Entry 4 (Sep 1)
Budget-conscious Traveling
9 months and counting. Wow! As each month passes by, it becomes more and more of a reality. And we become more and more budget conscious.
Which brings me to the response to the question from June and August: Are we rich? The answer is NOPE. We’re far from it. But, you don’t have to be rich to travel. Even to travel for a year. Mainly, you need to really want to do it, do some travel research, and then plan and budget for it.
I have been an avid traveler since I was 15-years-old in Anchorage, when my mom started working for the airlines. I took advantage of flying stand-by for many years and all over the world. Once that travel bug bit, there was no going back. So, even after the “free” passes stopped, I’d still budget to travel. And, fortunately, I married someone who is like-minded.
A lot of it comes down to priorities. Woody and I don't need the newest and best car. We're fine with a modest house. Designer clothes never topped our list of wants. But traveling does rank high on our priority list. However, we typically go as inexpensively as possible (including buying economy seats on flights to save a few dollars J).
Of course, living around the world for a year is a little different than a two-week trip to Hawaii. How does one budget for that?
Well, to be honest, we do have a few things going in our favor, which makes it a bit easier: 1) Woody’s retirement pay, 2) Healthcare, 3) I have a remote job as a freelance editor, and 4) Our mortgage will be paid off before we leave. And we hope that the rental of our house will cover our AirBnb (or wherever we stay) expenses abroad.
Do you need all four of those things in order to travel? Well, no. At least not for short term travel. There are definitely ways to travel “cheaply.”
· * Keep an eye on airfares. A friend recently got a ticket from New York to Anchorage for under $300. And I flew from Washington DC to Budapest for $360.
· *Check sites like booking.com and airbnb.com for great prices on accommodations and/or car rentals.
· *Travel with a buddy (non-spouse). You’ll cut many of your expenses in half.
· *Fly economy! No, you may not be able to choose your own seat, but what’s a few hours out of your life to save $$$.
· *Get an airline credit card and build up those miles. Much of my travel is using miles earned this way.
*And my new favorite: I just discovered an absolutely wonderful way to see the world and at least have your housing and maybe your meals covered: workaway.info. Oh, my goodness! How wonderful! You do parttime work in exchange for housing and meals. And there are possibilities all over the world! I think we’re going to apply to do a couple of them…. especially since our reason for traveling is cultural immersion. This would be a perfect way to do that. At the top of my list: working at a monastery in Estonia where the nuns are beekeepers. How delightful does that sound?
If you have any budget travel suggestions, please comment on the blog. I’d love to hear them.
And I’d love for our paths to cross during our year abroad. So start making your travel plans.
Hasta luego,
Pam
Hello from Anchorage, Alaska (photo: Lake Hood, 8.31.21)
“We are put on this planet only once, and to limit ourselves to the familiar is a crime against our minds.” —Roger Ebert
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