Portugal Part 2 - the Free and Cheap Version
If you’ve been following me on my Instagram you’ll know that I spent the last couple of weeks holidaying and working in Portugal. Even though I already had a holiday in Portugal in June, this second trip was a big deal to me, and here’s why.
Work: this was the first trip I truly felt like I could work effortlessly anywhere in the world, that I could travel at a moment's notice and take my clients and business responsibilities with me, whilst allowing my business “at home'' to be supported by other people in my team.
Financial: this was also the first time I have been mentally frivolous with travel, freedom, and money.
Let me explain
Having a frivolous mindset around money and travel doesn't mean I spent wads of cash on 5-star hotels, first-class flights, and designer shopping sprees. We actually enjoyed the benefits of the exact opposite, some cheap flights, low cost (and beautiful) self-catering accommodation, very little planning, and zero expectations. And here is where the luxury of ‘freedom’ unlocked for me.
The feeling of financial freedom isn't created from how much I can afford to do, but from how little I need to think about what I can afford. For instance, previously all lengthy family holidays have been planned in advance, have been saved or budgeted for. Total cost numbers have been crunched, searches for the best flight prices, reading reviews for the best place to stay with a certain budget. Working out how much spending money my family of four will need for the holiday, how much money per day. The list goes on and on
This time
We booked without taking time off from work, we booked to fly with only 2 weeks' notice, no planning, saving, or budgeting. A friend recommended a private apartment that was still available to rent - so we took it, no shopping around for the best deal. We had set days we could travel (because of care for the dog and the kids return to school) so we took whatever flights were available on those days. We had no agenda or expectations other than, let’s just make the most of every opportunity we get to travel. We didn't crunch the numbers.
We just accepted the prices as they presented themselves (good or bad) as part of our choice to prioritise travel. (when I say bad I mean paying £100 to take a suitcase when the airplane ticket itself was £12.99 lol). Instead of prepping like mad and trying to close out all my work before we went, I decided to make it easy to take important things with me. We went with the flow on holiday, went out if we wanted, stayed in if we felt tired. Some nights we ate in spectacular beach clubs, other nights we ate pasta and pizza on the apartment terrace.
No counting out how much money we had ‘spent so far’ as we had done many times before. No pre-designated “spending money''. If I saw something I wanted to buy for me or the kids, I picked it up. (in fact, I bought myself a lush linen dress from a little boutique that cost 40 euros). With the exception of a couple of frivolous days, It was a good old ‘last minute cheapy’.
The difference between this cheapy and the dozens of other cheapy trips I have taken…
At no point (until now) did I ever think of it as a cheapy. It was just joy.
Travelling at all this year was a luxury.
Travelling for a second time this summer felt like a freakin’ overflow of abundance
Travelling with my work felt flexible and easy.
Travelling at a moment's notice, because I had a lifestyle setup that makes it easy to do so … no pause, no overthinking the time, or the money….felt like FREEDOM. I had no expectations of this trip, other than let's get away because we can! And it was one of the best trips I can remember.
It was one of the cheapest family holidays I have ever been on…And it was the richest I have ever felt in my entire life.
Always remember the richness of your life exists in the quality of your mind. When something feels good, soak it all in, expand in it. Revel in it and see more and more of it all around you. CALL IT IN. #Makeithappen, then make more of it.
