Hey Worldly Wanderer,

I hope you’ve had a great week!

Our travel plans are coming along nicely. Flights are booked to head back to the UK on 18th June and then we’ll come back to Phuket for a week in October via visiting some friends in France, before jetting off to Australia at the beginning of November.

It’s all go!

I’m not sure I’ve ever told the story of how we ended up living in Phuket, but the crux of it was because we’d bought into a vacation club and could get such great rates at a Marriott Hotel in Mai Khao at the top of the Island.

There’s a lot more to it than that, but that was a major influence. Back then though we’d never heard the term ‘travel hacking’, we just thought we were super clever! 😆 

Turns out we could have been a lot cleverer (more clever?) over all these years and so I’ve started investigating the world of travel hacking, which is the theme of todays newsletter.

Here’s what I have for you;

1. Travel Trivia

2. 10 Top Tips for Travel Hacking

3. The Working Traveller Brand Update

4. How to Quit Your Job & Travel the World (and more)

5. Meme/Message of the Week

Travel Trivia!

Where in the world can you find a lake that possesses the unique ability to petrify objects left on its shores, transforming them into stone-like figures?

(answer at the bottom of the newsletter)

Mini Mastery -10 Top Tips for Travel Hacking (for beginners)

Let’s talk about travel hacking, aka, making travel cheaper. After all nomadic travel is not just about making money, it’s about saving it also! 😊

Travel hacking is not easy. When I chatted to my husband about it recently his first reaction was ‘that’s a full time job!’.

That might be true but you can also save an awful lot of money, particularly if you’re going to be frequent or perpetual travellers like us.

Little did I know that my husband & I actually made the biggest travel hack of our lives 15 years ago, which has undoubtedly saved us tens of thousands of dollars over the years (I’ll talk more about that shortly), but other than that we’re beginners to travel hacking.

So to start educating myself on how the whole system works, I wrote a pretty extensive post with 10 tops tips for travel hacking. The link is below, but if you’re a beginner to this game, here’s an overview of what you need to know;

1. Start With the Right Credit Card: Travel hacking begins by signing up for credit cards that reward you with sign-up bonuses and points for your spending. Most travel hacking sites only talk about US credit cards, but there are a lot of different options in a variety of countries these days so do your due diligence. Opt for cards offering substantial sign-up bonuses, high rewards on frequent spending categories, and benefits like no foreign transaction fees. Crucially, maintain a balance you can clear monthly to avoid interest and protect your credit score.

2. Join & Maximize Airline Loyalty Programs: Airline loyalty programs reward your fidelity with points or miles that can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and more. There are three main airline alliances: Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and Oneworld. These allow you to expand your earning and redemption possibilities across numerous airlines. However, the trick is to dedicate to one alliance to gather points more efficiently and also to work towards elite status to unlock extra benefits.

3. Optimize Points and Miles: Beyond just collecting points and miles, savvy optimization ensures you get the most out of them. Use your rewards credit card for everyday purchases to accumulate points faster, and take advantage of shopping portals and dining programs linked to loyalty schemes for additional earnings. Stay alert to special promotions that can boost your points balance and strategise redemptions for optimal value.

4. Use Shopping Portals and Dining Programs: Amplify your rewards accumulation through airline and hotel shopping portals and dining programs, which offer points or miles for purchases and dining out you'd make anyway. This approach can significantly increase your rewards with minimal additional effort.

5. Secure Travel Rewards and Perks: Key travel rewards and perks, such as airport lounge access and travel insurance, often come with specific credit cards, so prioritize those that offer perks most relevant to your travel style.

6. Strategically Book for Lower Costs: Intelligent booking involves timing and resourcefulness to secure lower travel costs. Keep an eye on fare trends and hotel rates, use price alerts, and embrace off-peak travel to unlock savings. Flexibility and the use of fare prediction tools can lead to significant discounts.

7. Leverage Hotel Hacks: Sign up to hotel loyalty programs for the opportunity to earn points towards free nights and upgrades. For deeper savings, explore vacation ownership options. 15 years ago my husband & I bought into the Marriott Vacation Club program at a steeply discounted rate, mainly because we wanted access to the associated deals program that came with membership. It’s saved us thousands over the years and will continue to do so. Plus we have an asset to sell or pass on to our daughter. (More details in the blog post).

8. Minimize Travel Expenses: Watch your spending, create and stick to budgets, and sidestep hidden fees! As an example utilizing cards that offer no foreign transaction fees will save you a pretty penny. Also packing efficiently means avoiding luggage fees, and choosing local dining over tourist spots can lead to significant savings.

9. Explore Transportation Options: For cost-effective and unique travel experiences, consider campervan and cruise relocations, which offer dramatically reduced rates if you’re willing to relocate vehicles to their needed destinations or jump on ships heading back to port. Flexibility and a sense of adventure are key to taking advantage of these deals.

10. Use Travel Tools and Resources: Empower your travel hacking with tools and apps designed to streamline planning and enhance savings. From reward program managers like AwardWallet to booking tools like Google Flights and accommodation finders like Booking.com, these resources can simplify the complexity of travel hacking, ensuring you get the best value from your travels.

Read the full post here;

I look forward to sharing more tips and tricks with you as we embark on our travels full time. 😊

The Working Traveller Brand Update

To date, 100% of subscribers who have completed the survey have indicated that they want to hear about ideas and information related to building a remote business/side hustle online.

And while I will write blog posts and include some great tips in the Mini Mastery & blog sections, there’s no better way than to share my own ‘real time’ experiences.

So here’s an update with what I’m doing with my own brand!

Since my recent Etsy debacle, I have decided I am going to go straight to opening my own store which I’ll run in conjunction with selling on Amazon.

I’m so excited to launch my own line of travel products and look forward to sharing the process of how I get up and running in future newsletters.

Right now, with the upcoming pending travel plans, my focus is on growing the website and this newsletter, so it will be a bit later in the year.

But here’s what I’m focused on right now;

1. Writing and publishing blog posts. My goal is to get to 50k hits a month by the end of this year, via SEO, social media and direct traffic. I’ll monetize primarily via display ads and affiliate offers, but I’m also hoping to get some micro courses off the ground this year to pay for ads (see below).

2. Growing my newsletter subscribers. My goal is to get to 25k subscribers by the end of this year. The only way to achieve those numbers is via paid ads and so that’s why I’ll launch some micro courses. If a certain % of subscribers purchase the mini courses, that should pay for the ads. (That’s the idea anyway).

3. Last year I recorded a new course called ‘The Solopreneur Success Formula’. It’s a rock solid course for anyone wanting to start and grow an online remote business that can be run from anywhere in the world. I haven’t promoted it to any great degree at this stage and it needs some finessing. So I hope to re-release it again before the end of April.

That’s it, that’s my focus right now.

I’ll add updates as and when I feel I have something super valuable to share. If in the meantime you have any specific questions, please use the button at the bottom of the newsletter and ask away!

How to Quit Your Job & Travel the World

(and more new posts from the blog this week)

Trivia Answer

If you said 'Tanzania,' you would be correct.

Lake Natron, nestled in the northern part of Tanzania, is no ordinary body of water. Its high alkaline environment, primarily due to sodium carbonate and other minerals from the surrounding hills, gives it a unique ability to petrify animals and objects that come into contact with its waters.

But it's not just its petrifying nature that makes it stand out; the lake is also home to one of the world's most serene yet eerie landscapes, with its red-colored waters (a result of microorganisms thriving in the salty environment) and the dramatic backdrop of the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano.

Surprisingly, this seemingly inhospitable lake supports a thriving ecosystem, including a significant population of flamingos that feed on the algae in its waters.

Meme/Message of the Week

That’s All Folks

That’s it from me this week. I hope it’s been useful!

In the meantime, make sure to come and connect on the FB Page, have a fabulous week, live your best life and as always get out there and make it happen!

Jo 😊 

P.S. Please help me to understand your goals and wishes better and ensure I’m creating content that supports your journey, by completing this 2 minute survey. You’ll also be entered to the monthly draw to win a $25 Amazon gift card! (You can also participate anonymously if you prefer)

Also if you have any specific questions that you’d like me to address in a blog post, podcast episode or mini mastery, please click here and ask your question! I look forward to hearing from you. 😁