Travel’s sooo expensive…but is it?
As a self-confessed travelaholic, I hear this from people all the time. It’s not long into the conversation before I realize the person saying that has done very little travel, or else, is enormously pretentious.
Frankly, I love exploring just enough that if it truly was expensive, I’d probably shrug, and accept it as a necessary ~evil~ ahem, expense. Except that’s not the case. I genuinely do believe you can travel smart, and travel cheap.
Why?
Your life costs more than you think.
Do you have any idea how much you spend in any given month, at home? No fancy trips, no emergency expenses. Just plain old slice of life. People run under this ill-begotten impression that their lives don’t cost all that much.
But they do.
In any given month, you’re paying for rent, utilities, groceries, cable, mortgage, car insurance, etc. Then, you’ve got all your “social activities” — your club nights out, and your fancy dinners; your gym memberships, and your concert tickets.
All of these fall into the “regular expenses” bracket, but added together, they all end up costing a pretty penny. But if you went away for a month, you wouldn’t need to pay any of that.
Rent? Utilities? Why not sublet? Or AirBnB your home to some lucky person for the month. Doing this can help you cut your expenses, without getting in trouble with your landlord, the bank, the cable company, etc.
Gym? With all the walking you’ll do, you won’t need it.
As for the big dinners and the nights spent glugging over-priced drinks — why, if you really want to, you can do that abroad, too (though that will incur an added expense!).
Re-consider your spending habits.
I was shopping the other day with a friend, and we were both revolted that every half-decent pair of jeans cost $40 and up.
“The last jeans I bought were from a second-hand store,” I cried, “and I paid $10 for them.”
The trip concluded with my friend proclaiming we had to go find that store again, sometime. You can find that store, too, or at least, one like it. So make a list of things you’re looking to get (a new dress, new pair of sneakers, bowler hat, whatever), and then figure out where you could get it cheapest.
Hit the little stores first. The ones without a big neon sign outside. The ones you won’t be able to brag to your friends about shopping at.
Yes, travel means cutting your spending, but it doesn’t necessarily mean going without.
Make your own damn coffee.
One of the biggest issues I’ve encountered, both in myself and other travel-lovers, is cutting down on your social life. Sure, maybe you skip that trip to Marks&Spencer, but you can’t very well cut off your social circle — can you?
No. And you shouldn’t. But if you’re complaining over needing money while out for coffee with a friend, then maybe it’s time you rethink your attitude.
While the cost of one teensy-tiny espresso out won’t tip you over, financially, it adds up in time. And if you’re prone to pricier tipples, then you can really save some dough by brewing your own.
Sure, bringing your own thermos isn’t as fancy as trotting out a disposable Starbucks take-out, but it’s a lot more budget-friendly. And let’s face it — it’s actual coffee, at least.
Have friends over, go for walks (now that spring is finally here), locate budget-friendly hangouts — there are so many ways you can spend time with friends without emptying your pockets.
And hey, if your friends are adamant about spending a truckload every time you go out, maybe you need new friends.
Decide what you can and can’t live without.
Some people who make the “travel’s so expensive” claim will only ever fly legacy airline. I once tried an experiment with a friend — just how big a difference is there between the two airlines, when flying to Paris?
My Wizz Air search came up to $60, while her AirFrance one hit a nice-and-even $300. I just tried it again, at a more in-season time of departure, but there was still a neat $70 difference.
This is where deciding what you can do without becomes important. Because with the low-cost, most basic option, you only get to take a small backpack with you. Still, depending on how long you’re gone, you can get away with that.
No, you won’t get an airline-branded sandwich during your flight — but how hungry do you get in 2 hours, anyway?
This deciding what you can’t do without mentality also goes during the trip itself.
Me, I’m a ferocious, Lorelai-Gilmore-level coffee addict. So whenever I travel, I make sure there’s an electric kettle in my room, because I will want a few cups of coffee a day. And each of those cafe stops might entice me to additional glazed expenses, so all in all, it’s a great way to save up, and not murder people.
Preferably, try to stay in studios or apartments, since this would also allow you to cook your own meals — a must if you plan on staying longer than a few days, or if you’re not traveling solo.
The life for me…?
Last but not least, figure out the sort of person you are, and stick to it. Simple, but you’d be surprised how many people buy into the Insta-influencer dream, or just do stuff because others say it’s cool.
Yes, you can save a lot of money, if you put your mind to it. Yes, you can spend that money to see the world, and experience all these amazing things, and see Peru before you die.
But that’s not for everyone. While you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who claims a getaway to Florence is a terrible idea, not everyone is willing to save up, and forego some pleasures for that trip.
I understand that maybe you arrived smack-dab in the middle of this article, hoping it was a recipe for traveling without disturbing the nice, settled life you’ve build for yourself.
Except you can’t do that.
If you’re looking to travel, get ready for upheaval. Get ready for the unexpected. For savings, and weird, unpremeditated cost.
Unfortunately, if you do decide to go down this route, your deposit on that nice big house may have to wait.
So might your student loans.
Or that new car you’ve been eyeing.
And yes, those $40 jeans that seemed so expensive to me only seemed so because I think flying is a better use of those $40.
