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People always think that you must be rich to travel the world. Before I ever began traveling, I thought the very same. Traveling the world was always a dream of mine but, it seemed quite unattainable since I felt like I needed all the money in the world to see the world. You know that saying, “you can do anything if you put your mind to it”? Well, I made put that saying to a test. After graduating from university over 6 years ago, I have traveled to over 65 countries and islands across 6 continents around the globe. I am not rich, never was rich, and never had any financial help with my travels (although all of those do sound quite appealing!) People ask how do I do it then. Well, here are my tips below! My entire blog was created and maintained to help others travel the world when it seems so unbelievable.
People always think that you must be rich to travel the world. Before I ever began traveling, I thought the very same. Traveling the world was always a dream of mine but, it seemed quite unattainable since I felt like I needed all the money in the world to see the world. You know that saying, “you can do anything if you put your mind to it”? Well, I made put that saying to a test. After graduating from university over 6 years ago, I have traveled to over 65 countries and islands across 6 continents around the globe. I am not rich, never was rich, and never had any financial help with my travels (although all of those do sound quite appealing!) People ask how do I do it then. Well, here are my tips below! My entire blog was created and maintained to help others travel the world when it seems so unbelievable.
My very first tip is
simple, it’s to Work Hard and Save Your Money!
I worked a lot throughout school but I was in the same boat
at other college students. Once I
graduated, I continued to work a lot. I
worked various jobs while I was in school but I primarily worked in restaurants. That’s where I made the majority of my
money. Yes, as a restaurant server. You may say, “yea well of course working in
Chicago restaurants can make you a good amount of money but I don’t live in
Chicago and I can’t make as much money here”.
But, it doesn’t matter how much money you make if you can’t manage it
properly. That’s the key. Money management. I spent my money on what was needed; rent,
bills, food, etc. So many of my friends
who made the same amount of money as I did at my same job were always
complaining about being ‘broke’. I
decided to save my money and spend it on traveling versus going out, shopping,
cars, or other things that people can spend money on. Everybody can choose what they want to spend
their money on, it’s their right. I am
just sharing how I have managed to have enough money to travel so much. I am always willing to try new things to make
money. Every little bit counts. I have done
things like babysitting, nannying, worked for staffing companies, marketing for
real estate agents, fragrance sales, focus groups, sold paintings, refurbished
old furniture and other things that I found for free or on craigslist and then
sold it, worked in restaurants as a server or bartender, and more. There are various ways to make money. Like I said, every bit counts. Just think, a mire $5 can get you a night
stay in cute little hotel or hostel in Costa Rica, $20 can get you a train
ticket from Croatia to Montenegro in the Mediterranean, or $50 can get you a flight from Iceland to
Norway!
Fly Cheap!
This is probably my biggest tip! Flights can definitely cost a ton of money,
which can put a stigma of the cost of travel.
But, there are so many cheap options for those wanting to travel often
and stretch a dollar. There are a few
budget airline websites that I only use.
I refuse to spend just anything on a flight when I KNOW that I can get
it for cheaper. For instance, I flew
from Chicago to Boston to Iceland for around $220, Chicago to San Francisco round
trip for $140, Indonesia to India for around $150, and Austria to Morocco for
around $120. Usually the first flight to
the region of your choice will be your largest expense and then it will be easy
and cheap when you’re already in that area.
For example, I flew from Chicago to Ireland and Chicago to Japan for around
$700 each, Chicago to Costa Rica for under $600, and Chicago to Thailand for
around $550. These were all one-way
tickets. It’s best to play around with
locations and dates and on each website to find the best price. But please read the fine print when booking
with a budget airline. Many budget
airlines will try their best to find ways to charge you more since you bought a
flight ticket for cheap. Some will have
strict baggage restrictions and fees, make you check-in a certain amount of
time before the flight, make you get to the airport hours early, close the
gates earlier than normal, print your boarding pass beforehand, etc. My very first budget airline was RyanAir in
Europe. I was flying from the South of
France to England and my ticket only cost around $40. I didn’t know anything about the airline and
was charged another $40 when I got to the small airport because I hadn’t
checked-in online and printed by boarding pass before their ‘deadline’. I was SO angry! Some airlines are much worse than others. I
took notes on many of the airlines that I flown throughout my travels. Learn more about them on my blog post called “Flying
on Budget Airlines and my Favorite Websites to Book Cheap Flights”.
Here are my favorite websites that I use:
Skyscanner.com
Momondo.com
Cheapoair.com
Cheaptickets.com
Use Main Airport Hubs
and Choose a the Furthest Country
Another great tip for finding cheaper flights is to fly to
and from main airport hubs. For
instance, I am often in Milwaukee when I leave for a trip but I will fly out of
Chicago, which is around a 1.5 to 2 hour drive away, because it’s always
cheaper. It’s best to find your nearest
main airport hub and fly out of there.
It’ll be worth the time that it takes to get there. Some main hubs are Chicago, Dallas, Los
Angeles, Atlanta, etc. This goes the
same for when you are flying to and around a different region of the world. I always choose main hubs in the other
country to find the cheapest flight possible too. Most main hubs in other countries are the
Capital cities or large main cities. You
can easily Google main hubs anywhere in the world. In addition to flying to and from main hubs,
I highly suggest that if you plan to spend a good amount of time traveling or
backpacking around a region, choose a city or country furthest from the
remainder of your itinerary. What does
this mean? For example, when I backpacked
Western Europe, I flew into Ireland first and spend some time before moving
East. Ireland was also cheaper than most
to fly to as well. When I flew to
Southeast Asia, I chose Japan and then moved back West and then South. The closer you get to your home country at
the end of your trip, the cheaper your flight home will be.
Sleep Cheap
Along with using budget airlines, I find cheap
accommodations. Although it’s often nice
to stay in a super nice hotel but as a budget traveler and a backpacker, you
don’t spend much time in your accommodation and you rather spend that money on
going to your next country. No, this
doesn’t necessarily mean that I sleep in roach-infested motels or bed-bug
ridden rooms. Although, some places that
I have stayed weren’t far off from that a few times! Everywhere is very different and I have
stayed in a wide variety of places.
Surprisingly, some of my most favorite and most memorable places were
some of the cheapest. I mostly stay in
hostels. Read more about hostels and
overlooking their stigma in my blog about hostels. A hostel is a general term for an affordable
accommodation. Some hostels were small boutique
hotels, some dorms, some private rooms, some gross, some fantastic, some hip
and trendy, some old, some bungalows, some actual hotels, etc. I have met and made so many friends from all around
the world by staying in hostels and had some of the best experiences.
Aside from hostels, I have also tried Couch Surfing. This is a website for you to find people all
around the world who are will to let you stay at their place or to show you
around town. I know that it can sound
quite sketchy but it’s up to you to learn as much about the person and place as
possible and to use at your own comfort level.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that you actually sleep on a couch either. It’s any available space in somebody’s
place. I have stayed with people Japan,
Taiwan, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Europe.
I still keep in touch with many of them.
Couch Surfing is a great way to save a buck, meet new people, make
friends from around the around, and stay with someone familiar with their area.
Other than hostels and Couch Surfing, I have stayed with
friends, family members of friends, friends of friends, and new people that I
have just met all around the world. It’s
easy and wise to just ask people that you know if they know of anybody living
in or from your destination of choice or if they have any connections to that
area. I have stayed with a friend’s fiancé
and her family in Croatia, I stayed with a friend in Canada that I met months
earlier in Thailand, a friend’s cousin in Singapore, an apartment of a friend
of a friend in Dubai, I stayed at a friend’s loft in Austria that I met in
India, I stayed in somebody’s finished attic of her family’s home that I met
one day in Paris, I stayed with a nice couple in India that I met months
earlier on a boat in Thailand, I stayed with a cousin and his family of
somebody that I met on Couch Surfing in Guatemala, I stayed with my mom’s
friend’s friend and her lovely family in Ireland and then I stayed with her
brother and his family in England, and much more!
Websites that I use for Cheap Accommodations are:
Hostelworld.com
Hostels.com
Booking.com
Agoda.com
Couchsurfing.com
Fly Cheap, Sleep
Cheap, Travel Cheap!
There are many ways to get from one place to another on a
budget. Other than budget airlines, I like
to take trains, buses, and even boats.
Depending on the region that I’m in, some places are cheaper to get to
via train and some via buses, and sometimes via boat. When backpacking Western Europe, I bought a
Eurorail pass which was just as expensive as my flight to Ireland (the pass
cost me around $600 in 2010) but it was well worth it and allowed me to go to
21 countries in a 2 month span. The cost
of individual train prices would’ve cost me even more. In the Mediterranean region of Europe, Central
America, Southeast Asia, and India, I traveled via bus most places because it
was cheaper. I even chose over-night
buses often because it would be covering a night accommodation and a ticket to
another destination. Bus prices can
range anywhere from $5 to $40 depending on the area. The downfall of buses can be the super long
hours but, I try to save the seat beside me so I can lay down and sleep and stretch
out. Have stuff to keep you occupied like
reading, writing, planning your itinerary, listening to music, have snacks, and
more. I have chosen to take ferries and
boats because they were cheaper. I took
a ferry from the South of Ireland to France, Belize to Guatemala, and
others. They can provide you a unique and
memorable experience as well! Be sure to keep your belongings safe while
traveling on any means of transportation.
Pack Light!
Save on baggage fees by packing light. You’ll also be glad that you saved yourself
the hassle of lugging around a lot stuff.
When you travel, you’re going to want to buy stuff as you go so the less
you begin with, the better. The less you
have, the less you have to worry about with theft or forgetting anything. Packing light will also help with avoiding
any annoying budget airline restrictions.
Choose a Cruise
If you’re on a strict time frame and budget but want to
visit several places, a cruise can be a great choice. It’s a great way to get your transportation, accommodation,
and food prices all in one! My mom (and
her friend) usually don’t have a long vacation time so I have think of a way to
make the most out of a vacation. We have
gone on two cruises together. For one
cruise, we flew to Miami roundtrip for around $300, then took a cruise from
Miami to the Caribbean islands of the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Turks
and Caicos. We made sure to spend a few
days in South Beach Miami as well. Then,
we took another trip to Fort Lauderdale roundtrip for around $250. From there, we took a cruise to Costa Rica,
Jamaica, Aruba, Columbia, and through the Panama Canal. Again, we made sure to spend some time in
Florida to soak up some more sun. Our
hotel that I booked on a budget website let us come back after our cruise and
hang out by the pool for free. Both of
these trips were about 10 to 12 days long and both cost around $1000 each.
In May/June of 2015, I took a cruise by myself. I always wanted travel to Northern Europe but
I knew that I was spaced out, far away, a huge area, and very pricey. I found a Scandinavian cruise that I paid
around $1300 for. Yes, that it a bit
pricey but you have to realize just how expensive that region of the world is,
how spaced out it is, I didn’t want to spend months upon months over there, and
I was going alone. The price of a cruise
is higher for a single passenger. Cruiselines
charge per bed which means they normally charge a single person double because each
room has at least two twin beds in it unless you pay for a suite, which I was
not going to do. It can be quite
difficult to find single rooms on a cruise when searching online so I called my
travel agent with my American Airlines credit card who booked my cruises in the
past. She looked in her system and found
me a great price that I would not have been able to find on my own online. I flew from Chicago to Boston to Iceland for
around $220, then Iceland to Norway for about $50, then Norway to Denmark for
about $70. My cruise left out of Denmark
to Finland, Sweden, Estonia, St. Petersburg Russia, and back to Denmark for
like 9 days. My entire Northern Europe
trip cost me less than $2000 for 2.5 weeks in 8 destinations.
Collect Airline Miles
I wish I had done this earlier on! I didn’t understand the whole airline miles
and points when I first began traveling.
It wasn’t until my third backpacking trip did I learn about it. Although I had been using my Citi Bank
American Airlines credit card, I wasn’t putting in correct information when I was
booking things. I had met friends who
had told me about all of their free flights from using their airline miles and I
was so confused on what and how!? Since catching
on, I have had 3 free fights; to Canada, Argentina, and Thailand. Have a good credit card that gives you travel
points and matches points if you book with sister airlines. I get double points for every American
Airline sister airline that I book with (find information the airline websites)
and I get one point for every dollar that I spend on the credit card. I pay for everything on my credit card, even
my bills when applicable, and I am sure to pay it off in full each month. The points will begin to add up. Make sure to check on them from time to time
to make sure you’re getting what you earn.
My card is a bit older so I’m sure there are even better offers out
there! To earn your airline points when
booking, be sure to enter your given credit card airline mileage code in the
mileage box when booking and paying for your flights. This is what I wasn’t doing before!
Choose a Great Credit
Card(s)
To be completely honest, I am not a huge fan of credit cards
in general. I never really was. I see the dept and trouble that people have gotten
themselves into by using and misusing credit cards and how banks allow it to
happen with overage abilities, etc. But!
I do love the benefits of them when they are used properly and responsibly. I have two credit cards. One from my PNC bank and one other from Citi
bank (I do not use them as my bank though).
I got the Citi Bank credit card because it offered a $100 credit towards
a flight years ago so I applied and got it.
It’s a great card because I have been able to earn thousands of mileage
points over the years on it and free flights.
I got my PNC credit card because of its travel benefits. I use that card when paying for stuff while
traveling. When you travel and use a
card, you most likely will get charged foreign transaction fees both by your
bank and the company that you’re buying from (because the company or seller
gets charged for you using a card). My
card doesn’t have foreign transactions fees.
My PNC debit card is also fantastic because it automatically reimburses
any ATM fees from anywhere around the world.
This is awesome because ATM fees can be a lot and can definitely add
up. As can any foreign transaction fees. Saving on these fees, and free flights, can
definitely put more money in your pocket for traveling!
Length of Trip Matters
I know that it’s not possible for most people to travels for
month upon months like I have done because of work and other obligations. But, for those who can, or can take off for
more than a week or two, it will allow you to travel more and save more. How can traveling for longer time save you
more money? The answer goes back to the
higher cost of your initial flight ticket that I was talking about before. Once you get to your initial country, it’s
cheap to travel around the region when you’re there. But, this usually entails a longer trip. That doesn’t always have to be the case
though. If you go on separate trips for
short time throughout the years, you will keep paying more to get to a chosen
country. For instance, it cost me around
$200 to get to India, $150 to get to Dubai, and $100 to get to the Philippines
but that was because I was already in Southeast Asia, and $120 to get to
Morocco because I was already spending time in Europe. If I were to fly from the U.S to any of those
countries, it would cost me closer to a $1000 for so. If you can, try to maximize your trip and
travel destinations at a lower cost with the time that you do have.
Layovers Can Be Your Friend
Layovers can often be a burden but, they can also be quite
awesome! I have been able to travel to
some countries virtually for free due to layovers. I booked a trip for my mom and I from Hawaii
to Australia which had an overnight layover on the island of Fiji. We got to Fiji in around noon and paid for a
taxi to a hostel that I had booked for us.
The hostel was super cool. We had
a private room for about $20 together.
They had a BBQ for $5 if you wanted and then a local guy played guitar
as we all sat in a circle outside and tried handmade Kava. We even had time to walk over to the beach
and watch the sunset. Our total cost for
visiting Fiji was around $50 total for the both of us combined. I also booked a trip from Bali, Indonesia to
India which entailed me to stay in Singapore for a night for free. I stayed in with a cousin of a friend of mine
and she showed me around Singapore for the day.
I only paid for a taxi to her place the first day and then a taxi the
next day back to the airport. My ticket
price was around $200 and I spent around $50 total in Singapore. When my mom and her friend flew from Chicago
to Thailand, they had a night layover in Hong Kong. They got to spend the night and day in
Singapore and they only had to pay for their hostel, taxis, and food. A friend that I CouchSurfed with in Taiwan
was recently recognized for his achievement in finding a loophole in an airline
that allowed him to book multiple layovers which took him to several countries
across the globe for a total of around $300, although it was a year-long plan
and use of credit card mileage points, it was a complicated and precise
plan. Despite the airline now changing
that possibility and me not really recommending going to that extent, there are
some great stays that you can have for little to no cost in a country.
Cheap Eats
One of my favorite things about traveling is trying new
foods from all over but food can definitely come at a cost, depending on where
you are. For backpackers and budget
travelers, there are ways to eat cheap when traveling overseas. For one, buy your own food to cook when possible. Some hostels and budget accommodations will
have a kitchen or cooking area for you to use for free. This is more common in cheaper regions of the
world like Central and South American and Southeast Asia. Although, this definitely can in handy when I
was in Northern Europe as well. Iceland
and Northern Europe/Scandinavia are quite expensive regions of the world and
food can be really pricey. A simple
burger and coke can easily cost you close to $30, if not more, in Iceland. A bottle of juice cost close to $5 in
Norway. It’s cost-effective to go to a
nearby market or grocery store and buy food to cook at the hostel. This can definitely stretch your dollar and
provide you more to eat for a while. It’s
also a good way to meet others hanging out and cooking in the hostel too. You
can always exchange and share food with others so you have different things to
eat for no cost. Some hostels and budge
accommodations will provide a free breakfast or snacks. Take advantage of this and look for these
details when looking for a place to stay.
That can help you save on the cost of food! My cute and trendy hostel in Lisbon, Portugal
is one of my most favorites and happened to provide an extensive and customizable
free breakfast menu to those staying. It
only cost around $10 to $15 to stay there and got lots of great food to eat and
free beverages and hot cocoa at anytime of the day! I had free breakfasts at several places
across the globe and access to kitchens all over the place.
Count the Small
Change
Many people like to save their left over currency as a
souvenir. Although I do as well, I also
like to use whatever I can do get whatever I can, this including food! Truthfully, most foreign currency exchange
places will not accept any coins (even if they’re a Euro coin). These left over coins can add up. Obviously, in some places the currency is so
low that most coins are of little to no value anyways but, it’s not bad to
try. I also use whatever currency that I
have, if it’s a smaller amount, to buy fruit and other snacks for traveling
(apples, bananas, juice, water, oranges, pears, nuts, carrots, etc). This will save you money on later spending
more money on food at airports or at rest stops on bus trips which expect tourists
who are hungry and are willing to spend more money on food when they see
it. I have done this on all of my trips
and I still have a small bag of left over currency as souvenirs so don’t worry
about that.
Overall, there are countless ways to be able to travel far
on a small budget. How do I know,
because I’ve done it!
