How International Teachers Accidentally Blow Their Savings #1: Travel Too Much

We all hear about the amazing savings potential of working at international schools.

And yet… a lot of us aren’t saving anything at all.

So what’s going on?

#1 Way NOT to Save Money: Travel. A lot.

Take a trip every break. Then maybe another one. And why not squeeze in a long weekend somewhere, too?

Let’s be honest—many of us feel a bit uneasy if we don’t have our next trip planned.
Even worse if we don’t have two or three lined up.

And worst of all?
Your colleagues have already booked theirs… and you haven’t. 😅

(Actually—even worse is when your colleagues copy the exact same trips you’re going on. Ha.)

“But this is the time to travel…”

And to be fair—it kind of is.

You might not be paying for a car, insurance, or a bunch of other expenses you’d have back home. So naturally, you think:

Why not take advantage of this and see the world?

And you should.

But… all those flights, hotels, and “quick weekend getaways” add up fast.
You can’t exactly be heading to the Maldives every single break (even if Instagram makes it feel like you should).

Location matters (a lot more than you think)

Where you’re based can make a huge difference.

Living near a major hub? You might find decent deals.
Living in a smaller or more remote city? Get ready to pay a premium just to leave.

Those “cheap” trips suddenly aren’t so cheap when every journey starts with an expensive long-haul flight just to get somewhere affordable.

Are cheap flights even a thing anymore?

Remember when low-cost airlines were actually… low cost?

Now it’s:

Pay for your bag
Pay for your seat
Pay to breathe (almost)

If you’re not strategic about:

when you book
where you search
and how flexible you are

…you’ll end up paying way more than necessary.

And of course, there’s always that moment:

Your friend books a flight for a great price…
You go to book it 5 minutes later…
Price has gone up. 🙃

So how much are we actually flying?

Let’s be real.

Many international teachers are probably taking 10–20 flights a year.

And somehow… anything under 10 flights feels like you’re “not really travelling.”
(Cue your friends back home rolling their eyes.)

So… should we travel less?

In theory? Yes.

In reality?
…unlikely. 😄

A smarter way to approach it

If you do want to save a bit more, it helps to understand:

typical airfare costs from your host city
which destinations are realistically “cheap”
and when prices spike during the year

That’s exactly why we have a comment topic on ISC where teachers share real airfare examples from their cities.

A few examples:

“A flight ticket to a destination within the country will cost between $150 and $200, and to countries in the region, you will need to fork out between $500 and $700. The most affordable airline is Ethiopian.”
Sandford International School (31 total comments)

“Sample RT airfare to the US is around $1200 USD. Most flights to US go through Doha or Dubai. You can also fly through Bangkok, Seoul or Tokyo.”
International School of Islamabad (63 total comments)

“Flying out on direct flights is not cheap. So a return flight to Manila leaves at 1:00 am (approx.) and costs $410. If one were to fly via Hanoi – a longer journey – the cost is nearly half.”
Canadian International School of Phnom Penh (28 total comments)

“Dakar/ New-York JFK 800-1000$ direct, Dakar/Paris 700-800$ direct, Dakar/Brussels 600-900$, Dakar/Madrid 300-500$.”
International School of Dakar (201 total comments)