial journaling
• Committing to learning
• Reducing wasteful or impulse expenses 
• Preparing for the future with an emergency fund
• Having honest conversations about money
• Turning money mistakes into lessons
• Expressing gratitude.

Listen to this podcast episode on Spotify.

What’s one area you can be more mindful with your finances? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

My book, ‘We Are Financially Savvy Travelers,’ there’s an entire section dedicated to mindful spending. I break down questions to ask to be more intentional with your travel savings and spending. Available where books are sold, get it now on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and more platforms.

Other powerful money books worth checking out include: We Should All Be Millionaires, Our Money Stories, and You Are a Badass At Making Money.

Read Next: What People Get Wrong About Financially Savvy Travel

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Financial Literacy Basics – Episode 113

10 Ways To Travel Without Getting Into Debt – Episode 143

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