07 Jul Traveling the world on a budget

Traveling the world on a budget 

So if you follow me you know I love to travel. I love when people say “It must be nice that your always traveling” (Not…that’s the New York smartass in me)

But here’s the thing, I don’t buy expensive shoes, clothes or designer bags. I don’t do six dollar Starbucks coffee everyday, I bring my lunch to work every day and cook dinner most nights at home. I eat out or order in only one day a week.

My one luxury is traveling, that is what I enjoy most. Clothes will go out of style, bags get old and you get bored of them. Starbucks and eating out every night is a waste of money to me but traveling is a lifetime of memories that you have forever.

I get to meet all kinds of people, taste different foods, live in different cultures and I get to live my life large. So many people say when I retire or when I have money but that’s just excuses, you might not live to see retirement, or you’ll never have enough money, so you need to do this now. 

There are tricks to being able to travel on a budget. I pay all my bills on my credit cards and pay them off every month so I get points for airlines and rent cars. I can find the best bargains on hotels and excursions, all you have to do is put some effort into what you deem important. It might take me weeks or months to book a trip because I am looking for the best deals.

I stay with friends, I don’t buy junk on vacation, I want to do and see things there. I want to immerse myself in local life. I don’t need to go to the five star restaurants but a little local dive with real local food is what I want. 

Find a local wherever you go, and they will help you find the local spots, not touristy spots which are way more expensive. I remember wanting to go to this tourist spot in Hawaii but hooking up with a local he told me that’s where they kill their pigs and had no idea how it became a hot spot. He instead took me to a place only locals knew, complete with private waterfalls, it was spectacular, way better than the pig spot.

But if I didn’t talk with the locals I would have never seen the island most tourists never see. In Grand Cayman I found a family that made the best Jerk chicken and homemade festive and yes, we were the only white people there but who cared, they welcomed us like family.

I have met lifetime friends on vacations, people I still keep in touch with. I get to travel ro see them and they come to see me. I have the most amazing memories of my vacations, and let me tell you, these memories are worth so much more than a designer bag sitting in my closet.

So today my friends, never say you can’t afford to travel, we all make a way for what we really want. Somehow we find the money for these other things, so stop making excuses and go see the world! Life is too short, live your life large! Bon Voyage!

“Be the change you want to see”

@TreadmillTreats