When I was growing up, I thought my teachers were rich because they got to travel. They would spend their summers going to national parks, the beach, or even to other countries. As a little girl whose family vacations usually looked like a day trip to Dollywood, their travels sparked some serious wanderlust in me. Don’t get me wrong– Dolly Parton is my hero and my parents made my childhood so magical, but the dreamer in me couldn’t wait to travel farther from home like my teachers one day!
And while my first teacher’s paycheck was more money than I had ever seen in my life, I soon realized that maybe my teachers weren’t as rich as I thought they were. Sure, my travel budget went from zero to some, but it wasn’t yet big enough to fund all my travel dreams. So, I got creative.
I have since been to 18 countries and 26 states (I track using the Been App) and feel beyond blessed to live out my childhood’s biggest wish. Am I lucky? Yes. Did I do some unconventional things to make it happen? Also yes.
Here are all the unhinged ways I’ve made more travel possible:
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Home Exchange for Teacher Travel
It feels like a lifetime ago, but when my husband and I were newly married teachers, we did The Holiday in real life (minus breakups, ha!). And also minus having a luxury LA house or a charming English cottage to swap. Despite living in a very normal house and neighborhood, we successfully completed three home exchanges and traveled for free to Little Switzerland, North Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, and Florence, Arizona.
Since lodging is often the biggest expense of travel, home exchanging can make travel a lot more affordable for those fearless enough to try it! You can read all about our experience here and why the platforms are especially great for teachers: Home Exchange for Teachers
Airbnb My House for Teacher Travel
I am forever grateful that we were gusty enough to try house swapping (and blessed enough to have a house) because that made us brave enough for my next wild idea–Airbnbing our home. In 2017, instead of letting the house exchange availability determine where we traveled, we decided to rent out primary residence and use that money to purchase accommodations in places all over the world.
For example, we rented out our house for months and traveled to England, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, Italy, and France. Our rental income covered our accommodation costs and made my European travel dreams a reality!
But I won’t pretend it’s all glamorous. The cleaning sprint before you leave for vacation is real. There’s a specific kind of chaos that comes with stripping beds, scrubbing bathrooms, and hauling yourself to the airport all in the same morning. But when you’re landing in London? It makes it all worth it.
If you are looking to offset the cost of travel, consider renting out your home! Use my referral link to sign up and feel free to DM me questions you may have about getting started! We’ve been hosts for almost 10 years now and can tell you the good, bad, and wonderful. 🙂
Deep Dive into Points for More Travel
If my 20s were for low-budget travel and my 30s were for mid-budget travel, then my 40s are for high-point travel. I have recently become OBSESSED with learning how to get the maximum value out of my credit card points. Seriously. I’ve taken free classes, I’ve signed up for deal apps (this one is my favorite), and I’ve researched more than I did for my thesis, ha!
And I’m happy to report that it’s all going to pay off when I’m in a lie-flat seat to Greece next May.
If you are like me and thought travel points were only for the corporate type and not for regular people like teachers, then think again! Once I started treating my everyday spending — groceries, gas, school supplies — as points-earning opportunities, everything changed!
The key is using your card like a debit card: spend only what you’d spend anyway, pay it off every month, and let the points stack. I have used this card for YEARS and have gotten so many free flights. If you travel, it’s honestly a no-brainer because the perks far outweigh the annual fee (Don’t believe me? The leading points expert says so too).
I started out simple by erasing travel purchases directly in the portal, which is honestly a great entry point if you’re new to this. As mentioned, I’ve gotten SO MANY free flights like this! But now I’m leveling up my strategy so that I can be horizontal on my next flight to Europe. Since biz class seats cost thousands of dollars, I truly never imagined I’d be in one. But thanks to points, it’s a possibility now!
And when you compare the effort level to the other things I’ve done to travel more, racking up points is the easiest by far. So, are you ready to (responsibly) start turning your everyday purchases into travel? Here’s my referral link to the card I’ve used for years!
I am so grateful for my teachers who showed me that travel was possible while cultivating my resourcefulness to make it happen. Whether you start with a home exchange, dip your toes into hosting, or just sign up for the right credit card, you are taking action on your travel dreams.
Happy Teacher Travels,
Ashley
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