So… I’m going on vacation. Holy moly I’m so excited. I haven’t been off from work since last September, excuse me, almost a year. And to say I’m over the moon to be going away for ten days is an understatement. However, I have been reflecting somewhat on the whole “traveling in your twenties” and put together a few tips for you guys to make it easier, cheaper and more realistic to travel.
For starters. Most of us in our twenties do not have money to travel every month. And I know this is what we are fed with on the socials, our favorite influencers going here and there every other week. But truthfully, the majority of us could maybe afford one holiday a year, if even that. I know I’m struggling with paying rent, food, electricity and everything else to begin with. The thought of throwing in a trip to Italy just doesn’t seem to fit in.
Though I will say, traveling is one of my biggest passions in life, therefore I try to prioritize it. Make it fit in my budget if you will. However, these last years I have been somewhat irresponsible with my money regarding traveling. I may or may not have been taking a few unplanned weekends through the spring without really thinking. But lesson learned, I know now that I don’t have an unlimited amount of money and I may have to rethink how I budget for trips.
Okay, enough of my rabeling. The first and foremost tip I have for you guys is: “Saving monthly”. Now you may think “No f*king shit”, but hear me out. Where I work I get a holiday pay every month on my paycheck. This is basically the money I would have gotten if I had weeks off and didn’t have an hourly pay. This usually comes out to about 300 dollars a month. Now normally I would be going shopping, spending these 300 dollars on God knows what. But what if I didn’t. I haven’t tried this for that long, I’m just being honest, but think about it. 300 dollars a month is 3600 dollars a year. Now that is a great vacation.
Secondly, airbnb. See I would say “make friends that live in a different country” because that is the cheapest and easiest way to find a sleeping spot. Though I understand this is not optional for everyone. So instead rent a place. Never sleep on airbnb, traveling with a friend or many friends can be really cheap by renting a place like this. On the plus side, usually you are provided with a full kitchen, meaning you don’t have to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner out. Hence saving some cash.
The airlines are going to hate me for this: “Check in one bag”. See tickets for flights can be significantly higher just because you added a bag. So if you and a friend travel together, take one bag for checkin and one carry-on, saving money and just sharing the space. Also the cheapest flights are usually like six months beforehand or like two weeks beforehand.
For me at least, the thing I spend most money on during a trip is food. But since I have done a lot of traveling on a budget, I realized that you don’t have to go out and eat every single day. This is a big money saver, literally just buy picnic foods and go to the local beach with a bottle of wine. Promise this will be even better than going out for dinner.
Don’t go to the big cities. Staying in the popular cities is far more expensive than staying a few minutes outside. Most times you’re able to either walk or take the bus to the “big city”, however you will save a ton of money by not staying there. Here are some of my favorite places I have stayed:
Those are my biggest tips regarding cheaper travel. Okay, stay safe and have fun, I’m gonna enjoy my vacation now.
Until next time…
Grewupblog