💰 Money Part 3: ✈️ Making travel less sh*t | Weekly Wharmby #57

Hi - over the past few weeks I’ve written about two things that I think are really worth spending money on: 1) Sleep, and 2) Fitness / online fitness coaches.

The truth is, you can’t buy happiness. Expensive watches, silly investments or fast cars won’t move the needle. But, you can pay for things that help reduce stress and tiredness, which will go a long way in increasing happiness.

The next best thing from happiness that money can buy is time. And today’s focus reduces stress and tiredness, and buys back time.

🛫 Making travel less sh*t

At its worst, I find traveling can be a massive drain, whether it's rushing around, missing connections or not getting the aisle seat (🤬).

Uncomfortable seats, waiting around and boredom can be an absolute killer. Whereas a relaxing, enjoyable journey can set the tone for a great trip.

There’s two ways to spend our hard earned money to make travelling a better overall experience: pre-planned and gadgets.

Quick disclaimer - not every idea will suit everyone. These are things that work for me and feel like a good way to spend money.

🚌 Choosing better travel options

Don’t worry. This doesn’t mean flying first class, or buying the latest Range Rover. We can avoid a lot of hassle when travelling for a much cheaper cost.

1) Queue jump - queueing is fine, long waits in a queue is not. Queue jump upgrades usually cost around £20 and mean you can spend your time how you want, rather than slowly shuffling forward at a snail’s pace. If you automatically click no when purchasing flights, think of it this way: is half an hour of your time worth less than £20? Think of it as a way of buying back time.

2) Off peak travel - being smart about when you travel will save a lot of money but also a lot of time and stress queueing and fighting through busy crowds.

3) On peak travel - ultimately, there’s always going to be a coach or flight that is most ideal, and usually you have to pay a premium for it. But some things are worth paying for - especially when it means avoiding a 4AM wake up for the cheaper flight. And yes indeed, this is the opposite of my previous point. It depends on your situation but I’d rather travel when works best for me.

4) Upgrades - upgrades are almost always out of budget but occasionally I can get very cheap (~£5) upgrades on First Class train tickets. Worth keeping an eye out for them.

🎒 Gadgets for a better travel experience

The best gadgets worth taking fall into three categories: convenience, comfort, and fun.

**1) Travel backpack (**convenience, comfort) - a good one will cost around £100 and with some smart packing, you can skip baggage queues altogether. Cheaper than paying for checked luggage, less risky as you’ll have your bag with you at all times, and great to travel with. Dragging a 20kg suitcase across Sicilian cobbles isn’t fun.

2) Kindle, Airpods Pro (fun) - both will fit very easily into your bag, they hold the world’s information and entertainment within them and they are great value. Better than bulkier books or headphones and an easy way to pass time.

3) Packable jacket/layer (comfort, convenience) - my Uniqlo Ultra Light Down jacket goes everywhere with me and can be packed down to about 1/10th it’s size. It’s warm and comfortable and has saved me many a time. If you’re going somewhere warmer, a hoodie will do the trick (transport can get cold).

4) Eyemask, neck cushion (comfort) - I’ve personally never loved a neck pillow but some people swear by them on flights and trains. Eyemasks are essential if you want to get some sleep.

BONUS: Waist bag - I’ve started travelling with one of these to carry my Kindle, phone, wallet, passport and Airpods. It’s great, means my pockets aren’t jammed full and I don’t have to take my bag off every time.

I’m sure I’ve missed plenty of great things but these are what work best for me. If you have any suggestions, reply to this email with them.

Thanks!

This week I'm: ⬇️

📖 Reading For the first time ever I’m swapping between the audiobook and Kindle version of a book (A Game of Thrones) - audiobook when I’m travelling and Kindle when I’m still. Works great!

🍅 Using a Pomodoro timer once again - they best way to get work done and stay focused

🏋🏻 Also using ‘Strong’, the best app I’ve found for tracking lifts at the gym. If you aren’t progressively overloading then there’s not much point in being there

📹 Watching 23 Life Lessons in Under 9 Minutes (YouTube) from James Smith - big fan of the guy and he doesn’t miss here. Favourite lesson -

📍 Visiting Manchester this weekend - really is no place like it and I miss it everyday

💬 And finally, a quote

From the James Smith video linked above:

What could you do starting tomorrow that would make your life better?

Then ask yourself, if you did that thing every day for the next 100 days, where would you be?

Now ask yourself, if you don’t do this for the next 100 days, how is it going to negatively affect your life?

And finally now ask yourself - why wouldn’t you do that thing starting tomorrow that you know would benefit your life?

Thanks!

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