✨ 3 Things We Stopped Buying to Afford Travel (and How Moving Abroad Changed Everything)
My $3 vanilla latte in Argentina 🤍
When we first started dreaming about long-term travel, we thought we’d have to give up everything. But really, it came down to cutting a few habits draining our wallets in the U.S. Once we prioritized saving — and finally made the leap abroad — those “sacrifices” turned into everyday luxuries again. Here’s how.
1. Daily Coffee Runs ☕
Before: In the U.S., our $7 coffee habit added up to hundreds a month. Pre-COVID, we both worked from home, and cafés became our escape from stir-crazy days. It turned into a daily ritual. But after some serious post-pandemic talks, we decided to save hard, cut expenses to the bone, and make moving abroad possible. Coffee runs were the first to go.
Now: In Argentina, café culture is thriving — and affordable. For the price of one latte back home, we can enjoy coffee out nearly every day.
💡 Lesson: Sometimes it’s not about giving things up forever — it’s about changing where you live and spend.
2. Takeout & Delivery 🍕
PedidosYa app offering a 40% discount
Before: In the U.S., delivery fees and tips made takeout feel like a rare splurge. Honestly, I’d only ordered delivery once in my life — and only justified it for a party.
Now: With apps like PedidosYa in Latin America, takeout is cheap and easy. Delivery is often free, and restaurants frequently run great promotions. Dinner at our door here can cost less than fast food back home.
💡 Lesson: When your cost of living drops, convenience doesn’t feel like a splurge anymore.
3. Impulse Shopping 👗
Before: Fast fashion “bargains” and impulse buys were fun in the moment, but they quietly ate into our savings. We cut them out completely while prepping to move.
Now: Abroad, we shop with intention. Clothes are just one more thing to pack, and we’d rather spend on experiences — markets, cafés, and trips — instead of closet clutter.
💡 Lesson: Spending shifts naturally when your priorities do.
✅ Final Thoughts
Cutting back on coffee, takeout, and shopping didn’t feel glamorous at first — but it gave us the savings to make a bigger change: moving abroad. And once we did, the very things we cut out became affordable again.
That’s the power of Travel far. Spend smart. It’s not about skipping little luxuries — it’s about changing your environment so you can have both adventure and a better cost of living.
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t cutting back — it’s making the leap. 🌍✈️💸
