Travelling has gone so mainstream that it may now be considered a culture. Maybe it’s because of social media influence or maybe the work culture has just pressed on humans too much that we always felt the need to get away and be somewhere where we are strangers.
While photos and videos of travels are always entertaining to browse through, for some of us it is too good to be true. I know a few influencers advertise how awesome the nomadic life is and just dedicating your life to travel is the most fulfilling thing ever, it sometimes is just a good lie.
Not all of us have insurances to cover the costs nor do we have the parents or trust funds or sugar daddies to pay for wherever our hearts desire. For a lot of us, the travels that we make are “treats” and not a regular meal. At times we just got to have to make ends meet and squeeze whatever we can into our travel funds.
Travels out of my pockets are always the most difficult to get through because they take a lot of planning and compromising.
I had to go for cheap hostels but I also had to make sure they are in a safe community and near public transportation. Though not my all experience with hostels have been pleasant, I would go back and do the same thing because this compromise has saved me a ton of money.
I took public transportation A LOT. The only time I took an Uber was when I was rushing to the airport and even that was a work-funded expense. I learned that taking public transportation is cheaper and actually is a lot more fun and I got to feel local. I just got lost a lot but this one’s on me.
I also joined in tour groups for locations that are not accessible by public transport which is inherently cheaper than going solo. For this, it’s better to take the tour group type where you don’t really have to follow a guide all the time. I liked the ones that the bus only drops you off certain spots and pick you up at a specific time. This gave me the chance to explore the place at my own pace. However, if you prefer having a guide, by all means go for it.
For my travels, except for extremely few occasions, I would always go for hawker, street food, food courts, or hole-in-the-wall type. I found that these are always cheaper options and they’re the best way to experience the local food in all its glory.
Travelling is one of the things that does not strain you too much financially. It does not have to always be fancy to give you a great experience. If you are willing to make compromises to make the trip fit your budget, then the issue of money will not be able to stop you from the trip.
It just really takes a lot of effort to save up and plan for a trip that’s within a budget but as long as you make sure you do it for yourself and not for everyone else’s applause, it will all be worth it.
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