5 Money-Saving Tips for Travel Nurses
Working as a traveling nurse can be a rewarding experience that allows you to help others while exploring the world. But the cost of seeing and doing things can add up quickly. Travel is an invaluable experience, so it’s often better to cut out other things to allow yourself the budget to see and do as many things as you can while at each location. Budgeting can be a challenge, but these five money-saving tips for travel nurses can help if you plan on working as one.
1. Choose the Right Agency
There are many travel nursing agencies out there, but not all of them are created equal. Ideally, you’ll work with an agency that will give you a housing stipend or one that pays for your travel and lodging.
Many agencies offer benefits that will help you better manage your costs. Take advantage of all of the benefits that your agency offers. Some even provide travel, dental, health, and vision insurance to ensure that you’re well taken care of while on assignment.
2. Understand Your Cost of Living
Not every agency will help you understand the cost of living in your assigned area and how it will affect your salary.
Research the area to understand how your living standards will be impacted before committing to an assignment. Consider all expenses, from housing to food, entertainment, and even the cost of men’s scrub pants. In some cases, a higher salary may not necessarily equate to a higher standard of living.
For example, California consistently ranks as one of the highest-paying states in the U.S. for nurses, but the cost of living in many cities is very high. If you’re looking for sun and sand, you may find that Florida would provide a more reasonable cost of living.
3. Take Advantage of Coupons
Coupons can save you a lot of money each month on practically everything. Don’t toss out store flyers. Clip those coupons and use them. Shop sales to save money on your groceries.
For entertainment and sightseeing, consider sites like Groupon or LivingSocial. Both coupon sites offer great deals on local businesses, restaurants, experiences and attractions.
4. Use Travel Nurse Apps
One of the best ways for nurses to make the most out of their experience is to take advantage of the best travel nurse apps available today. These apps offer valuable insights into the best rates and locations for travel nursing work, ensuring that nurses can save money while traveling. In addition, many apps allow nurses to plan and map out their stops in advance, allowing them to strategically organize and optimize their next destination. With personalized analytics and insightful reporting, saving money through optimization has never been easier.
4. Join a Car/Bike Share
It can be an expense and a hassle to move your vehicle with you on each new assignment, particularly if you decide to take an assignment overseas.
Unless you’re staying in a big city with a great public transportation system, you’ll need to have your own transportation. A car share may be the best option. Car shares allow you to leave your car behind and only rent a vehicle when you need it. You’ll save money on gas, parking, maintenance, and more.
If you’re staying in a bike-friendly town, you may find that a bike share is the best option for you. One last tip: cut out unnecessary expenses. It sounds like an obvious thing to do, but it can be hard, to be honest about what’s necessary and what’s not. Take a serious, honest look at your expenses, and cut out anything that isn’t essential. This way, you’ll have more money to spend on experiences, which is a big part of the allure of being a travel nurse.
