By: Grace Gavilanes
Most people make fitness a priority in the new year. Others are set on experiencing new cultures and upping their travel game come January 1st.
As intimidating as "travel more" may seem on your list of New Year’s resolutions, traveling the world is not an unattainable goal, according to Traveling Fig blogger Chelsea Gilson. But there are a few tips to keep in mind.
“First things first, find yourself a great travel rewards credit card to use on all your shopping trips, so you can rack up those flight miles and hotel rewards,” Gilson, who’s an L.A.-based actress, yoga instructor and seasoned world-traveler, tells Lively.
There are credit cards that are best reserved for people who travel often (read: once a month) and others for the sometimes-traveler. Do your research first before committing to a particular type of card since a lot of them vary in annual fees.
RELATED: How Travel Changed Chelsea Gilson's Life
Saving Up for Travel
In terms of finding the best deals on flights, Gilson recommends prospective travelers practice being creative.
“I just recently wrote a post on how to work the Google flights search engine in your favor, but the Cliff Notes version is to treat the search like a science project where you manipulate one variable at a time until you get the results you want,” adds Gilson. “It is also a good idea to set up a flight price tracker if you have a particular destination you're lusting over. That way you can learn the flight costs patterns and make the most informed decision when it comes time to book.”
Gilson’s most important piece of advice? Fight to make travel a priority. “Save for travel by skipping your store-bought morning latte, cooking dinner instead of dining out, editing down your online purchases and finding solace in the quote, ‘Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.’”