You might not like what I’m about to say. There is no secret formula to moving abroad, traveling, and having money at the same time. Eventually, your bank account will run out and all of your purchases will have to be paid off.

Let’s face it, you need money. To have money, you need to plan ahead. It’s either you save, take out loans, borrow from your parents or find a job once you reach your destination (if possible). To save you time, I found some links that could help you prioritize.

1.) Saving. I suggest setting aside a certain amount of money as a “buffer” before you go. The amount is up to you. Examine your monthly bills and see what you can cut out. I was a big fan of food (I loved my In-N-Out burgers w/ fries), so I started limiting going out to eat at restaurants. I started making food exclusively at home in the last few months before I left. This definitely saved me $100-200.

• http://www.mydomaine.com/how-to-save-money-for-vacation?search=How%20to%20Finally%20Save%20Up%20for%20Your%20Dream%20Vacation
• http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20130213-navigating-the-minefield-of-travel-love-and-money?ocid=twtvl

2.) Use a no foreign transaction credit card:

• http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-paying-bank-fees-traveling/
• http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/best-current-credit-card-offers/
• http://www.cardratings.com/best-credit-cards-with-no-foreign-transaction-fee.html
• From U.S.A, all you really need is Charles Swab.
  1. $25 for wire transfer fee vs. $45 from Wells Fargo.
  2. No foreign exchange transaction fee.
  3. No international ATM fee.
  4. Ability to use your credit card at any banks.
  5. No fee to open or maintain an account.

3.) Scholarships: This never worked for me but, it could for you.

• For Scotland http://www.scotland.org/study-in-scotland/scholarships/saltire-scholarships/
• http://www.esteri.it/mae/resource/doc/2015/04/bando_a.a._2015-2016_en.pdf
• http://www.esteri.it/mae/it/ministero/servizi/stranieri/opportunita/borsestudio_stranieri.html
• http://www.studiare-in-italia.it/studentistranieri/moduli/Form_A.pdf

4.) Cancel memberships and phone plans. Until you reach your destination, you can’t be sure what will work or not. Ask yourself, how often will you actually use some of these services? You may not need them anymore once you move into your new home. Because of this, I have canceled all of my memberships, including Spotify (gulped), my phone plans, etc. It wouldn’t be worth it to rack up miscellaneous fees anyway.

5.)Put an end to buying stuff.It wasn’t easy. Even though I like to shop (who doesn’t? ), I had to stay away from the mall or remove myself from purchasing anything unnecessary! Unless you have a job waiting for you at your destination or you are well-off, it’s a full-time commitment to save money and move abroad (then, this would not apply to you).

Hopefully, that helped. Cheers!

-ASA