Finances and travel budget is a big part of planning for any trip, even if you’re not penny-pinching. Learn how to be mindful with your spending and get value for every dollar. Here’s all my advice (and a few hacks!) for how to save money to travel more often, how to get the best prices on airfare, hotels, and tours, plus how to stretch your dollar more efficiently. It’s all right here because the more you save, the more you can travel!
This fall’s trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons is full of precautions — one of them being preparing our own meals instead of dining in restaurants. For us, this isn’t hard. I’ve been vacation meal planning for longer than it’s been trendy. Making your own food is a huge budget saver compared to eating at …
My Tried & True Vacation Rental Meal Plan and Grocery List Read More »
They say it takes 21 days to make a habit and now I’m 21 days into this lockdown (24, actually, but who’s counting?). For me, the first week wasn’t too bad — I had chores and tasks at home to keep me preoccupied, and who doesn’t love an excuse to spend a weekend reading? The …
The Travel Savings Makeover You Can Start Right Now Read More »
You guys might not know it but I used to be an avid camper. The summer I moved to Virginia, Mike and I camped almost every weekend for four months straight. It was our secret weapon to seeing the mid-Atlantic even though we were broke from paying for our wedding. At some point, it stopped …
Want to Travel *AND* Simultaneously Distance Yourself? Go Camping! Read More »
Kenya was the most expensive trip I’ve ever taken. Even though it was worth every penny, I’m still crying a little over the final tally. I didn’t expect the cost of traveling to Kenya to be so high given how much shopping around I did on each component — but things added up every step …
Here’s What My Kenya Safari Cost (Every Dollar I Spent) Read More »
When you travel as much as I do, you experiment with every booking option. I’m always on the lookout for the best price, the most options, and the best user experience. I’ve tried just about every online travel agency that exists, but Booking.com — a classic — consistently wins as the best hotel booking site …
Booking.com is the Best Hotel Booking Site. Here’s Why. Read More »
There’s a new checking account on the block and it’s a decent pick for travelers. SoFi Money offers decent interest rates, refunds ATM fees (even abroad), and advertises no foreign transaction fees. Plus, you can set up an account in less than three minutes with no “hard pulls” on your credit report — and they’ll …
SoFi Money for Travelers: How it Compares to Charles Schwab Read More »
The question I’m asked most often is “how do you afford to travel so often?” In reality, it’s not one single thing. I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve, although none as interesting as working as a courier. I made $300 — on a one-way flight, no less — just for flying from …
Right now I’m obsessing over costs in Kenya, wondering how long of a journey I’m willing to take on a matatu bus and whether or not I should pay up for the hotel closest to Nairobi airport or stay farther away to save $50. However, in my past travels, I’ve also paid for a private …
People ask me all the time how I get foreign currency before a trip and the quick answer is… I don’t. Why would I, when I can get cash on demand from any ATM in the world with no upcharge, no foreign transaction fee, no ATM fees, and at a fair exchange rate? Seriously, Charles …
Charles Schwab is the Best International ATM Card for Travel Read More »
I’m one of those people that always thinks the grass is greener on the other side. That’s why, even after FINALLY figuring out a rental car strategy for my travels, I had to check out the new player in town. Turo car rental is a peer-to-peer car rental service — essentially Airbnb for cars. I took the …
