Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10
The Savings Mind-Set
Saving money on the road requires breaking away from the conventional mind-set that travel is ex-
pensive and that we need to stay in hotels, eat at world-class restaurants, and go on package tours to
have a good time.
When we are home, we live within our means. If life was as expensive as we think travel is, it would be
just as hard to get by at home as it would be while on the road. We couldn't afford it. We spend less money
than we earn because we know the consequences of not doing so. So why shouldn't we do the same when
we travel? People in the destinations you visit live a day-to-day lifestyle similar to yours back home. Folks
in Paris aren't staying in hotels or eating five-star gourmet meals every night. They cook and shop at markets
just like you. You don't need to splurge every day in order to “experience the culture.” In fact, if you want to
truly experience life in a particular region, you do the exact opposite—live frugally, just like the locals.
Under the logic of the travel industry, if you spend a lot of money, you will have a wonderful time, and if
you don't, you'll have a crappy time. A cheap holiday is a horrible holiday. But that's not true. That same line
of thought would imply that if we don't spend lots of money at home, we can't be happy. We know that isn't
true either.
We need to look for value when we travel. It's about not taking the first offer you see. It's about doing
research and planning. It may be more work than just jet-setting off to some exotic destination, but it will help
you save and stop wasting money on the road.
Part Two of this topic teaches you the tricks and tips needed to get into the savings mind-set. Once you
know a few basic tricks, you can easily spot the deals, and finding them becomes second nature to you.
Why You Need to Budget If You Don't Want to Go Home Early
Once you're on the road, you're going to have a lot of opportunities to spend money. If you aren't careful,
you'll quickly find that you've busted your budget. Travel is filled with temptation. There's always some
activity to enjoy, a new restaurant to try, or people looking to drag you to the nearest bar. Travel can suck your
money out of your wallet like a vacuum cleaner.
Making your money last is as much about knowing how you spend as it is about knowing how to find
good travel deals. The way to do that is to be smart and realistic about how you spend money—because it all
starts with the budget.
When I travel, I don't budget a lot of money for accommodations, tours, or even transportation. I find the
cheapest accommodation or I use services that let me stay with locals for free. I don't take a lot of tours and
I walk almost everywhere. I budget a lot of money for food and drinks because that's what I want to enjoy
the most. I didn't spend every night at home so I could fly to Australia and not go out or head to France to
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