Why you can't afford not to travel

What was once a simple post of a vista snapshot, overlaid with a stylized filter, and captioned #travelphotography, has given way to an industry of travel influencers who make their living selling global experiences via social media. Nothing wrong with that on its own; but the dark side of this social media craze is that it has distorted reality, teaching many that travel is a luxury that they are not invited to enjoy.

To set the record straight, Money Glow Up host Tiffany Aliche spoke with Nomadness Travel Tribe and Nomadness TV founder Evita Robinson to teach you how to travel affordably and safely when most people feel like they can't travel at all. “People are doing everything for the 'gram. They're doing everything for the picture. It's about getting the expensive dress and the expensive bag and standing in front of that, you know, landmark that everybody wants. And it's actually doing detriment to some of the local communities,” she explained.

But there's hope! Robinson offers travel tips for a range of needs and comfortabilities, such as group travel, deal-finding digital products, and thinking local for more affordable adventures. The reason she won't let anyone feel discouraged is because of how essential she believes travel to be in a person's life: "Travel has become a conduit for us getting to know ourselves. So self-care is a huge part of it...travel's like, intense character development." Watch this week's episode to tap into your travel future.

Together with Yahoo Finance, Tiffany Alice creates a space to share real and inspiring money stories, learn financial fundamentals, and build your future. Step into the classroom with Money Glow Up every Thursday at 12pm ET with Tiffany Aliche—aka The Budgetnista—to jump-start your financial journey.

Money Glow Up is created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.

Video Transcript

I'm back.

Hey, hey, hey, it's me, Tiffany.

The budget need to ali your favorite financial educator.

And this is Money Glow from Yahoo Finance where we help to debunk some of the misunderstanding that you might have about your money, honey.

OK. As your favorite financial educator, here's a thing.

I feel like it's my job, my duty if you will to help undo some of the money scripts and money stories that we tell ourselves about money, is it true?

Is it the only truth we have available?

We're going to ask ourselves that right?

And in this episode of Money Glow Up, we're going to talk about travel.

Is it truly the luxury that the girls on social media show us that it is.

I'm not sure question.

Can you afford to travel?

Many people think that travel is too expensive and they can't afford it.

But I'm not surprised that people think that for example, in 2023 research has shown that nearly $10 trillion was spent on travel and tourism as it relates to the United States.

GDP.

That's a lot of money T as in Tiffany trillion dollars, you know, so as a result of that.

People think that travel is luxury.

Is it luxury because of the cost?

Is it luxury?

Because you have to take time away from work?

Is it luxury?

Because social media has us feeling like it's just so unattainable.

These are questions that need answers also too.

I want you to ask yourself is travel even necessary.

Can you live a full and exciting life without travel?

I didn't really start traveling until my thirties, right?

Because in my twenties, I just felt like I really couldn't afford it.

And I was a preschool teacher and I just was like, where am I going to get the money?

And then once I started to and for it in my thirties, I realized it wasn't as expensive as I thought.

Well, I've got questions I need answer about travel and I know that you might have some questions too.

And so that's why we have a guest in our studio today.

Abita Robinson.

Abita is a writer.

She's a speaker and she's the founder of No Madness Travel Tribe and no Maness TV.

It is a travel group if you will, that she created to close the gap between travelers and color and being able to see the world.

And Avita has been at it for so many years and she's helped 30,000 travelers be able to get past the expense of travel.

And I'm going to invite her into the studio today so she can debunk, maybe some of the myths we have about getting on that plane or that ferry or that boat or in that car and seeing a little bit more of the beautiful world we have before us.

Let's welcome Avida to the studio.

Hey, Avida, that's a Christian.

Why do you think people think that they can't afford to travel?

It's not really true.

It's the psychology which I know you talk about this so much in all of your money workings.

You've got to break through the psychology first.

But I also think especially before the social media boom and everything that we've seen with travel, looking more accessible, people were fed this story that it was only for the elite, it was only in a luxury basis that people were able to go out into the world.

Meanwhile, you know, I started off as a backpacker.

So there were ways to definitely find your travel style to meet your travel budget, which I think is really the key here.

You can do anything.

You just got to be realistic with what your boundaries are.

You mentioned, social media.

And so do you think that it's actually helped or really distorted?

Our perception is travel?

Because I feel like when social media first came out, it was like, oh I remember thinking how the heck are people affording to get out here?

Yeah.

And this was before the term you got to understand.

I've been in this game for 13 years, the term travel influencer wasn't even around when I started.

So this is a whole new, like, you know, economic opportunity and job for people at this point in time.

But it's interesting because now I feel like I'm a vent a little bit.

There is the space, the role that social media, there's a duality to it, right?

It is beneficial because it allows especially a BPO traveler, somebody of color who back in the day was like, oh, I can't do this.

This isn't for me.

Um It allowed us to see ourselves out in the world and be able to create opportunities with places like no madness to be able to broadcast and be like, look, y'all can do this too and it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg.

But I think on the other side of it, there's kind of a bastardization that I think social media has also done where a lot of it started off very genuine and very community based where now people are doing everything for the gram, they're doing everything for the picture.

It's about getting the expensive dress and the expensive bag and standing in front of that, you know, landmark that everybody wants.

And it's actually doing detriment to some of the local communities depending on where you are.

So as somebody who's an authority in the travel space, I have issue and I see both sides of it.

But to your point, it's very much a duality.

Yeah.

So, do you think that's a myth if you travel, you must be rich.

So, there is a study that showed that 44% of Americans said that they would take a summer holiday, but they just don't have the money.

It's just too expensive.

I think they also don't understand all the variations of travel.

Right.

So, no, you do not have to be rich and you don't have to see it as a luxury to me as somebody who has had travel really alter and inform who I am as a human being.

We know, I tell people I'm like just get on that first trip, put that fear in your back pocket long enough to get on the plane for the first trip.

And you will understand how transformative travel is to the human and world experience.

So looking at it that way, it really is something that's more valuable, even the money than the money that you'll spend on it.

But you do not need to be rich to travel.

There are so many more, more resources now today, even then when I started no madness 13 years ago to be able to have everything like we came up and developed our company through the age of airbnb and ride sharing and being able to have, you know, different websites that may have flight glitches that will remain unnamed.

I'm not trying to blow up anybody's spot.

Ok. Like there are all of these instances in which you find, you know, it could be a one off situation, but there's a lot of resources that you can also tap into and communities and groups traveling in a group is a way also to cut costs, right?

Not taking on the burden of all of the planning and everything on your own.

But being able to actually be a part of community and also go out and see the world on a budget.

I remember one of my first, I think it was my first group trip.

I went to India.

We were festival with you and no madness.

That was incredible.

That's a life changing place.

We've done that trip so many times.

India is where I've traveled to the most ironically and every time I go there, I'm like, I'm tested, but I'm also transformed.

People leave that trip and they, you know, people start getting divorced afterwards but they do, they just make really big moves in their life at that point in time.

And I just think that there's something really special to it and being able to do it in a community of like minded people having the entry point to the pricing of it, be something that people find affordable and that they can work with and also being able to pay in installments.

That's another hack too.

It's like, don't look at the big ticket item, the big price all at once.

Like work with people, organizations, travel agents or on your own and get an installment plan done and try to, you know, go from there.

So if budgeting is not the thing that's holding people back, what else could it be?

What feeling is it a feeling of not being worthy and not being deserving?

You know, what else might be holding people back from seeing the world?

It's fear, but the fear has a couple subcategories to it, right?

And so one of the fears that we've been polling our community, one of the fears that we have found is fear of the language barrier, right?

They I think people who don't travel often don't realize how prevalent English is spoken around the world.

I think that that's something that is really eye opening for people.

Another one, believe it or not, this comes up a lot and I'm always surprised by it, but food, people are really weird about trying food, especially if you don't live in a place like New York.

And you know, Jersey where you can find a lot of different types of ethnic cuisine and people around.

That's one of the things that's big for them.

And I think also people look at they kind of mirror what they see.

So if it was not something that was accessible to previous generations in their family, maybe their parents didn't travel and it wasn't a conversation piece in the household, there's kind of like this void of understanding that it's possible and in which ways they would be able to go about it.

So I think fear shows up but it's got a couple of different outfits when it shows up.

Hey, well, I'm assuming this is why you started.

No madness.

Can you tell us more about no madness?

Why you started it?

Like what, what it does for this community?

Yeah.

My 13 year old baby teenager and it acts like it.

Ok. Um So I started no madness in September of 2011 and started with 100 people.

And we are now about 37,000 around the world.

And what it was was I was a backpacker, a three time expat.

I've lived in Paris, France, Chiang Mai Thailand.

You got to Japan for a year as a English teacher and bartender.

That's the other thing.

Get a job out there that'll help some jobs.

Um But having all of that and then coming back to the States, I just really understood that travel wasn't a phase, it wasn't something I was going to do on vacation once a year.

It was actually something that was deeper and more embedded in my personality and my lifestyle going forward.

And so creating no madness was really building community trying to find people that understood how influential and at that nonnegotiable travel had become in my life as a person.

And so I did not know that I was answering the call for tens of thousands of people, you know, and standing up for myself and kind of being like, OK, what is it about this particular activity?

What is it about the curiosity and the cultural immersion and what I'm finding that is really redefining me as a human being.

And so um no madness started from that.

And you know, we have a festival, we have the group trips.

As you mentioned, I do a lot of media with tourism boards and different brands and destinations to really pull out the stories of communities of color that we don't see.

A lot of tourism marketing is, you know, landmark, you know, and you don't see people that look like us.

And so I come in and work with the different tourism boards to really make sure that, you know, there's a lot of diversity when it comes to the representation of their destination.

So I can't imagine that you really were a pioneer in this space.

Was it successful right away or really?

Did it take time for you to grow this business?

You know what I said to somebody recently, I was just like, no madness's back end is like the face of a baby that only a mother could love.

I understand it like when you get into the nitty gritty of it.

And so to answer your question, no, but a big part of it, if I'm being honest was not knowing how to price myself, to price the activities that we had, being so focused on building community, which has been a benefit in the long term but not understanding the business acumen.

And what all of that is, I didn't go to school for business.

I'm a liberal arts girlie, right?

So like it's just like TV, and film and video and media put me in front of a camera and I light up like a Christmas tree, you know, and so it's all of that.

I learned all of this stuff on the fly, which is the story for a number of entrepreneurs, right?

You build something that you don't realize is going to take off into the stratosphere and is going to change culture or change an industry.

That's something you and I have in common.

And a lot of people can't say that.

Oh my gosh, Avita, this is so awesome.

Wait right there.

You don't travel anywhere.

You see what I did there anyway, we're going to be right back because Avita has so much more to share, but we got to pay some bills and we'll be right back.

OK.

So we've established that the kind of the financial investment is worth it.

And so why is it worth it?

Why is travel so important?

Is it mental health and the perception of the world?

Is it emotional health?

What is it that travel does?

Because if you're spending money, you know what I mean?

Sometimes people feel like, oh it feels kind of frivolous.

But is that true?

No.

And we are particularly elder millennials.

I don't care.

I'm 40.

I don't mind saying it.

We come from a generation in which we spend money less on things and more on experiences.

We are an experiential generation.

And I think it's because we saw, you know, we had the uh the, the anecdote that was fed to us, the story of get in this job, get these benefits, stay here for your whole life.

And then when you retire, then you travel.

And I think social media blew the lid off of that communities.

Like no madness blew the lid off of that.

And what ended up happening was we were like, OK, I want to do this while I'm young.

I want to do this when I can move around.

I don't want to be on a gondola in Venice falling asleep.

You know what I'm saying?

Like I want to be able to hike, I want to do these things.

And I think in particular for women, what has changed with our generation too is we want to do these things before we get married and have Children.

We are using travel has become a conduit for us getting to know ourselves.

So self care is a huge part of it.

But this is also travels like intense character development, right?

I know when I go to a place I've never been to before you could drop me anywhere.

And I will be able to figure it out if I don't already know somebody that's there that I can tap into because of trial.

And so it's one of those things where the character development is something that you take with you your whole life, the connections that you make, I forget.

But I know the, you know, ongoing stat in the States is that something like 30 something percent of Americans have their passport, right?

Something very, very low, especially compared to the rest of the world that changes your scope and view of what you think is possible in your life and in the world period.

And I think we see that interject itself into a lot of different ways where in an election year you see it in how people relate to politics.

And it's one of those things where having a worldly informed view is something that is one of the most beautiful privileges but is more accessible than I think people understand and realize there are people who literally never left their burrow their city, their like, are they really missing out?

Yes.

And I think one of the early missions of no madness for me because I lived in the Bronx when I started it, I was living between Japan had got back from Japan, but I was living in the Bronx and what I saw in the neighborhood and understanding that people don't leave a lot of their blocks and their boroughs, I just wanted so much to shake them and be like, you have no idea what is out there in the world and you have no idea what opportunities there are that you can take advantage of and even better situations.

I wanted to just scream from the top of my lungs and educate them about currency exchange.

You know what I'm saying?

Like different things.

Like I know there's a memes on social where it's like you're not broke.

You just live in America.

Yes.

That part, you know, it's about educating yourself through experience because that is the best teacher.

And so are they missing out?

They absolutely are missing out.

And I think the biggest thing they're missing out on is understanding that you can do it in a way that doesn't break your bank.

Just bridge your travel budget with your travel style where you are in this phase of life.

How can people budget for travel?

Yeah, there's different ways.

I mean, there's people that have, I love your whole thing make your money inconvenient.

That's your jam.

So we have people that do everything from, you know, having a side bank account that's only digital, you know, you can't just go to the bank and pull the money out.

Um And saving that way.

Also, I love the idea of using different resources like I'm a big fan of skyscanner.com.

Um And the reason why I love Skyscanner is because it doesn't matter what your budget is you can literally type in in the two fields everywhere.

Literally, you can put in everywhere and it will from least expensive, the most expensive just funnel for you all of the places that you can go.

And I always say too, that's kind of like a back in the day where we had the globe and you spin it and close your eyes and pick a place you can do that financially as well on a platform like Skyscanner also.

Um in addition to that, again, group trips going about the group route, if you don't want to do the group route, because it's not for everybody know yourself, please as somebody who organizes them, know yourself.

If you don't play nice without this, it helps everybody.

One of the things that I would say is get rid of the middle men.

This is something I was big because I was like a backpacker, solo woman traveler before I started doing group trips with no madness is get rid of the middle man.

Every time you incorporate somebody else that's helping you with it, you have to pay that person.

Everything is getting more expensive.

Figure out who the vendors are, research, the vendors, maybe even in our communities and suppliers that you want to take their tour, go to them directly instead of trying to get everything bundled all the time because you're paying for the work that went into that as well.

And so kind of divide and conquer a way as you start to build out your own personal itineraries.

If that's more of your speed and more of your style as well.

Are there other ways to travel?

I feel like people always think about traveling, meaning like I got to jump on a plane and need your passport.

And no, that's not the case either.

And we saw this a lot during COVID, like the country, the United States boom, the natural parks had a boom during COVID because everybody was like, OK, I want to do something that brings me out something where I don't have to go through an airport, a train station, a high traffic area, I can get in a car and just go road trips completely bumped up during that time.

And we've seen it be pretty steady since then and so it can be localized, you know, I literally, it's random like we're in the fall right now, you know, in the New York area and I'm from the Hudson Valley.

I grew up in Poughkeepsie.

I was looking at like haunted hay rides and stuff, you know, back up in Kingston in Poughkeepsie this weekend because I want to be able to get out and go do that.

So also bring down to life, don't make it a big daunting or super intimidating project.

Travel can look like whatever you need it to look like within your provisions.

If that means you have $30 to get on a metro north train, you know, from upstate New York down or an Amtrak train do what is within your purview.

But there is something everywhere and a lot of times there's really cool, affordable hidden gems in your own backyard.

This is what I love social media for because I cannot tell you how many places I'm like, that's only an hour from where I live.

Right.

Right.

You know, sometimes we make it so big of a deal.

But as a woman and I started to solo travel in my thirties, what advice can you give to women who are listening, who are like, you know what I want to travel and I always wanted to travel solo and I've got my budget together, but I'm a little afraid to go out there on my own.

Is it safe?

Yeah, I think do your research, I'm very much, I mean, a New Yorker.

So it's like if you see something, say something and also just have that sensibility about you, the same type of safety precautions that you would take at home, just don't, you know, leave the country and dumb out, you know, really just be perceptive but enjoy yourself.

You know, understand that there is something more transformative of you as a woman, as a human being on the other side of that trip that you can't see right now, but I promise you it's on the other side and you will be changed for the better afterwards.

And this is what I really love about.

No madness because when I, I was starting to travel solo, it was a community that I can tap into.

And you know, the joke was like, you threw up the bat signal, they still do it every day.

And so I took up the bat signal of going to LA.

I don't know anyone.

And I remember distinctly three women were like, girl, I need to, I pick you up.

We're going to hang out, here's the restaurant.

If you want to hang out, this is what you need to do if you need a trusted driver somewhere.

So tapping into communities and I think people, once they hear about community, they think they're stuck with people and that's not how they operate at this is not how operate, right?

You can go on a no madness trip and not do anything that's on the itinerary.

And as long as we check in with you and know that you're safe, it's a OK and that's something that people get very, they're like, oh, I have to do everything.

Not with us.

Nobody's going to look at you crazy for that.

I don't like waking up early in the morning.

So some of the stuff I'm not trying to do either.

But with that being said, tap into the communities, but just because you're in a community does not mean you now have to group travel.

I think that that's an important distinction.

You can be a solo traveler and still get all of those research gems that are in our case, 13 years worth of just insight from people that live there or on the ground and have been there to be able to implement and build out your own personal itinerary.

So still be a part of the groups, utilize it in a way that fits best for you and then go out.

I love that.

So this has been awesome.

So I always love, love, love.

We have a guest to come on to kind of just recap.

The teacher and me was like, what did we learn today from a people?

And so what I heard you say that travel doesn't have to be a financial luxury, right?

That you can travel in ways that don't include you jumping on a plane, you might travel, road trips are an option.

The train is an option, there's parks around your house, you probably haven't fully let's be real Brian.

But also two planning in advance will allow you to budget for travel in a way that feels more responsible if that's what you're needing.

And that it's an essential part of self development for so many people.

And even if you think that you don't want to just try because I love what you said.

You said that there's a different person, a different version of you on the other side of travel.

And that it will inform you beyond the experiences you currently have that you will not be the same person.

You won't in a good way, in a great way, in a way you're going to show up for yourself in ways that you never ever knew you were capable.

And it doesn't have to be this big outlay of money, but certainly tremendously that it is an investment in yourself that, that the return is so much greater than whatever financial investment that you might be.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Did I get it if you will?

Ok.

So don't forget that if you want to get and stay on financial track.

I got you, especially after today's episode and you're like, I want to travel as well.

But how do I budget for it?

My credit is not where I need it to be.

I have just too much debt, go on over to get good with money.com.

I have plenty of tools and resources to help you get and stay on financial track.

This has been Money Glow up from Yahoo Finance and I've been your lovely host, Tiffany the Bista Aliche.

Um and we are here every single Thursday 12 pm, Eastern Standard Time Yahoo finance.com, wherever you stream your podcast and services, wherever you listen to podcasts there, I will be ok with you every single week.

Um We hope that you come back that you continue to enjoy and remember that you can afford to travel quite honestly, you can't afford not to.

This content was not intended to be financial advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional financial services.