Planning a trip with air (or other mass transit), car rental, lodging, dining, entertainment and activities can get pretty expensive. That’s why so many people have started trying to cut their travel costs.
I like to think of myself as a Budget Traveler. I am willing to make a lot of small sacrifices in order to keep trip costs in line. Those savings also allow me to do more and to travel more frequently.
- I am happy to stay in moderate priced hotels where I can get a good deal or use points as payment for my stay.
- I love using Autoslash to reduce the cost of my car rentals. I also tend to choose an economy car that has the lowest rate, best gas mileage and is easy to drive and park.
- I watch for fare sales and have no problem traveling via an economy air carrier (like Southwest) as long as I don’t have to pay a lot of add on fees for bags and seat assignments.
But that doesn’t mean I am willing to give up EVERYTHING! Two areas I will not make deep budget cuts are Dining and Experiences.
The main reason why I travel is for the experiences. They are what drive me to travel. Trying foods wherever I go is also a must for me! I get great delight out of trying food and drinks that are the specialty of the area. I may cut my expenses by having a cheap lunch that day if I am going to a really cool dinner, but that’s about as much as I am willing to sacrifice on dining! I eat the snails when in Paris or the Chocolate Torte in Vienna and I don’t care how much it costs! (Both were delicious and so worth it).
The other reason I travel is to explore the area, get into the local history and see the sites. If there are coupons, multi site bundle deals, or cheap times of day to visit, I may choose to save in that way. But I am gonna see and do all the things important to me in the area whenever I am traveling, no matter what the cost is. No Regrets! Besides my husband always says “It’s only money and we will make more tomorrow.” Gotta love that logic!
I have a Seize the Day Mentality. You just have to do things on your travels because you never know if you will be there again or if some unforeseen thing will happen. I am not sorry that I spent the money to tour Norte Dame last year because it burned shortly afterwards. I never would have gotten that chance again.
Summing it All Up
My Budget Travel motto is to save money on the big costs so that I can spend more on the fun stuff! So cut all the corners you want on the big travel costs, but then eat something delicious, watch a sunset, or climb a waterfall!
Dream, Plan, Save, Adventure!
It’s not just my Tagline, it is a perfectly balanced budget travel plan!
The World According to Dev 