By the time he was 16, the blogger behind the Money Wizard ' who goes by the pen name Sean online ' had already started saving for retirement.More than 10 years later and the 27-year-old's net worth is $170,500 and counting. It's all part of a plan to retire by age 37, but he's not depriving himself to get there, he says.He's currently earning a salary of $80,000 as a financial analyst in Minneapolis and saving about 65% of his take-home pay to contribute to his 401(k), IRA, and index funds. Still, thanks to smart spending habits, Sean says he lives comfortably and travels at least once a month.In 2016, he took a dozen round-trip flights in the US, which included skiing in Lake Tahoe and Utah, a weekend trip to Cape Cod, and a summer national park trip out West.Below, the Money Wizard shares with Business Insider his best tips for saving money on travel.SEE ALSO:Thanks to a little-known airline hack, traveling around the world could be cheaper than you realizeSEE ALSO:The 8 best pieces of saving advice from real people who banked a fortune1. Fly on slower travel daysThere's a reason you've heard this advice ad infinitum: It's nearly foolproof."If possible, I arrange my vacations around the cheapest days of the week to flyTuesday through Thursday and Saturday," Sean said. "Choosing to fly on these slower travel days often saves up to 50% on tickets, compared to the usual Monday, Friday, Sunday travel times. Comparison websites like Google Flights are my favorite for quickly comparing the cost differences between travel days and airlines."2. Build travel into your budgetTravel is important to Sean, so he's cut down fixed expenses to make vacationing a part of his permanent budget. "Far and away the easiest way to budget for travel is to save money without trying," he said."Choosing an apartment with rent a couple hundred dollars cheaper is enough to fund a round trip plane ticket once a month. In 2016, the average car payment was $503 per monththat's nearly enough for a week of hotel stays."3. Skip the fancy hotelUnless you're going on a vacation strictly to experience an epic hotel or resort, Sean suggests sticking to value hotels, Airbnbs, hostels, and even places with shared bathrooms."A hotel is a place to sleep, and your vacation will be similar no matter how fancy the downstairs lobby. I've found the expensive hotels to be overrated, and their price tags can often fund another vacation entirely," he said.That said, if you're someone who enjoys a little more luxury in your accommodations, consider setting up a rewards account with a major hotel chain. If you travel frequently for work or don't mind spending more up front, you could rack up a few free nights a year in a more luxurious hotel,Sean said.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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