5 Pocket Friendly Tips to Help You See More of the World Sooner

Guest Blogged by M.A Brown

The world is a very big place and you occupy only a very tiny space in it. Time is passing and you want to discover it all. You read travel magazines and you feverishly watch the travel channel. You know there is so much to see, a myriad of things to learn and a wealth of experience to gain when you unapologetically immerse yourself in a foreign culture. You have the will to travel, but lack financial capacity and so your travel dreams do not fit into your reality. If you can relate to any of the above, then this article is for you.

Here are five pocket friendly tips to help you see more of the world and sooner.

1. Get a piggy bank.  Yes I know piggy banks are for kids, maybe a cookie jar or shoebox or whatever container you have lying around your house is more age appropriate.  Whatever you choose, use it to save all your loose coins. Yes, those same coins that you sometimes sweep away, the ones that fall into the little crevices of the sofa or down the shower drain. Once I religiously saved all my coins for about a year and I accumulated roughly $60 USD. While $60 may not be able to buy a plane ticket, depending on where you are heading, it could however help with some of the expenditures incurred while on the trip (transportation, food, souvenirs etc.).

2. Five star hotels are overrated. If you really want to get to know a country and culture, chances are a five star hotel will not be a true representation of what you are looking for. Don’t get me wrong, five star hotels are great if you are into luxury and spa treatments and so forth. However, if you really want to get to know a country, the type of hotel doesn’t really matter. As long as it’s clean and well located, then it’s acceptable.  It is also important to read reviews before you book your hotel. Sites such as Booking and Trip Advisor can have on point reviews if you take the time out to research. Booking a hotel takes time if you really want to get the best deal for your money. 

3. Research and plan. This is connected with Tip # 2.  It is important to start a couple months before to research not only hotels but also the sites you want to visit or activities you want to carry out. Research transportation, you can save a lot of money if you take public transportation like the locals do. Apps like Google maps are great for giving you routes, transportation prices and schedules. I always search for trip itineraries from people who have already visited the place to get an idea of the sites I want to visit, and which touristic sites are located closest to each other. Make a plan for each day of all the places you want to see in that particular day, taking into account which places are in the same area that you want to visit. Always try to go in one direction without having to visit one area twice to see different things. There are a lot of bloggers who post their trip itineraries and also give amazing tips on where to eat, where to stay and what to do.  Take the time out to plan your trip and research transportation costs, entry fees, restaurant costs and so forth. If you have some notion of how much you should be spending will help you to be financially prepared before traveling and also helps to save money and time while you are there. Also, in most places there is always that one local vendor or cab driver or whomever it may be that is always trying to make an extra buck at your expense because he realized that you are a foreigner. When you research, you will learn how to better deal with these pesky opportunists. When I visited Buenos Aires, a cab driver had rigged his taximeter just as the reviews on Trip advisor had warned. Luckily I had done my research and was able to pick that up before it was too late. I promptly disembarked the cab and ended up paying way less than he had planned! I bet he didn’t see that one coming.

4. Start small. If you cannot afford to do that tour Africa or visit Europe right now, that’s okay! Start small, one day you will be able to go to these places. Visit a neighbouring city or somewhere that is not so far from you that is within your financial means. Every city has a different story to tell and something new to see.  There is always something to learn, if you look for it. And the most important tip of all…

5. Cut back on spending. If you want to travel, you will need money. Also, you will need some extra money reserved just in case something happens. For example, you tried some foreign food that looked suspicious but you ate it anyway in the name of adventure and cultural immersion and now you have a terrible case of food poisoning that requires medical care ASAP. In another scenario, the wheels on your luggage may have broken off unexpectedly and as you walk through the airport the metal from the area where the wheels were attached are embarrassingly scraping a line on the airport floor, leaving a trail behind as you walk to your boarding gate and you come to the woeful conclusion that you need to buy a new bag. Not that any of this happened to me, but the point is - stuff happens. The prudent traveler must be prepared for all eventualities. Reserve some extra cash and do not spend it until you are back in the comfort of your home.

Also while on the matter of saving, do you really need a new item of clothing or accessories every month? Is it entirely necessary to eat out every single weekend? Is it a do or die situation to spend excessive amounts on anything at all? Well, if you plan to travel, you will need to cut back on something. Reflect on where all your miscellaneous money goes. Some of that money could be saved for traveling.

These tips have been tried and proven and have helped me to save a lot of money during my travels and I hope they will be of help to you too

---

M.A. Brown is the author of the children’s book Stella and the Star People. She enjoys traveling, learning foreign cultures, creative writing and poetry. She is a dentist by profession, but has been writing since an early age.M.A. Brown Facebook