Planning for a vacation on a budget can be stressful, but it is not impossible! Annie Yu is back to talk her favorite budget travel hacks with our host, Ashley Newton.
We share some of our favorite budget travel destinations and experiences, as well as those special items that we think are worth splurging on!
How do you stay on budget when traveling? Let us know in the comments or using #TravelStoriesUnpacked
Connect with us on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khmtravel/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/khmtravel
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@khmtravel?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/khmtravel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khmtravel/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/khm-travel-group
Web: https://khmtravel.com/
YouTube: http://bit.ly/2vIi0DQ
hello and welcome to travel stories
unpacked the travel podcast where we
talk about all things from the silly to
the serious and everywhere in between so
if you love hearing different stories
and opinions about travel then you have
come to the right place and I am your
host Ashley Newton thank you so much for
spending some of your time with us we
really appreciate it and we hope that
you keep coming back so for our show
today we are going to talk about
traveling on a budget and my guest for
this show
I’m welcoming back Miss Annie youu who
was on for our solo travel episode but
is also an expert I think on this topic
so she’s back to talk about traveling on
a budget so welcome Annie yeah I’m happy
to be back I think this makes me the
podcast very first uh repeat guest right
that’s true and that wasn’t even
intentional but no but honest when we
were so I’m also the producer of the
show I guess I should say but if you
already knew that but when we were
talking about Budget Travel um I have a
lot of opinions on it because these days
just leaving the house you’re G to spend
money you know what I mean oh my God so
true yeah and like so that’s sort of
when we knew we wanted to do this topic
together we thought that it was going to
be really important to kind of Define
what Budget Travel even means because to
so many people that means so many
different things so we actually did a
poll on km travels YouTube channel so
that is one place that you can watch
this podcast and we might do more polls
like that in the future so if you want
to to have your voice heard and then
have the results shared on the show be
sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel
to see all of our community posts and
all the fun things that we do there but
for the poll that we did we put up a
bunch of different options like what do
you think budget travel means to you per
person so there were like four different
categories and the lowest one was $500
to $1,000 per person and that one took
the majority so for the majority of
people when they’re talking about
traveling on a budget they want to spend
anywhere from $500 to ,000 per person I
mean I think it depends are you doing a
road trip are you flying anywhere like
how long is your trip because I don’t
know what you can do for $500 so with
that in mind I don’t know if all of our
tips will perfectly adhere to that
budget but that is what we’re trying to
sort of speak to is that General range
you know that’s what budget means for us
in this context because for some people
budget could be like anything under
10,000 a steel yeah and if you are one
of those people well if you are one of
those people let me know if you need a
friend I will give up solo travel just
to go with you we’re very good travel
companions as long as you’re floating
the bill we’ll come with you um but yeah
so now that we have sort of that number
established I think it makes sense to
start with some of the basic stuff so
please bear with us if you are a
seasoned traveler and you know all of
these things but a lot of times you have
to live it to learn it right so what is
your most basic tip that you have for
somebody that wants to travel but
doesn’t feel like they can really afford
to to invest that much money in it gosh
it’s um I think you have to be realistic
and manage your expectation based on
your budget if budget is the biggest
factor for you like you’re not going to
go to Iceland for five days on a $500
budget trust me I would love that yeah
no just saying Iceland I think I just
heard money come out of my account but
um you have to be realistic about what
your budget is and what you can do on
that budget I know there are some people
who are like extreme travel
hackers I don’t know if I’m one of them
because I like to I can travel on a
budget and I think that ties into my
background as mostly a Solo Traveler
because when you’re traveling solo you
you pay for everything yourself yeah so
that kind of becomes a part of it but
biggest tip like I said is just be
realistic about what kind of experience
you want to have where you want to go
how far you want to go and also on the
flip side think about what you are
willing to splurge on because if there’s
something you really want to do I
promise if you do it you’re not going to
look back on it be like yeah that was a
lot of fun but I spent so much money
yeah no that’s so true and this is from
a pretty Frugal person but I would
always rather have the experience than
save whatever amount of money because
I’m so stressed out about it now granted
that does come from a place of
realistically can you even do that and
like what can you splurge on so I think
that’s a really good tip even with
Budget Travel accounting for those
Splurge nights Splurge items or you know
Splurge
memories gosh I said Splurge a lot
there but I think something that comes
to mind for a lot of people is if you
can staying with family or friends and
using that as your s like couch surfing
taking it to that sort of extreme have
you done much of that couch surfing no
um because everywhere I’ve gone I try to
stay somewhere usually in a place by
myself just for safety um and I really
my sister’s the only person I know that
lives outside of the country where I if
I’m able to stay with her I will but she
lives in Japan and houses are like this
big
so even there I get my own place I know
there’s like websites you can go to to
like it’s almost like Airbnb where you
can like rent out a couch yeah not for
me yeah not for this one I had to agree
like even though that is a good tip I
mean granted it depends where do you
even have family and friends that you
can visit because if they’re all pretty
local that’s not getting you very far
but for me that’s not
really a travel style that I enjoy I
really like having that private time to
myself plus I feel weird like especially
it’s someone I haven’t spoken to in a
while like hey haven’t spoken to you a
while but can I stay with you yeah I see
you move to Oregon I’ve been getting to
get up there can I know I haven’t talked
since college but can I come sleep on
your couch yeah no there is definitely a
social Decor in there so we’re not
saying to go into your old weird
Facebook contacts and start getting
people up for same with family though
it’s like oh I haven’t talked to this
relative in Forever next thing you know
they’re spreading rumors like she only
talks to me when she needs something
yeah no that’s so true and like I feel
like especially with that sort of thing
like sometimes it’s you want that
invitation to be extended first so maybe
if you dance around that yeah like if
you’ve had people already invite you to
their place to stay and you’ve already
thought about it like sure maybe take
advantage of that and follow back up
with them yeah you ever been invited
somewhere where you just have no
interest
visiting like you don’t when you have a
friend MO you should come visit me and
you’re like I’m really not that
interested in nowhere Indiana but maybe
if I’m passing through on my way to
Chicago or something well or it’s like I
actually really love the destination but
I don’t like you that
much but if you’re on a budget do you
like yeah yeah for sure I mean I’ll get
over it for a week though just to see
the mountains or whatever they happen to
be but so if you if you have found a way
to successfully navigate this weird
social element let us know because we’re
not doing it quite well but it is a sort
of well-known hack to yeah save money on
that big uh I think the other really
obvious one is staying local and this
one I actually really like because I
have lived in the same state you know
we’re based out of Ohio and I’ve lived
here my whole life but so much of what
is around me I’ve never seen even our
neighboring states you know what I mean
or stuff with okay I thought you were
going like the station route but now
you’re talking about like still leaving
your house yeah still going somewhere
you haven’t been but not necessarily
thinking you have to leave the country
or even drive 10 hours to have a good
experience that’s true I mean road trips
I think um when it comes to budget are
really effective yeah like really if you
think about it traveling in general if
you fly somewhere that’s the biggest
expense even if you go to a really
budget friendly country like somewhere
in Europe let’s say like one of the most
affordable countries places I ever been
was Berlin like I couldn’t believe I
don’t want I don’t like using the word
cheap but I couldn’t believe how budget
friendly it was yeah cheap has leaves a
bad taste in your mouth because I feel
like it speaks to the quality of things
whereas affordable or budget it’s a
great value I should say it’s a great
value yeah but um yeah and I was there
by that was a solo trip and I couldn’t
believe how affordable everything was
and I stayed in this beautiful Airbnb I
am team Airbnb I am not team Hotel s
that’s okay it’s not but we did an
episode on that and I think that speaks
to it too is like with budget where
which one’s cheaper well for you in that
instance it was Airbnb CU I don’t always
necessarily want to go out to eat three
times three four times a day either
sometimes I just want to chill at home
make some instant noodles or something
you know that’s a really good way to
save money too right but yeah I mean
flying somewhere is always going to be
the biggest expense like even in a place
like um I mentioned earlier my sister
lives in Japan her and her family live
in Tokyo which is notoriously expensive
but flying there is the biggest expense
and honestly even a place like
there you can find really good cheap
eats um and drinks of course um
especially drinks um there’s always
options if you just dig around a little
bit honestly that’s some of the best
meals I’ve ever had just slurping
noodles out of a plastic Bowl sitting on
a dirt road in you know middle of
nowhere like some of the best meals I
ever had I for sure like4 food is
definitely something that I will splurge
on but that you need to survive so yes I
agree but like that doesn’t necessarily
mean I want to go to really fancy places
like I’ve never been to like a Michelin
star restaurant and I don’t even know if
that’s something I’m very interested in
but like but you’d love it would I do
you think absolutely cuz I feel like
number one what is up with these portion
sizes
ma’ have you seen that video of like
this woman that recorded her dad at a
Michelin restaurant and he’s just so
unimpressed like the waiter lifts up
this lid and like there’s like smoke
around it’s just like a single egg and
he’s like where’s the rest of it he’s
just so unimpressed I also feel like if
I’m paying 35 $35 wouldn’t get you
anything at a Michelin star restaurant I
don’t know I don’t know why that never
came to mind but if I’m paying this
absurd amount of money for food I kind
of want it to be something I recognize
as food as well like when they start
getting real like oh this is
deconstructed foam of what used to be
salmon I’m like can I just have the
salmon like the rest of the salmon I
want the constructed salmon yeah so you
know but like that isn’t necessarily
where I like pull back the purse strings
when I’m traveling but I do always take
advantage of the let’s be honest
mediocre at best continental breakfast
like it’s not good you know it’s not
going to be good but I’m going to get my
bagel I’m going to get my individual
cream cheese and then I’m good for a few
hours remember what I said earlier about
managing your expectations that’s a
perfect example yeah but here’s the
thing if we talk about food I know for a
fact you love specialty dining when we
go cruising like that is one thing I
know you will splurge on especially if
it’s a themed Resturant yeah I love a
theme and I do I like feeling like this
is an elevated moment especially if
everything’s Buffet otherwise so I did
do specialty dining once um on my first
cruise I’m not going to say which cruise
line but it was themed restaurant and it
was supposed to be one of those really
fancy like gastro pub experiences you
know I know what she’s talking about and
this dish comes out and it’s like a test
tube and I’m looking around the table we
have no idea what the heck this thing is
and the server is standing right there
and of course like you I never want to
be rude into in front of a server even
if I don’t like something right and
she’s like all right so you do it like a
shot we like what is it she goes it’s
bread foam mixed with tapioca on the
bottom and like some sort of sweet
simple syrup in the middle and I’m like
bread foam so we do it like a shot and
the worst part is it’s room temperature
first of all the foam is like stuck on
the roof of my mouth and like I can tell
everyone at the table’s trying not to
gag but the server standing right there
and she goes it’s good isn’t it we’re
all like yeah it’s really good and why
do we why do we do that Society like at
least most people I know like you will
lie and be like yeah no this was delic
like saying no it wasn’t for me is also
acceptable I think I mean I wouldn’t do
it but I feel like you should be able to
because someone took the time to make
this test Tu bread foam nastiness and I
don’t want to insult the chef you know
no I get it I do but I will say I went
to the exact same cuz I was on Annie’s
first cruise with her and I went to the
same specialty dining restaurant on
board wait did you have the same dish
then they no they did not serve it to me
they did not serve me the weird bread
foam I did not specifically order the
weird bread foam and my experience was
10 out of 10 oh good for
you but it’s just funny not to bargain
brag okay no I mean when it comes
because I’m like I consider myself a
pretty big foodie so I would love a
Michelin star experience I’ve ever had
one I’ve had really high-end meals yeah
but on the flip side like I said I’ve
also had food from a street cart you
know and which sometimes is the best
though is my point like we talk about
Budget Travel you know what I mean like
that’s it I feel like in a way it’s more
authentic too it’s not trying to
like a mom and pop shop is not going to
try to impress you with you know a
smeared sauce on like a big white plate
like right the presentation is going to
be a little foil pack or like some
skewers a bre basket with one of those
checkered parchment papers underneath
like I I want I’m just as happy with
that too if I go into a random bar and I
see that it is the sort of food that’s
served in those baskets I’m stoked I’m
like this is going to be a
frier frier delicious smorgas sport of
just everything I love and it’s gonna be
affordable it’s not going to be it’s
like some dollars yeah I mean some some
of these places are getting a little too
big for their Bridges it’s like you have
no right charging this amount for this
burger that you like got frozen from
cost and looked like someone sat on
before it got to me like yeah I agree
like I want what I’m paying for to match
what I’m getting so we agree on the food
thing yeah thing I’ve heard this too cuz
like some destinations are intrinsically
more about the food and snack experience
and I think that one of those places is
Disney but Disney does allow you to
bring in your own food and snacks don’t
they I I have no idea I’ve never been so
I’ve I haven’t been since I was a kid
but I’ve seen this like that’s
surprising to hear that they would well
when you think about it Mo it does cater
a lot to families and small kids so like
kids will go through phases where all
they’ll eat is goldfish or all they’ll
eat is you know these one little baby
puff that they like so I think they are
keep it’s more for that in mind and I
could be totally wrong about this so
please correct me if I am but I also
feel like they know that like I want my
Mickey pretzel or I want my Mickey
pretzel yeah so like a lot of people
aren’t taking advantage of it so I don’t
think it really causes like a loss for
them but that’s a situation especially
where like I would happily carry around
a backpack of beef jerky and you know
like sandwiches and pretzels or whatever
if the occasion felt like it called for
that but I would much rather just buy
the food at where I’m at like but it is
a good way to save money especially if
you have dietary restrictions hard for
you that or you know maybe you’re just
not a foodie maybe like food to you is
just to stay alive I was just talking to
a friend about yeah and he is a chef by
the way that’s what that’s how he you
know pays his rent is he cooks
professionally but the way he described
food to me he’s like yeah I just you
know I have to eat it I was like I’m
sorry but so like those are some areas
you know where you can look at getting
into the budget travel on like beginner
level right
I also think and I actually don’t know
how I feel about this but how do you
feel about an all-inclusive resort as a
budget option well it’s hard to say I’ve
never vacationed on all-inclusive but I
see the appeal yeah it’s that you really
whip out your credit card once and same
with cruises all-inclusive cruises
cruises and I think that’s the appeal is
that they’re very um to some people it’s
the best value for your money cuz
especially if you’re on a cruise like
you get to see all these different
places um you sleep in the same bed
every night and it’s all you can eat and
drink usually same with all inclusive
resorts so I think if that’s what you
want then yeah I think that’s pretty
cool it’s not for me yeah cuz I’m not
the type to lay I’m kind of like you
like I can’t lay around on a beach for a
day or even two hours like I want to go
do something I want to go out and
Venture and have a more immersive
experience I guess yeah see for me I
don’t think all-inclusive would end up
being that affordable by the time I was
done building it out because I would
different excursions so I actually the
property and by the time you start
adding all those costs and you know your
transportation and blah blah blah blah
and I can only you get got yeah you do
and I can only do
the no offense I’m sure there’s some say
really good allinclusive food out there
but I have not personally experienced
that it’s very mid to be honest at the
places I’ve been I know that like once
you start spending more money you’re in
a whole different tier but then again
I’m paying for the specialty dining so
it’s like they even have that at all
inclusives where it’s like you make a
reservation and you have to pay for it
so by the time all of a sudden done for
me I don’t think it would be that
affordable yeah and like I said when it
comes to we keep going back to food
because I mean we like to eat I know the
first 20 minutes of this podcast is
going to be food not sorry but like yeah
like if I’m somewhere I want to
experience like the local Cuisine there
have been times where I was just so not
impressed though like two of my friends
and I a couple years ago we went to um
we went to Budapest I know it’s Budapest
but I won’t say it that way because I
feel like a douchebag I get that with
the croissant no mine is baral Bea
barcalona yeah like I know I’m saying it
wrong but just let me say it wrong yeah
I feel like it’s sort of against
American culture to like be like makes
you look snobby honestly like that’s the
thing it’s like no it’s maon it’s like
all right but we at
Budapest and um and that was actually a
really we were shocked at how affordable
it was like my one friend who was with
me God bless her love her she is one of
the smartest kindest people she did not
understand the conversion system of US
dollars to like their currency so she
pulled out way too much money like like
I think equivalent of like four grand oh
a God yeah I’m like oh my gosh and we
were leaving a few days later for Prague
which is another extremely budget
friendly uh destination and the three of
us were like okay well let’s just themo
you and we’ll spend your cash that way
you lose it cuz we would have lost more
money converting it um when we got to
the Czech Republic oh that’s interesting
yeah yeah so between the three of us
going out every night eating three four
times a day out we couldn’t spend it
fast enough like we couldn’t spend it
like we could not spend it like yeah
that’s really interesting like we were
talking about you just like burn money
living now but there like I mean
everything was just so affordable but we
went to this really nice restaurant and
we’re like all right we want to get some
local like Hungarian dishes like I love
like chicken paash and all that it was
awful like I don’t know what the heck my
friend ordered it was like this ham like
this whole ham Hawk and I bite into and
it’s so gelatinous and had no flavor and
I don’t know if it was just a bad
restaurant I’m trying to knock Eastern
European Cuisine but I was just like
this was not what I imagine this was
like just not impressed Berlin by the
way amazing food for like the hot dogs
everything so yeah all right I’m very
intrigued but um with obviously food
being important to us but uh like the
budget where it is so like I said like
all-inclusive I don’t think would work
for me but I do like cruising as an
option and like you were saying wanting
to get more immersed like it’s up to you
when you do what you do import so you
can still go find local food you can
still go find you know you don’t have to
do everything you don’t have to stay on
the ship you don’t have to do all your
excursions through the ship I do because
I’m a nervous person but
it is very affordable especially if
you’re doing like an interior cabin or
something and usually you get to go to
multiple countries multiple places so I
think that that is also a good like
basic itinerary like to start with if
you thought you could never afford to
travel and you’ve never been anywhere or
done anything because I do also like the
security that goes along with that yeah
so I think that’s a good Pro tip for
Budget Travel is to try a cruise for the
first time if you haven’t yeah and I
think you’ve I’ve heard you say it
before on a previous episode where
cruising is almost like you get to
sample place and maybe next time if you
want to go back you can budget for it
better you get even more immersive
experience but I like to um depending on
where I’m at like when you talk about
excursions like I that’s one thing I
will willingly splurge on uh because
under the end of the day like a hotel or
Airbnb it’s just where it’s a place to
sleep at night yeah you know what I mean
like no I’m not 22 years old anymore and
I’m not happy sleeping under a coffee
table somewhere but like I like a bed
but like I will happily splurge on a
crazy like experience um so how do you
feel about hostiles now that you are you
know a grown
woman have you stayed in one yes okay um
and it was nice but I wouldn’t do it
again where were you when you stayed in
the uh Japan okay so it was like it was
very nice but it was because I was it
was just one of those like quick 24-hour
thing I need to get to the next place I
wouldn’t stay in a hostle for a week
yeah if it was just for one night just
to kill the night then yeah I would when
I was in Europe with my family I was
like a kid maybe like 10 or 11 or
something and we stayed in at least a
few hosts and it was a really eye
openening experience to me as a kid like
I was just like when are these other
people going to leave like I don’t think
I fully
understood like or nobody maybe they
probably did tell me they probably told
me exhaustively what the experience was
going to be like and I was just like
living in my own land but at the time it
was kind of fun like I was like oh this
is like so cool and look at all these
people from around the world like I love
that but now I think about it and I’m
just like I need my own bathroom I need
my own bed I need my own stuff I it’s a
security thing it’s a privacy thing but
it is a really great way to travel if
you’re way more open to that or if you
really like that aspect of like you know
communal travel and I will say Reddit is
fantastic about stuff like that like
telling you please do not plan your trip
through Reddit no but if you if you want
to know if a hostel is going to be in
your age range if you want to know is it
all going to be you know like college
kids and younger or is there going to be
actually people in their 4S nightmare
stay in a hostel with a bunch of college
kids now right that’s what I mean like I
mean when I was a college kid it was
awesome but like I’d probably annoy
myself as an adult you know what I mean
yeah 100% um so we’ve covered hostiles
we’ve talked about couch surfing but
another major tip offseason travel yeah
shoulder Seasons I used to travel all
the time during shoulder Seasons um
solely because too I hate the summer the
heat can’t do it so for you that’s
really like your peak season is that’s
my peak season like November I come
alive I am a whole different person yeah
uh no I always travel I like if I’m
going somewhere and I’m planning on
spending money I wanted it to be where
I’m not fighting for a spot to get
anywhere and I understand that some
places are closed and that’s fine I know
that ahead of time again managing
expectations and it’s when I have big
ticket like excursions book that I
really plan ahead I think the most
expensive thing I’ve ever splurged on
was and I don’t regret it one bit um was
when I was in New Zealand I really
wanted to see Milford Sound so I booked
this crazy like tour that took me three
hours on a coach bus through the
mountains like over the H like you know
what I mean that kind of thing it was
amazing and then we ended in Milford Z
where we got on a boat which I love boat
rides cruise ships not so much but I
love boat rides like um that’s totally
my thing and we sail through Milford
Sound on the way back you had an option
to take the coach back or you can get on
a plane and fly back like one of those
small little like buy planes you know so
and it was a lot more expensive but it
was 45 minutes instead of three hours
and you’re in a plane over Milford Sound
so the I did the plan UPG and I don’t
know why they let me sit in the front
right next to the pilot like yeah that’s
so cool they let me sit up right out
front so I’m looking I’m like all these
buns I really want to push but I
probably shouldn’t cuz sit on your hands
like and I know when they asked me if I
wanted to sit up front the other four
passengers looked at me like gave me
like an up and down like does she seem
okay in the head all right we’ll let her
sit up front but she seemed safe yeah
she seemed yeah and so that was probably
the most expensive thing I’ve sged on
but when I think back on it now it’s
like like I said I don’t think about how
much money I spent I thought I think
about what an amazing experience that
was to see a mord sound from the air
yeah well and I think too you’re
touching on
what is worth more to you your money or
your time oh yeah and like that is such
an important question and I think that
only you can answer that like as the
traveler but I think it comes into like
for a lot of people trying to avoid
traveling in the off season trying to
avoid traveling around holidays where we
know stuff’s going to get hyped up but
for a lot of people for them it’s easier
to work their vacation time around that
you know if you have limited PTO and you
have some built-in holidays so you just
got to ask yourself what how how is it
all going to come back to you in the end
like would you rather tra save the time
and travel later or just know that
things are going to be a bit more
expensive but in the end for you it is a
value I mean that’s like you know they
talk about like girl math I think travel
math is like booking a trip in the
offseason to save that money so in your
mind it’s like well I didn’t spend $400
I saved 300 right so I love girl math
and if youve somehow avoided the
cultural phenomenon that is girl math
I’m gonna give you the quickest
breakdown possible and actually no I’m
not Annie’s gonna Annie give us the
quickest break down of girl math it
basically it’s like okay let’s say we’re
booking a trip but it’s so far in
advance that by the time you get to the
trip it’s like you didn’t really spend
the money it was basically free because
you made it back already girl math girl
math and if you don’t get it then you
don’t get it no I’m a Hu I’m I’m I’m
almost guilty of girl math to the point
that I could not tell you to this day
what I’ve ever spent on a trip in total
cuz I’m not keeping a log or anything
you know like I’m not jotting down every
expenditure and I love buying it in
phases like you know if whether you’re
doing a group Airbnb or something like
putting that money down once it’s down
I’m never going to think about it again
buying my plane tickets so that’s out of
the way but I think doing things in
small steps does actually help people
that need to budget more but also girl
math is also spending things that you
need like a place to stay but it’s a
necessity so really you can’t help the
cost right it’s a sunk cost everything
else is extra yeah yeah so true so true
yeah so I think that being able to break
your budget down and whatever it is into
smaller payments and smaller
expenditures is a really good way if
you’re feeling overwhelmed with trying
to plan and budget for your travel and
one really great thing that can help
with that is working with a travel agent
oh yeah absolutely I mean I know so many
people who make great travel agents
because of how good they are budgeting
um but then I remember oh there’s
actually people who do this already for
a living who will take that out of your
like I love the idea of telling someone
here’s my budget here’s I want to go
what can you do with it yeah and you
know you have to be real honest too like
whether you’re talking to your fellow
travel companions or a travel agent
don’t lie about your budget cuz like at
the end of the day you’re the one that
has to pay for it so I don’t get why
people do that I think you know just
being embarrassed about money or
whatever they want to inflate right and
that’s okay like I don’t like I would
call someone out on that but like come
on let’s be real like you’re going to
spend some money whether it’s on food or
drink or whatever else it’s when you’re
suggesting we go eat fast food every
night that I get really like no I don’t
even like fast food that much now like
no and that’s the thing like that’s
where I literally have to be like I
don’t care where I am I’m just not doing
that like I will pay so much money to
not have to do that one theme that we
keep coming back to is either way you’re
going to invest something whether it’s
your time or your money and I do think
that research is such a critical Avenue
to save money whether it’s finding the
cheapest flights or finding the cheapest
accommodations and searching all the
hotels and searching all the airbnbs or
verbos or direct rentals and like all of
that can take up so much of your time
which again is where I would suggest a
travel agent doing that research for you
even if they ask you to pay a service
fee I mean I think it’s worth it 100%
because I would much rather have my time
and my and my this is true I mean like I
said I think once you figure out the the
big expenses like flights you know yeah
everything else you can kind of work
around like Iceland for example the
planning thing not exactly the kind of
place you could wing it cuz gas cost $7
a gallon there you know what I mean and
that was in 2018 or 19 or whatever so I
can’t even imagine what so now it’s like
your first born yeah basically and like
even but even the flight there actually
wasn’t bad we found really cheap flights
out of Pittsburgh I mean there was a
chance we might have had a like fly it
ourselves
but but that’s what you get with a
Budget Airline um but it’s surprisingly
but now places like I think the most
expensive country I’ve ever been was
probably Norway yeah like goodness like
so expensive yeah so the cheapest PL not
again we’re trying to avoid the word
cheap the Best Value Place you’ve ever
been you said
was probably Berlin okay yeah and then
the most expensive Iceland Norway
Iceland Norway honestly really the
Nordic countries are expensive in
general I mean if you got to think about
like geographically like it makes sense
you know what I mean your little removed
you have your own whole thing yeah um I
my my bucket list item even though it’s
GNA probably going to cost me an arm and
a leg uh would be is Antarctica so yeah
that’s not budget I don’t think we could
explain that in a budget if you’re one
of those people who vote on our poll
that said $2,500 per person is budget
let me know yeah for real I’ll wash your
car I’ll do whatever I’ll carry your
luggage yeah I mean I would say that my
best budget experiences weren’t
necessarily the location but just all
the details working out really well and
all the Vibes working out really well so
um you know for me the best budget was
getting a beach house with people that I
travel with really well splitting all of
those costs and then doing a lot of
they’ll cook dinner one night we’ll cook
dinner another night and I would say my
worst budget experience I’ve already
talked about on this podcast in our
girls trip episode epod and that’s when
you know we tried to cut Corners in all
the way super cheap flights I will
literally never fly with the airline
again have any guess who it is drop it
in the
comments I will I probably like we were
talking about earlier staying with
family and friends and stuff it doesn’t
really Vibe for me but we saved a ton of
money doing that so and it’s good
motivation to get out and do stuff so we
don’t have to be at home with them
[Laughter]
yeah I guess but like none of them have
deterred me from traveling if anything
I’ve learned more about myself and
become more confident in my travel style
and being a little Unapologetic about it
you know yeah stand your ground you know
yeah yeah so if you have more tips for
Budget Travel that we weren’t able to
share or we didn’t cover Annie did you
have anything you wanted to add that we
didn’t get to cover no I mean I think we
covered a pretty good amount but like I
said the time versus money thing um I
always like to say that you know time
you can’t get back uh money can always
be made which you know it’s a privilege
thing to be able to say cuz you know we
have jobs but I think that’s something
to consider like it’s like that Meme
that was going around for a while like
you’ll never be 25 again you know
backpacking through the Philippines or
something like yeah stuff like that I’m
32 so almost rounding up but either way
yeah I mean that’s great so get to know
yourself figure out what is worth it to
you no matter what you’re investing um
but I mean we could talk about travel
products we could talk about you know
all sorts of different things about this
so if you want to know more or you want
to share how you save money when you’re
traveling please let us know in the
comments or anywhere on social media
using the hashtag travel stories
unpacked we’d really love to hear from
you guys and just build this travel
Community up so Annie thank you again
for stepping out of your producer role
and sharing you know your thoughts and
insights on saving a dollar or two while
traveling Oh yeah and I’m always happy
to come back on for whatever else
especially if it’s about food so and we
talk about food like every episode but
we’ve never done a full foodie travel
video so we’ll probably get to that no
that’s that’s coming up I’m I’m thinking
so yeah it won’t be me my producer
knows you’ll know when you know don’t
worry well either way just keep coming
back for more travel stories unpacked we
drop new episodes on Friday where we
bring you different guests different
stories and all of our unbridled
opinions that go along with it so keep
tuning in and this podcast is brought to
you by km Travel Group which is a
leading host Agency for independent
travel agents and you can find out more
at kmtv.com
1 Comment
I went on a cruise and I had chocolate soup. It was great.