The Hidden Costs Of Travel Nursing & How To Avoid Them

We've all heard that within travel nursing there is some serious money to be made. Not only do you make good money, but you also get paid to travel and have fun. Sounds like an easy gig…right? Well, it’s not that simple.

While the potential to make a lot of money is there, it is important to be aware of the hidden costs. For example, most travel nursing companies tell you they will reimburse you for getting your nursing license in each state. What they don’t tell you is that you will not get reimbursed for any additional costs it takes to get your license.

I had to pay an additional charge for a company to electronically verify and send my nursing credentials to each state I was applying to, which was an additional $30 for each state, on top of the license and the FBI fingerprint background check. But rest assured and follow these tips that I have laid out for you, and hopefully, you will dodge past a lot of those hidden costs.

1. Plan Your Travel Ahead Of Time

My wife and I would plan our trip about a month in advance. That is because we brought two dogs, a cat, and all our personal belongings. So imagine trying to drive cross-country from Indianapolis, Indiana to Seattle, Washington with all of that in one car.

Yeah, it was fun at first, but because we planned ahead, we saved a lot of money and many headaches down the road. I knew some nurses that would just drive the whole distance in a night or two. But unfortunately, we couldn’t do that, nor did we want to. We would take about a week to travel in between our assignments. Split the days up and see all the local sites in between. Just watch out for souvenir costs.

It is easy to spend a lot of money on souvenirs. Instead, consider taking your camera to document your travels with pictures. It’s free, and it lasts a whole lot longer than a corny t-shirt. While on the road, we would pack lunches to eat so we wouldn’t have to stop and pay for food every day. 

Also, it's unavoidable, but don't forget to budget in gas costs! Just because the travel nursing companies tell you they pay for your gas mileage, doesn’t mean you get that money up front. And mileage or a travel stipend won't always cover it. For example, they may offer a stipdend of $500 to move from Florida to California, but that won't come close to covering your expenses.

They will usually reimburse you the money on your first pay check earned on your assignment. So, to save money at the gas pump, we would enroll in gas reward cards. We would also go online and calculate the drive miles and budget for gas. We would use apps (or even Google Maps offers this now) to help us locate the cheapest gas.

2. Find Affordable Housing

When it came time for us to stop and find lodging for the night, we would not stay at your typical hotel or bed and breakfast. Remember, you do not typically get reimbursed for staying at places in between contracts. So to keep costs down, we would stay at KOA campsites. They are located all over the country and are about half the price of an expensive hotel room. We would stay in their little cabins with bunk beds.

They are a nice inexpensive place to stay, and all you have to do is supply your own sheets and pillows. Not to mention, you can cook outside on your own grill. If grilling is not something you enjoy, you can always order food from the KOA. They supply all the same amenities as a hotel but for half the price.

When it comes time to find a place to stay during your assignment, most nurses take what’s called the housing stipend option. This is where the travel nursing company gives you the money instead of providing you with housing. If your housing costs more than your stipend, then you are responsible for the extra. However, if you find housing for less than your stipend, then you get to keep the extra money tax-free.

Agencies will pay to put you in a one bedroom, fully furnished apartment, so that's typically equal to the amount of the stipend and will vary by location. It's supposed to cover your housing and utilities. FYI, cable and internet are not part of the utilities with agency-provided housing and will come out of your pocket. 

A typical nursing assignment lasts three months, and to be honest with you, it is very difficult to find a nice, fully furnished one-bedroom apartment with utilities included, is pet friendly, and is in a safe area, all for 3 months at a cheap price. So I recommend you save yourself the headache and hours contacting places. I would highly recommend letting the travel nursing company find your housing for your first assignment. That way, you can learn what works best for you and what you can learn to live without. If you choose to take the housing stipend and find your housing all by yourself, there are sites like airbnb.com, Furnished Finder, and Facebook groups that can help connect you with available housing. But also, take my next tip to heart.

3. Make Friends

You will meet many travel nurses and new people while you travel from state to state. Each person has a different trick or trade up their sleeve to help you save money. One tip I picked up back in 2016 that is fairly common now is instead of paying for a cable bill each month, just pay for good internet so you can utilize all the TV and movie apps online for a fraction of the cost of cable.

I would talk to my friends and family who lived in the states I was traveling to. Sometimes they would offer a place to sleep for free, or they would go and check out an apartment complex for my wife and I. They would quickly let us know if we were walking into a bad living situation or not. Sometimes they even knew of places we could stay for a great price. Friends can also share with you the best local attractions, places to eat and provide a great friendship. If you make some friends at work, you could start a carpool in order to save some gas money.

4. Know Your Costs Of Living

Like I mentioned before, when you take the housing stipend option you are taking liability to find your own place to live for three months or the extent of your contract. Don’t wait and procrastinate.

Plan ahead to help find the best, safe, and secure places to live. In some places, it can be cheaper to find an unfurnished apartment and pay for utilities and furnishings yourself. Of course you'll need to figure out how much your utilities are going to cost and shop for or rent furnishings, which may or may not be possible ahead of time. Make sure the apartment comes with a washer and dryer. Otherwise, you are going to be stuck looking for the local laundry mat. Furniture can be expensive to rent, especially if you have pets.

They always add on an extra pet fee if you're traveling with pets. Instead of renting a whole set of furniture we would only get what we needed. Usually, we would just rent a couch, dresser, bed, and a TV.  Oftentimes we would go to local thrift stores and find our kitchen items such as plates and silverware. We lived simply, and if we needed anything else, we would buy it later. When we were done with our assignment, we would send it all back and move on. The key point is to know your costs of living in advance so the extra expenses don't add up on you!

5. Invest In Your Health & Happiness

This is my last tip, but it was our most important rule while traveling. We always invested in a gym membership wherever we worked. If you tell them up front you are a travel nurse and will only be there for 3 months, they almost always give you a discount. Staying healthy is not only important for our happiness but also for enjoying your time. 

It’s very important to us to always be happy no matter where you are located. If you become unhappy at your current assignment, talk with your company recruiter about your likes and dislikes with that location. Then, start planning your next adventure. Always remember that no matter the cost or the distance, travel as nurses still have a large support group by your side.

It can be with your family, travel company, Facebook, or even a travel nurse forum. Just remember that there is always a nurse somewhere who has been in the same situation you are in. We are a growing family, and we are always here to help each other out.