Rags to Riches Part 4 of 5 – Travel Smarter!

The goal of the Rags to Riches series is to share tips and habits I picked up and honed over a seven-year period of time in order to help me manage and automate my personal finances. Financial anxiety is real and scarcity mentality will hinder you from expanding the reach and ROI of your money.

So here is my 5-part story on how I went from being thousands of dollars in debt, expelled from my apartment to buying a 3-bedroom with basement house by myself in 6 years. My rags-to riches story, except I am not that rich…yet ^^

As a believer in Jesus, I am aware that God is the One who makes the impossible possible. My life is a continued demonstration of His undeserved Grace towards me and us all.

This article is about something I love to do and that I did not want to compromise in order to save money. I want to talk about T R A V E L I N G.

Of course, when I was focused on paying down my debts, I did not indulge in traveling.

But when I got back to it, I took a more strategic approach in order to enjoy it without breaking the bank: travel smarter.

Let’s be clear: it’s hard to travel smartly, but you can do it. Although traveling is often expensive, there are ways to cut costs without skimping your vacation experience: planning and foresight are your allies for this challenge. The key is to know that a little bit of money can go a long way, if planned wisely, to have the time of your life when you travel.

If you are trying to travel smarter and save money simultaneously, read on to discover how to make your trips wiser without sacrificing comfort and fun, wherever you go!

What About a Staycation?

Let me repeat myself: I am fully aware that for some people, their financial situation is so dire that traveling is out of the picture. I was there.

What I want to emphasize before getting started is that traveling does not have to involve flying out or driving out to a different city/country. Sometimes to travel smarter is about re-discovering where you live with new eyes, doing the touristy stuff and so on. There’s no one in a better position than you to know what your city or neighborhood has to offer to its inhabitants for free.

No Plan For Success = Planning to fail

How to save money while traveling? Planning a trip is a lot like planning any other aspect of life. I have written about the importance of planning your budget and prioritizing your time. You know the saying: if you don’t plan for success, you’re planning to fail.

Research, Curate and Compare

Once you have decided on your destination(s) and timeframe, it’s time to:

• Research destinations you want to travel to.
  • Google, Pinterest and Instagram are your best friends for that step;
  • Here is an example from my research about Kauai, the Hawaiian island.
• Curate a list of hotels, activities, restaurants and landmarks in the place of your choice.
  • I love creating lists on Google Maps for each country and type of establishment. Just like this list of hotels in Tokyo;
  • Keep an eye out for popular tourist traps (like expensive restaurants or shopping districts) that might only offer good value if they’re a priority for you;
  • Find out what attractions people enjoy and which ones they don’t recommend;
  • Look at reviews on Trip Advisor.
• Compare prices for hotels, plane tickets and activities so you have a sense of how much these would cost.

What Type of Trip do You Want?

I love the Travel Personality Quiz from Club Adventures by AAA if you want a little bit of help!

Regardless of the place you chose, you have to decide what type of environment you want to be in:

• Do you want to hang out at the beach all day?
• Do you want to party like there’s no tomorrow?
• Do you want to meet new people?

Sometimes I don’t care where I sleep because I’ll be out all day.

Other times I care. Maybe it’s a more balanced trip where I spend my morning lounging around the room or the hotel’s amenities before heading out.

How to Start Planning

I usually book my flights first. In my head, I am not going anywhere unless I have a booked flight to my name. That’s typically what kicks off my trip planning sequence. Rates have to be outrageously expensive for me to not book my flights first. My recommendations:

• Create alerts on various platforms (Google Flights, Hopper, etc.) for the destinations you’re thinking of even if you don’t have a date yet;
• Once you have your dates, update the alerts.

Second, I take care of accommodations. I check the loyalty programs I am a member of to see if there are discounts available. If not, depending on the destination, I’ll either book a hotel room, an AirBnb apartment.

Third, I check transportation fares: how am I going to move from city to city? Or how does public transportation work in the city I’ll stay in? Some cities or countries have special transportation rates for tourists that you can either book in advance or pick up at the local tourist center – Always visit the tourist center!

Last but not least, ask friends and colleagues about recommendations and tips, people they might know in the city that you’re going to, etc. So that when you arrive at your destination, you will not be stranded in case something happens.

To Travel Smarter is to Travel With Others

If you’re looking for a more luxurious trip, consider traveling as a group so that you can renting an entire house. Renting an entire home may seem like an extravagant idea at first glance, but if you think about it, it saves you money since you’re splitting the cost of the vacation, including accommodations.

My only advice: choose your travel companions wisely! Frustrations from the wrong company will cancel out the joy of saving money.

My Personal Experience

By following the same (strict) planning principles in terms of budgeting and researching, I was able to spend a little over one month in South Korea and Japan without going over my budget. Despite enjoying a $400 Kobe beef experience and buying an outrageously expensive piece of luggage. Without having to sleep out on the streets or skip meals.

The same happened in places like Hawaii, Singapore, and so on—It is possible to plan for fun, shopping, and little or big treats without going overboard. These splurges have to be part of your plan right from the start!