When you travel to exciting places so frequently for your job, it can start to feel like a vacation. This can often lead to overspending, as many people become more willing to spend their money when on vacations or just when traveling in general. Because of this, we have some useful tips to help you budget appropriately while on your travel nurse assignments.
By setting attainable goals, this can help you stay more in control of your finances. After earning each paycheck, it’s wise to have a set percentage that you consistently put in a savings account. It also wouldn’t hurt to keep track of what you’re spending your money on. Once you figure out what you spend most of your money on, you can decide how much you want to spend each month. For instance, you might dedicate $250 to food, $150 to entertainment, and so on. By doing this, you’ll be able to stay on top of your budget in a much simpler way.
Next time you get coupons in the mail, don’t toss them, use them! You can save a decent bit of money each month if you take advantage of the many coupons you can find. The Groupon app is also great for people who love to save coupons. With Groupon, you can find hundreds of coupons for restaurants, events, classes, and so much more! While you’re in the app store, take a look at other useful budgeting apps, such as PocketGuard or Monarch.
Don’t travel somewhere overly expensive like Naples, Florida or the Hamptons if you know you it probably won’t work with your budget. This isn’t to say that you can’t still go to scenic locations with lots of things to do. Just try to stay within your price range by looking up locations and the average cost of traveling there beforehand.
We know – eating out when traveling is a must. However, if you simply limit going out to eat to about two meals a week, you’ll still be able to try the local cuisine while staying on budget. Meal prepping is a great way to save money. Choose a meal that you enjoy, make prep day enjoyable with your favorite album or podcast, and voila! You’re easily saving money! Another way to minimize unnecessary spending is by making your own coffee. Your favorite Starbucks order may be calling your name, but try not to answer it.
Depending on the staffing agency you work with, you probably have benefits that you should be utilizing. For instance, if your company offers a stipend, take advantage of it! At Favorite Healthcare Staffing, we offer a variety of benefits, such as continuing education programs, 401k plans, health insurance plans, and much more!.
Since you’ll probably be working a lot and sightseeing, try not to spend a crazy amount of money on where you stay. There are actually many affordable options in safe areas that you can find on apps and websites like Vrbo or Airbnb. Depending on how long you plan to stay, you could also stay in a hotel if that’s more your speed. Either way, there are a lot of options to consider when looking at housing for your next travel nurse destination.
One of the perks to being a travel nurse is that you get discounts! Do your research and ask around to find them so you can save money wherever possible. Nurses in general get a few discounts here and there too, so be sure to use them as frequently as you can.
If you didn’t bring your car with you on your travel nurse assignment, then consider biking, walking, or taking the bus to your shift. Granted, this all depends on how far the healthcare facility is from where you’re staying at and how safe the area is. If it’s close and safe enough, then why not use a cheaper alternative to driving or having to rent a car?
As previously mentioned, it can be easy to spend your money when you travel. By choosing only one thing to splurge on for your travel nurse assignment, this will help you stay in control of your spending. Whether that be on a few nice meals, a well-deserved shopping trip, or a concert, you’ll be able to partake in a fun activity while also staying within your budget.
We know it can be easy to get carried away when spending your money on your travels. You can still have the adventure of a lifetime without having to make it too costly. We hope these tips help all travel nurses who are headed off to their next assignment soon. If you’re looking to book your next travel nurse assignment, search our open jobs today!