Travel On A Budget

I have always been in love with fashion, the one material thing I really find pleasure in and spend a good portion of my discretionary income on is clothes. I have a love-hate relationship with this fact and here’s why.  Although my clothes really do honestly bring me joy and not the fleeting type they do go out of style after a season or so.  I am getting a lot better than my younger self at picking out timeless styles and styles that I find flatter me the best but I find I accumulate quite a bit and feel like my life is very cluttered.

As I get older I realize that that cute skirt will come back and go out of season time and time again but the memories from travels will be with me forever.  Talking to friends and reliving my experiences bring me, even more, joy than that new sweater or pair of shoes ever will.  Being able to share tips on locations to visit with someone planning their first trip to a destination you’ve traveled or bonding with strangers over cities you’ve both seen is so magical and I know as I grow up these are the things I want more of in my life.  So instead of buying that lunch on a Wednesday or that top from Forever 21 here are some other ways to travel all over the world on a pretty simple budget.

A really big one I think you’ve heard before is travel in the offseason I know school may be off in the summer and Holiday season but taking your vacation in the fall or in months with fewer bank holidays are a great way to shave off some buck on transportation especially.

My next trick is to shop around so many airlines that allow you to save your trip and they will track the best prices and will email you when there is a price drop that way you can get the best deal.  I also really like to plan my trip at least a month in advance that way I can make sure I’m not getting the last minute inflated price

Next, I have to say skip the car if you can is a great way to shave off an expense.  I know when my family went to Germany at Christmas time we talked about how we should have skipped the car.  Especially in Europe their train systems are absolutely amazing and you can really easily get anywhere you want just by taking the train and the bus systems. So when planning your itinerary make sure to look at the public transportation options and see if you can get to all the places with it.

Renting homes instead of staying at an expensive hotel in the heart of the city, although maybe gorgeous, can also be a bit pricey. Check out Airbnb and Homeaway for alternative options. After trying an Airbnb myself I don’t think I’d ever want to stay in a hotel again.  There are so many beautiful homes for rent and often times you can rent the whole house or a very secluded section of the home for your trip.  This is a great way to actually get a feel for the culture in the city your visiting and the homeowners are always so nice and can give you an insiders opinion on the best places to eat and see.

To go along with renting a home rather than staying in a hotel you also have the luxury of grocery shopping and making your own food.  This will cut down on expensive meals out at restaurants and can also be a fun experience shopping at the grocery store and trying local delicacies. Again, when my family was in Germany in December we picked up a couple meals and made breakfast at home before our daily adventures and found the most delicious banana juice and baked pastries.

In terms of entertainment, some of the best experiences can be for little to no money.  Do a little research and see if the town has any cool free museums or outdoor art installations you can visit.  If the weather is nice you can also do a self-guided tour around the city.  In Munich, my family and I spend our evening just wandering the streets looking in shop windows and just exploring, that was one of my favorite nights because we really got an amazing feel for the city.

Finally, skip the souvenirs I personally love taking videos and photos to document my trip as a way to remember my trip instead of buying trinkets. Unless it’s something you can’t possibly live without then will forever remind you of your trip then I say save your money. Instead, bring home treats for you and your loved ones to try and share the experience.

How do you like to plan your holidays?  Do you like buying things over taking trips?