- On today's show, we're going to talk about one of my many spiritual gifts: traveling. (upbeat techno music) All right. Today's episode, we're going to be talking
all about traveling. Yes. Guys, it's a huge
part of everyone's life. Whether you're going away
for a family reunion or a vacation— Maybe there's a wedding
that's three hours away. Maybe your sister's having a baby shower, but she lives across the country. Whatever's happening, it's
either planned or not planned. But traveling always seems
to be a part of your life, and it costs money—
sometimes, a lot of money. So, in this episode, I'm going to be giving you some great travel hacks that will save you some serious money. And I'm going to bring on a couple
who delayed a major vacation in their life while getting out of debt. Plus, I'm going to sit
down with a travel agent to tell us the biggest
mistakes people make when planning a trip. But I'm really, really
excited about this episode, because I, personally, love to travel. Whether it's for work or
for fun—for any reason. I love it, and I love staying in a hotel where you can just throw
your towel on the floor, but you come back and your room
is clean and the bed's made. I love it! But you have to be able to plan, because you do not want
to let your traveling or vacation ruin your
entire financial future. So, those of you that are still in debt, you have to be careful here. So, I'm going to quote
the old man, Dave Ramsey, when he says, "The best
vacations never follow you home." So, these are one of the things that you have to realize—
that you don't want this vacation following you home in bills. All I want following you home are the memories and the
pictures on your iPhone— not the credit card bills. I never want you to go
into debt for a vacation. I don't want you to go into
debt for anything—like, nothing! Well, except you can get
into debt for a mortgage— as long as it's a 15-year fixed rate and your payment is no more
than 25% of your take-home pay. But besides that, no other debt. No. And this is one area of
your life—traveling— that you have to plan and prepare for. Because 74% of people go into debt on a vacation. No bueno. Don't want that to be you. So, learning to travel and
be wise with your money is something that I am
really passionate about. Because I want you to have fun
and have a great vacation, but I want you to do it the right way. (soft piano music) For real, though. I love to travel. It's, like, a spiritual gift I have. I love it. I love to travel, and I
love to sleep-train babies. I'm really good at both of these things. Planning trips and
putting your kids to sleep and letting them sleep through the night. I'm gifted. I was thinking if this whole
thing hits the fan, you know? I got a pretty good little gig I could do. I could actually start a little business where people that have
newborn babies can come to me. I can plan a vacation for them to go away, and then, I'll sleep-train
their baby for a week. I mean, I just think it's fantastic. So, those are my strengths. I just need you to know that. But really, I love to plan vacations! It's so much fun. It's fun to travel, for me. I was even on a trip with
my family over Christmas. It's three people in my family. I'm not going to name names, but they said, at one point, "Gosh. Yeah, I'm so ready to get home and just get back to a schedule." I was like, "I'm sorry, what?" I could literally do this
for the rest of my life. I love it so, so much! And so, Winston and I, we have to prioritize this in our life, because I really do—I enjoy it. But we've realized we have
to have quality over quantity right now in our life,
because it's just nuts. You have two kids, we just can't get away for a week at a time
all the time, obviously. And so, Winston and I will take
these little two-night trips here and there if we kind of have that travel itch. And isn't that funny, especially those of you that are married— opposites attract? I love experiences. I will spend money all
day on a great experience, whether it's a great meal or, you know, even a vacation—whatever it is. I can spend money there, no problem. Poor Winston's like, "Oh,
my gosh. I can't believe we just spent all that money on something. We don't have anything tangible." But he will be okay spending money on a new laptop or something. But he's all about things, and
I'm all about experiences. So, again, I've learned
working together, though, is very, very important. And I've also learned—
with trips and vacations— that you cannot compare
your trip and your vacation to everyone else's. And
this can be really hard, because you look on Instagram— you see all the beautiful beaches and the mountains and all
the places people are going, but you have to put the blinders on and remember you cannot
compare your travel life to your friends or to other people. And I talk a lot about this in my book, "Love Your Life, Not Theirs." But that comparison—it'll
steal your joy in life. So, put the blinders on. Stay focused. So, as I continue on in my spiritual gift of traveling, I'm going to give you 10 travel hacks right now
that'll save you money. (upbeat techno music) All right, here are some travel hacks to get you the best deal
possible on your next trip. When it comes to booking
your flight, number one: Best to book on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These are, statistically,
the best days of the week to actually book your flights. So, if you don't like
the price this Tuesday, then just wait and come back next Tuesday and see if its dropped! The latest studies show that
a single flight's lowest fare changes, on average, 71 times by going up and down,
on average, $33 dollars every four and a half days. It's crazy! But what will make a big difference is when you book. You want to book your flights
at least 30 days in advance but no further out than three months. So, if you shop within the
three months to 30 days window, then you're going to get the best fares. Number two: Fly on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, and Saturdays. These are actually the
cheapest days to actually fly. So, if you can arrange
your trip or vacation days to accommodate this, then you're going to be
saving a lot of money. Number three: Avoid baggage fees. Yeah, don't forget. Many airlines, they
charge to check your bag. Like, $50 dollars up to $100. That's how much it could cost
you per trip, per person. It's nuts. So, make sure
to take that into account when you're planning and you're budgeting. Or just pack on a carry-on, like I do, for every trip. Here's a quote you can have: "A checked bag is a lost bag."
— Rachel Cruze You're welcome.
(chuckles) Number four: Always compare. That's right. Compare your airfare rates with other airlines. You can do this on Google
Flights, Hotwire, Priceline. Now, for Southwest, which I love, you do have to go
directly to their website to get the prices. So, that's how you get the best
deal on your airline ticket. But what about hotels? Well, number five: Book over the weekend. Now, I'm not talking about when you're actually going to stay. I'm talking about when you actually book— like, click the button
to make the reservation. Just by doing this on
Fridays or Saturdays, you can save money. Number six: Stay during the week. The cheapest day to check
in to a hotel is Sunday, and the most expensive
day to check in is Friday, which makes the most sense, because people arrive for a
weekend getaway. I understand. But if you can schedule your
trip to begin on a Sunday, you'll save money. Number seven: Airbnb. Yes, you can rent someone's whole house or even just one room. And many times, it's a whole lot cheaper than staying at a hotel. And you can even reach
out to the owner directly and make them another offer, and they can take it. Yep! Worst they could say is no. Ask for the deal! Number eight: Choose a destination where you have friends or family. So, this is great, because
you could spend nothing on your accommodations if you
stay with people you know. And remember: When
you're taking a vacation, you're making memories with your family. Your vacation does not
have to be very expensive or really extravagant. You're there for the moments
that don't cost anything. Remember that. Number nine: Check Groupon Getaways. So, this is a great option
for all-inclusive booking— is Groupon Getaways. Yeah, their trips are legit, and can save you hundreds of dollars. Number 10: Stay home. That's right—a stay-cation! You don't have to spend anything! You're not going to be paying
for travel or hotels— save you a lot of money. You know, if you have kids, maybe they go stay at Grandma's house or a family friend's house, and you can have a
stay-cation in your city. Go try a new restaurant.
Buy a nice bottle of wine. Stay home and save some money. Now, here is not a hack, but a lot of people believe it is a hack. Don't open up a credit card for the flight or hotel points, okay? I know it's tempting, and I know you think, "Oh! But
I will be saving so much money because I'm going to get
all these airline points and then my airline will be free. Listen, does that happen sometimes? Sure, that happens sometimes, but do people get screwed sometimes? Yeah, people get screwed sometimes. Yeah. Mmm hmm. One of my friends signed
up for a credit card. Yep, for the airline. Thought he was so smart. And he was like, "I'm
going to get all these points and my family will get to fly for free on our next vacation." What happens? Well, about nine months later, they looked to see their points, and they have a family of five, and it only bought them
two tickets one way! So, they couldn't fly because
they couldn't fly just one way and not leave the kids with
some stranger in a rental car. It wouldn't work! So, they ended up just
cutting up the credit card and getting rid of it. So, remember: Credit card
companies are very, very smart. That's why their buildings
are very big and beautiful and our houses are like
this compared to them. Why? Because they make a lot of money— if you're not careful—off of you. So, don't fall for it, you guys. The credit card will
always win in the end. Just stay away. Now, if you are planning a trip soon, be sure to download my free
vacation budget worksheet in the show notes. This is going to remind
you of all the expenses that a lot of people forget
about when planning a trip. All right. Coming up next—
I'm really excited about this— I'm talking to a couple,
Kelly and Brandon, who did something so weird but really amazing while getting out of debt. (upbeat music) Family is one of the most
important parts of my life, and making sure everyone is
taken care of is a top priority. That includes more than
just meal-planning, entertaining the kids, and taking care of all
the day-to-day needs. That's why I recommend
having life insurance. Now, when you're shopping for it, you might wonder, "Should
I get term life insurance or whole life insurance?" I always recommend term insurance. It's going to save you tons of money that you can put toward
paying off your debt and funding your emergency funds. For a 30-year-old male, a
20-year, $250,000 policy would cost just $15 dollars
a month for term life. However, the same policy for whole life would be $190 dollars per month. That is a huge difference! Winston and I use Zander Insurance. They do all the work for you by finding you the best prices and options customized to your needs. To learn more, call Zander
today or go to Zander.com, because that's who we trust
to take care of our family. (upbeat music) Well, thank you guys, so
much, for coming on the show. Seriously, I so appreciate it,
because I love your story. So, let's just drop the bomb now. What is the weird thing you guys did? - We did not go on a honeymoon yet.
- Yet! - How did I know she was going to say it? (laughing) Okay, you guys. That's a big deal, right? You are planning your wedding, and you're deciding to
forego the honeymoon. So, tell me about that.
- Yeah. - What caused you guys to do that? - Well, I was just so close
to paying off my debt that I just couldn't fathom getting into more debt
when I was so close to it. So, we just mutually decided
that we should just wait. - And were you good with that, Brandon? - Yeah! I mean, happy wife, happy life.
- Yeah, that's right! - Good answer. I didn't even have to
to tell him to say that! (laughing) - Okay. And you guys are
actually here in Nashville to do your debt-free scream. - Yes.
- We are. - Okay, so how much debt did you pay off? - $29,000. - $29,000. And that was
mostly all yours, right? What was it? What kind of debt was it? - It was my car and student loans. - Okay. So, Brandon, you had no debt.
- No debt. - No debt. Okay. So, tell me about that. What caused you to
live life without debt? - Well, I had a— the only thing I had was a car payment. So, I sold that and then
bought a cheap car for cash and pocketed the rest, and that was that. - Debt-free.
- Stayed debt-free since then. - Okay, so what caused you not to go out and get another car loan? - I didn't want a car payment. I didn't want to pay expensive insurance. - So smart. So smart. And we always tell people that when you're getting out of debt, you don't pay on each other's
debt while you're engaged. Once you get married,
- Correct. - all forward, right? Did you guys do that? - That's exactly what we did. - So, when you came together, you kind of got to catapult, I'm sure, getting two incomes to help.
- Exactly. - We got engaged, and then I
put my debt snowball on pause. And then, all that money that I
saved up and that he saved up while we were engaged, we
put that toward the wedding. And then— - Are ya'll doing an emergency fund? - Yes. So, we're on Baby Step 3 right now. - Okay, yes.
- And then, we should be done with that soon. - That's so great. And so, were you guys always on the same page
when it came to money and paying off debt and all the things? - Not always. I mean, I'm learning. I'm new to the whole budgeting
thing since we got married. - Yes, yes, for sure. How's that been? - It's been all right.
(laughing) - It's been a struggle. - Yeah? What's been the hardest part? - Really, it's just—honestly,
this sounds so terrible— but I don't like to compromise very much. So, that's been the hardest part for me is to come to a compromise. I'm just so used to
doing things my own way. - Totally! But the whole honeymoon idea— foregoing that—you guys
were both on board with? - Oh yeah.
- Yeah. - Okay. So, going back to the idea. So, you're not planning a honeymoon. That's a—I'm gonna say—
that's a weird thing. And I say that in a really great way, because we love weirdness around here. Because a very typical thing is like—oh, yeah. You're supposed to throw this wonderful, big wedding, and you go on a honeymoon right after. Like, that's a very
stereotypical thing to do. So, when you started telling people, "Yeah, we're not going on a honeymoon." What did your friends and family say? - I got a lot of strange looks. It was kind of funny. It was like they didn't know what to say or how to respond to me, which I didn't think it was that crazy to forego a honeymoon or
to postpone a honeymoon. But I did have a couple
people that were just a little astonished. My grandmother, especially,
which really surprised me. I thought she would be way on board. - What'd she say? - She just said, "You're
not going on a honeymoon? Why not?" (laughing) - Okay. I want to know, Brandon, did any of your friends or
family think you guys were crazy? - Not really. I mean, most of
my friends know she's smart and that I should just
do what she says, so— (laughing) - Well, thank you! - Married her for a reason. - My family, they're like, "Okay." - I don't know why people
think that they're obligated to go on a special trip just
because they get married. - [Rachel] Yes.
- I mean— - You just spent so much money. - Yes, especially when you just spent so much money on the wedding.
- Yep, yep. - You'd think it would be natural to postpone until a little later, but— - So good. You know, my
husband's grandfather told us— I will never forget this—
when we were engaged, he was like, "Guys, go on a really, really inexpensive honeymoon and save all that money for
your one-year anniversary, because life is just so much—" Because after the wedding,
you are kind of, like, you're just drained, you're exhausted, and that's when most people are like, "Oh! Get me on that great vacation." But just starting off life now, because you guys are going to save for a future honeymoon, right?
- Yeah, absolutely. - Yeah, what's the plan there? I want to know.
- Italy. - Italy?
- We want to go to Italy. - Go big or go home. Oh, my gosh, you guys.
- Well, yeah! - That's amazing! So, is that your next big goal now, since you're debt-free? - Yes. - That's awesome. Okay. So, when I heard this, honestly, the first thought was, "So, what did y'all do after the wedding?" Did you have any break between
wedding and real life? - We took a few days off
of work—a week or so. - Yeah, we both took a week off work. - [Rachel] Yes. - We just spent the first
night—our wedding night— in a hotel.
- Yeah. - And then, actually,
the rest of the week— we live in a small town
out in the country. - [Rachel] Yeah. - We actually just decided to get to know our town a little more. And every day, we went down
to downtown Taylorsville. - Yeah, that's so fun. Okay. So, now, months later, have you regretted your decision, or are you happy with it? - Oh, I'm so happy about it.
- I'm happy about it. - Man, y'all are confident and
good in your decision-making. I love it! But seriously, what it does is it totally gets you to your goal. Of being able to be
debt-free, put money away, and continue on life
without going backward. So, so great, you guys. That's awesome. What encouragement would you give people if they are getting married and they have debt— they're having to cash flow their wedding. What would you say? - I would just tell them to just do what you think is best in your heart. I think—just stay strong, even if people try to talk to you like you're crazy and this is ridiculous. Just do what's best for you, because at the end of the day, they're not going to pay for your honeymoon. So—
- Yeah. - So great, you guys. Well, thanks for coming on and
sharing your story, for real. It's always encouraging when
people step out of the norm of what this cookie-cutter life— You know, what everyone thinks
everything should be like, and you kind of just break it. You're like, "I'm gonna
do something different— what's best for us." I think that's such great advice. So, thank you guys,
seriously, for coming on. Guys, are you motivated
to do something different? I mean, for real. I'm like, man! They saved so much money just
by making this one decision, and guys, that can be you. All right, coming up next is
my friend, Rachel Lackey, who is actually a travel agent. And she's going to help
us avoid some mistakes that most people make when traveling. (upbeat techno music) Okay! So, this episode's all about travel, and we love some travel hacks around here. So, that's why you're here, Rachel. - Yes, thank you for having me. - No, thanks for being here. Okay. So, what are some of the
common mistakes people make when they travel? - I think the most common mistake that people make is simply
just not planning ahead. People think that they're
going to get a last-minute deal by waiting until the last minute. And that's just simply not true. The fact of the matter is really that there's more people
traveling now than ever. So, you kind of have to
be on top of your game to be able to get the
flights that you want. And then, if you wait until last minute, maybe your resort is sold out. So, you definitely do have to plan ahead, especially if you're traveling
during those high seasons. - Okay. So, intentionality is key. - Correct.
- It's what we always talk about, you guys, on the
show: including your travel. Because I do love travel,
and I do love to plan. So, the fact that you're a
travel agent, do you love it? How long have you been doing it? - Six years, and yes, I love it. It's not too shabby of a gig.
- Yes! - Because we get to go down
and check out the resorts firsthand and see what's
going on down there. - So fun. - That way, we can tell the clients where to go, where not to go. - Yep! Okay. So, any other tips, since this is, like—you're
an expert in all of this? Any tips for people traveling
on a really tight budget? - On a really tight budget. Well, we touched on plan ahead, but also— and this is something that a lot of people might not be able to control— but the time of year definitely influences the price.
- Oh, that's good. - So, if you're looking to travel spring break, summer, Christmas— basically, any time the
kids are out of school. - [Rachel] Yep. - It's going to be higher in price. So, if you can travel
on the shoulder season— meaning right before the
kids get out of school or maybe right after they go back, or maybe the week after Thanksgiving but not into Christmas.
- Okay. - You're definitely going to
see some major deals during those times.
- That's so good. - Actually, Winston and
I, we went to the beach. This was a few years ago. I think it was end of August, because most people in the south start school early August.
- Yep. - And Rachel, it was empty. Like, I could not believe it. And we sat. We were like, this is our thing. If we go on trips, we are going to go when every other kid is in school, because—
- It is so nice. - And we got an extra 30% off because our condo wasn't booked, and yeah— - Yeah, you can definitely find some deals when everybody's not there. - That's good. So, not
traveling during the high season. You get to avoid crowds,
you get better deals— all of the above, right? Okay. So, what's some other
mistakes people make? - So, one thing that would seem
completely obvious, I think— but to a lot of people, it creates stress starting off the vacation— is not putting enough time
in between your flights. So, if your connection time
- Oh, yeah. - is 45 minutes, and you're
in the Atlanta airport, and you have to go from a domestic gate to an international gate, you better be wearing your tennis shoes, because you're going to be running. - Home Alone-ing it.
- Home Alone style, yes. - So, just make sure when you're looking at those connections, make sure you have at least an hour—hour and 15 minutes is typically enough time. - And because flights—you
start boarding 30 minutes before departure.
- Correct. - So, if it's a 15-minute layover, you literally have 15 minutes to get there before they're trying to board. - And international travel, at
least two hours for customs. - Okay.
- Yeah. - And, being customs, I
know passports are a thing. We just went with my family to Mexico.
- Absolutely. - And my dad was on us. He was like, "Check your passports!" Because I didn't even realize they expire six months
before the expiration date? - So, yeah, a lot of
people don't know this, and I've heard some nightmare stories of people getting to the airport. Their passports aren't actually expired when they're boarding the plane, but they expire within six months of the day they're leaving. So, check your passports. Make sure that, when you
look at the passport date, it is actually six months from the date that you are leaving on that day. - That is so crazy. Oh, my gosh. Okay. So, any other
mistakes you can think of? - Another one I think that a lot of— I see a lot with clients—is trying to do too much too quickly.
- Oh, okay. - So, my advice is pick
your top three places you want to go, park it, immerse
yourself in the culture, and then, maybe take a few
day trips here and there. That's going to save you
time, traveling all day. It's also going to save you money. - Yes.
- So, yeah, definitely. - Try to slow down a little bit. As a society, we're all like, "Let's do it, let's see it all, let's get it all in." But enjoy yourself. - Okay. So, when would
you use a travel agent? When would you recommend people? - You would definitely use a travel agent when you're going international. So, if you're looking at a
trip, for example, to Europe. There's a lot of components that go in to making those reservations
in booking a trip like that. So, we would take you
from flight, transfers, hotels, tours, wrap it
up all in a package. It makes it easy so the
client knows exactly where they're going, what they're doing, who they're meeting,
where they're staying. - [Rachel] So good, yeah. - So much easier than trying
to piece it all together and figure it out on your own.
- Oh, by yourself, yes. - Okay. So, how much is an
up-charge for using an agent? Because that all sounds amazing. - For my company, we
don't charge anything. And about half of the
other agents out there also don't charge anything. - Nothing?
- Nothing. - That's amazing. - But I would say, make sure if you do use a travel advisor, ask them
upfront, "What are your fees?" Because they're going to tell you upfront if they charge something. We always say, "No charge." We're paid by our hoteliers,
our tour operators, our suppliers.
- Wow. - Our wholesalers.
- Oh, wow! That's so good. - Well, the first time I
ever experienced all of this was we went to Disney World. - The magical place on earth.
- It is magic! - I do not believe in people
who are like, "It's terrible." It is not. It's wonderful.
(laughing) But they have Disney travel agents, basically.
- They do. And I mentioned it, I
think, even on social media, and I had all these women be
like, "This is what I do." And that it cost me nothing. And this woman literally booked all of our restaurants.
- Yep. - Our hotel, all of it.
- Your fast passes? - Yes, everything!
- Everything's taken care of. - Okay. So, that is true
with the travel agent, even if you're going to
the Caribbean or Europe, because you're partnered up with— - With the tour operators,
with the suppliers, with the hoteliers. So, we have relationships with them. They are able to get the
prices at a discounted rate. - Yes, totally. Okay. So, when would you
not use a travel agent? - So, you probably wouldn't
want to use a travel agent when—if, say, you and your family are just looking to have a beach house down in Florida or wherever
your local beach is that you can drive to. You probably wouldn't
want to use a travel agent, because those are privately owned. - Right. Even VRBO, Airbnb.
- Airbnb. - Whatever. Yeah, okay.
- Exactly, yeah. - 100%.
- That's so good. - Rachel, so fun.
- So fun. - We should go on a trip. - Yes, we should! (laughing) - Thank you so much for coming on, Rachel. - Thank you so much for having me! - Such good tips. Such good information. - Thank you. (upbeat music) - Wasn't Rachel great? Her tips were just fantastic. And guys, don't make any
of those mistakes, okay? All right, it is time for
#sheworkshardsavingmoney. Jessica said that she's
saving for a vacation with, "a change jar with
your dad's face on it." That's pretty hysterical. "I don't use my change and save it all. So far, there's several
hundred dollars in it. Not enough to pay for a whole vacation, but it will help when the time comes." I love that. Karla said, "Last summer, we cash flowed our very first big family
vacation ever, and I mean ever. We went to Mexico for
two weeks!" Go girl! "We've been married for almost 12 years, and we just didn't have
the money to vacation. Since we got intentional with our money, now we're able to budget
for family trips." Oh. I love that, Karla. Shannon said, "My hubby
drives for Uber and Lyft in his spare time to pay
for his cruise addiction. He went on a 14-day cruise last September, and we're going on our 2nd
Alaskan cruise in August. All paid for with his
profits from Uber and Lyft." Guys, how fantastic is that? Seriously! I love that you guys are saving up and paying for those vacations with cash. Well, this was such a fun episode. So, if you want more information about anything we talked
about in this episode, you can find it in the show notes. Thank you guys so much for watching, and for Kelly and Brandon for coming in, and, of course, Rachel Lackey
for all her great travel tips. So, make sure you
subscribe to the podcast if you haven't already. And remember, as always,
take control of your money and create a life you love. (upbeat music)
