Triage Healthcare Staffing provided this article.
Even post-pandemic, travel nursing can be a way for nurses to make more money than they would if they were a staff nurse. If you’re traveling for the money (no shame in that game), look for ways to stretch your dollars so you can maximize your take-home travel nurse pay.
How to make the most out of your travel nurse pay:
Look For a Contact with Paid Housing
One of the easiest ways to stretch your funds is to look for a good-paying job that includes housing. Not all agency-provided housing is created equal. Everyone has heard horror stories of roach-infested apartments with moldy bathrooms and gross kitchens. For this reason, check to make sure you know exactly where you’re staying and talk to the recruiter about what to do if the housing isn’t up to par—you don’t want to be stuck living somewhere for three months if you’re not happy.
For that reason, we recommend a hotel if the agency is providing your housing. Even better is if the hotel offers amenities like free Wi-Fi, a fitness center, and a free continental breakfast. When the hotel offers breakfast items like yogurt, fresh fruit, and other breakfast foods, you can get a meal before or after work (if you’re on the night shift) and even get a grab-and-go snack for later, which can help stretch your meal budget even further.
Many hotels will provide a small fridge if you request it, but if they don’t have any available, you can usually find a second-hand one on Facebook marketplace and then pass it along to another travel nurse or resell it when you leave.
Travel With a Buddy and Share Housing
If hotel life isn’t for you, or you struggle with finding an assignment that offers paid housing, you can usually find a travel buddy and split the cost of an apartment. This will help you make the most of your travel nurse pay. To do this, it’s best to find a traveler who works with the same agency so you can better coordinate your travel assignments. Two is better than one, especially when you’re paying for housing!
Rent a Room Instead of an Entire Apartment
We know this won’t be for everyone, but it is an option, so we want to bring it up. One big way to save money is to rent a single room instead of an entire apartment. If you do go this route, you’ll want to thoroughly vet your landlord, as well as the room—we don’t recommend signing a lease for these situations sight unseen.
If you don’t want to arrive early to your assignment, it’s a good idea to rent a hotel room for at least a few days so you can evaluate your living situation in person to see if it works for you. The last thing you want to do is sign a lease for a room with loud kids, barking dogs, and an overbearing landlord who lives in the next room.
If you’re looking for ways to cut expenses while on a travel assignment, look no further than housing. Use these tips during your next travel nurse assignment to save on housing costs so you can put more money directly into your own pocket.
Looking for travel nurse jobs? Connect with a Triage recruiter and let them do all the work of finding you a new position.
We hope you found these tips on making the most of your travel nurse pay helpful. How do you maximize your travel nurse pay? Comment any tips you have below.
Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!
Are you on the hunt for your next travel nurse gig? Look no further than our job board! Click here to explore all our current opportunities.
Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment
Need somewhere to stay on your next travel nurse assignment? We’ve got you covered. Check out our housing page to find your ideal home away from home. Click here to start your search.
