For more than a decade, I’ve been traveling the world, spending more time on the road than in any one location. Even though I’ve lived a lot in New York and Austin, and I’m about to live in Paris for a long time, I’m still a nomad at heart.
I’m a normal at air terminals. I’m used to getting lost in places where the language is foreign to me. I’m always looking for cheap flights and trying to accumulate as many air miles as I can.
In the wake of visiting exactly 100 nations, there’s a natural line of addressing I get that typically prompts this: Why do you travel so frequently?
Am I wealthy? Do I go on business trips? Is my gigolo male? Run guns or sell drugs?
Sadly, none of those is the case. Okay, I’m glad I don’t have to run a gun shop or sell drugs!
As I said in a past post regarding how I track down cash to travel, want persuades and makes a big difference for me.
I do so because I want to travel.
Even though privilege contributes, it does not completely resolve the practical problem: money.
Regardless of how modestly you can travel, you do require some cash.
So, how do I manage to travel so frequently?
I work hard.
My money is saved.
I save money. ( When I travel, I still stay in hostels!
Many people believe that traveling is expensive, that no matter where you go, you’ll have to spend a lot of money. In certain spots like Europe, that might be valid. That is always the case for some people. However, this is untrue for the majority of us. Cheap travel doesn’t necessarily mean bad.
When I tell my former coworkers that I just travel cheaply, they immediately picture poor service and run-down hotels. They are not interested in backpacking, and they desire comfort. I also want to be at ease. When I’m away, I eat out and do nice things. It’s not all instant noodles and 12-person dorms. Therefore, perhaps frugal is a more appropriate term. I don’t travel modestly. I travel sparingly.
I save money and work from home. I am careful with my money and don’t go out every night. Traveling is my top financial priority. The most significant piece of the puzzle is that. Don’t throw away your cash. Travel will always appear out of reach if you spend your money on other things.
Traveling should also be a top priority for you.
You start looking for ways to save money once it becomes important. Remove the Starbucks and the extravagant snacks. Every penny counts.
I saved for more than a year before I left for vacation in 2006. To make sure I had enough money to travel, I behaved like a pauper. At the point when I was out and about and hit a dead end financially, I showed English in Bangkok.
There are numerous additional means of earning money while traveling. Work at a hostel, work at a seasonal farm or restaurant, freelance from home, write about traveling—the list goes on and on!
Travel becomes an endless possibility once you get creative. Although it won’t be easy or glamorous, it is possible if you are willing to alter your perspective on travel.
Travel, hotels, fancy things, shopping, and luxury are all associated with this image, particularly among Americans. They only see dollar signs, but you can have a pleasant vacation without having to spend your entire life’s savings.
The game has changed thanks to platforms like Airbnb and Couchsurfing, which not only make it cheaper to travel but also make it easier to immerse yourself in other cultures.
Even though flying is more expensive now than it was in the past, there are good deals available, and flight tickets don’t have to be very expensive. I always seem to find prices that won’t break the bank because I look hard and don’t just take the first flight that comes up on Expedia! If you can, look for a way to avoid flying.
While buses and trains take longer, they are much less expensive. The majority of people don’t go on vacations because they are afraid of the cost of the flight, but if you do your research, you can find a cheap deal.
Find those tiny local restaurants with great food at tiny tiny prices by stepping outside your guidebook. Instead of following advice from Frommer’s or Lonely Planet, eat where the locals eat.
The locals don’t make a lot of money living there, and neither should you. You don’t go to new hotels when you travel. You will save money and have a more enriching travel experience by living locally and traveling differently.
This website is all about inspiring you, telling stories, and showing you how to travel cheaply. You needn’t bother with a huge amount of cash to travel — you simply have to think unexpectedly. Don’t waste your money on packaged tours, expensive hotels, overpriced restaurants, or souvenirs. A luxury vacation doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Changing your mindset is the first step toward expanding your travel options. After that, finding the deals only requires knowing where to look and working hard to find them. You won’t save money by booking that package deal on Orbitz alone. You should be shrewd to turn into a smart voyager.
