Giving each other noogies on a cliff in Ireland- we highly recommend!
Traveling and going on vacation doesn’t have to break the bank. In this episode we spend most of our time talking through some tips that will help you save money the next time you book some travel. But first, we want you to think about the aspects of travel that you enjoy the most, and then center your trip around that (like breweries and the outdoors- a couple of our favorites!). March to your own drum! Don’t give in to the pressures of taking the touristy route or doing the activities that you have no interest in. It might seem like an obvious point to make, but this is the crucial first step before you even begin to plan your trip. You be you!
Once you’ve covered the ‘why am I doing this?’ question, it’s time to start saving money! Here are the practical tips we have for traveling:
- Consider staying in the United States
- Be flexible with your dates AND your destination. Huge cost savings here.
- Go with friends to cut down on costs
- Make sure to have a credit card with no foreign transaction fee
- Plus a bunch of other awesome stuff- be sure to listen for the rest!
Related posts:
And at the beginning of this episode we cracked open a double IPA- Hopslam by Bell’s Brewery which you can find and learn all about on Untappd. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and review us in iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Cheers!
Really enjoying the podcast gents! Drinking a Elora Borealis Citra Pale Ale brewed here in Ontario as I finish listening now. Discovering my “why” (purpose) is generally a current mindset or situation decision.
Am I feeling burnt out and do I just need some R&R in the mountains or a beach? Or am I feeling more adventurous and looking to put myself outside my comfort zone living like a local in South America or Central/Eastern Europe? Or do I just need to go back down and reconnect with my roots via family, familiar childhood locations, etc?
Then it comes down to hacking it as best possible to do it cost-effectively.
Keep up the great content! Looking forward to the next episode.
-Scott
Thanks, Scott! Maybe we can work out a beer trade soon…we would love to try some great Canadian craft beer on the show.
Love your podcast! Good ideas!
We are a family of four — two cool adults with a 15 year old and a 12 year old. What works for us when we travel to a location is for each person pick out the one thing they want to do. This allows us time to do each of these requests and have flex time. That flex time is nice to have if the weather is bad one day or a “must do” has a set time that must be adhered to, etc. And we always eat local — food seems to be some of the best memories.
Nadine
Thanks for listening Nadine! And those are some awesome tips- I love the idea of letting your different family members to each have a say as to what the trip is going to look like. That way everybody has some ownership and I bet its just way more fun that way too! Even though my oldest is only 4, we might even be able to start incorporating that for our next trip!
Oh, and I’m totally with you regarding eating local. Food memories are the best memories as far as my family is concerned! 🙂
Hey Matt and Joel!
Recently discovered your podcast! You guys are great and have given me more confidence in areas of personal finance that I’ve found intimidating and confusing previously. Thanks!
I totally agree with you guys about exploring nature and cool neighborhoods while traveling! Many typical tourist attractions are over-priced and underwhelming.
I have a few other suggestions about traveling on the cheap:
– Think carefully about the cost of the destination versus the cost of the plane ticket. While you might find a cheap ticket to western Europe, food and lodging will be expensive there. Alternatively, a fight to Southeast Asia might be more expensive, but the cost of accommodation and food will be significantly cheaper than many other destinations. In 2013, I traveled for 6 months solo around China and Southeast Asia for ~$30/day for food and lodging.
– I love staying in hostels, even when I’m traveling with my husband. Since we’re in our late 30s, we prefer to have a private room, which more and more hostels now offer at costs that are much cheaper than nearby hotels. Additionally, hostel employees are often super helpful at giving directions for getting around cheaply on buses, subways, etc. Hostels are also a great way to meet people! I prefer hostelworld.com for finding hostels, because the reviews often lead me to find fun and unique places. Hostels have the reputation for being for travelers in their 20s, and while this is true for some, many hostels host travelers of a wide range of ages, some are even kid-friendly.
– Staying in a part of the city that is not centrally located may also be cheaper and have the benefit of being in a less touristy area. For instance, when visiting New York a few summers ago, my husband and I opted for an AirBnB in Jersey City, which is just a quick Path Train ride to downtown Manhattan. Not only did we save about $150/night compared to hotels in midtown Manhattan, but this AirBnB turned out to be our all-time favorite AirBnB!
– This last suggestion is somewhat obscure, but if you happen to be a student at the University of Washington in Seattle or the University of Michigan, apply for the Bonderman Fellowship! (bonderman.uw.edu; lsabonderman.com) Recipients of this award are paid to travel solo around the world for 8 months.
Thanks guys!
Sally
Sally- these are some awesome tips! Thanks for sharing and for listening to the pod!
Howdy Gents,
In the middle of the episode, one of you mentioned a cool architectural tour you did in a Portland Neighborhood. Do you have the name of the PDF or a link to the website where you found it?
It sounds like something that I would really like to check out when I visit!
Thanks!
Hey Colin, check out: http://www.portlandlandmarks.org/self-guided-walking-tours . There are 4 different ones there, super cool- as was the Victoria Mansion which we enjoyed checking out: https://victoriamansion.org