Some people might brag about saving a couple hundred dollars on an airline ticket or getting a good deal on a hotel or Airbnb. In the church world, these kinds of trips are usually few and far between. By tweaking some of your habits in your regular travel, you might be able to save thousands dollars instead of just hundreds. And some of the changes may make for a better travel experience anyway.
When traveling for work, there are three main areas of expense to consider: 1)Transportation, 2)Meals, 3)Spending the Night.
- Transportation: Instead of reimbursing mileage at 56ยข/mile, consider a cheap business vehicle. This makes sense if you’re travelling 10,000 miles or more for work. Depending on how cheap the vehicle is, you could save close to $2,000/year at 10,000 miles.
- Meals: Instead of paying for on the road, consider packing a lunch. It’s cheaper and probably healthier. For pastors, sometimes a lot of ministry happens at the cafe so always packing a lunch may not make sense. But perhaps ministry could happen at the park with a lunch sometimes as well.
- Spending the Night: Instead of paying for a hotel, consider sleeping at a friends house. In the Dakotas where it seems that we’re all one big family, you usually know someone at your travel destination. You can save a lot of money, usually sleep better, and build your relationship if you reach out and ask to stay with a friend…or potential friend.
Useful Links
- Kitchn Tips for Packing Lunch: https://www.thekitchn.com/10-brilliant-tips-to-help-you-pack-lunch-more-often-253150
- PocketSense Car Donation Guide: https://pocketsense.com/donate-car-church-5914.html