Travel Tip #14: Spend Less, Travel More! (and don't sacrifice on quality)
I find it interesting how most people don't think twice when parting with their money. They have an attitude of "well, I have it I mind as well spend it". That's fine if you want to live that way, get back to your normal life, stay on that hamster wheel and keep working forever.
I find this attitude towards money a killer for the long term traveler. It's fine if you've accepted travel as your annual week vacation and look forward to the other 51 weeks of the year; but looking for the deals, being smart with your travel decisions, knowing the bargain travel destinations, and negotiating your hotel rooms can extend your one week a year into weeks or even months of exciting, enjoyable, travel.
Last month I spent about 3 weeks in Koh Pha Ngan a beautiful Island in the gulf of Thailand. I ate at nice restaurants on the beach, I got a message about every other day. I stayed at a beach front resort with a swimming pool and lovely people to socialize with it. I did an island tour, I visited many beaches and cool places. I had a great time.
I was initially paying 15 dollars a night for a air-conditioned room, but soon moved to a fan room, which was better as the AC was not needed at night, and it was giving me a soar throat. The online Agoda.com special was 245 baht after taxes. That's about $7.50. A great savings of %50. I should have done that right from the start.
During my three weeks in Koh Pha Ngan, like always I kept track of my spending. Living an incredibly high lifestyle including maid service, laundry service, massages and eating out 100% of the time; I spent on average $23 USD a day.
If you back out the few drinks I bought, the massages, the couple fancy restaurants, the AC room for five days and the tour. It would have been easily been under my normal travel budget of 20 dollars a day. But you only live once, and at $23 a day it was a splurge, and well worth it!
I'm now in Vang Vieng Laos, I flew here from Bangkok and took a bus for a total of $29. I write this from my balcony at my river front hotel with great views, AC, Wifi, breakfast, flat screen TV with my HDMI cable hooked up to it that I travel with, and a king size bed! I negotiated down to $12 dollars a night. This is how you spend less, travel more, and not sacrifice on quality of life! Until next time- Dan "World Travel Pro!"
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Great advice for anyone that wants to travel more then 1 or 2 weeks a year. We had to remind ourselves all the time in the beginning of our travels that we were not on vacation. On vacation you splurge and treat yourself and don't worry to much over money. When you travel as a lifestyle it becomes more important to keep costs down.
Impressive with a $20 daily budget! That would be very difficult in the US were we are traveling at the moment.
Totally agreed. Some think I'm on permanent vacation but I'm not, otherwise I wouldn't be on steemit right now, I'd be out spending money. I'd take that hot air balloon ride for 80 bucks, or rent the dune buggy for 50 dollars a day. All things I won't do....unless I blow up like that @sweetjsss girl on here! lol
$20 dollars a day in the US, forget it. And all of western Europe too for that matter. Otherwise you are cutting into quality of life big time. I like to travel in the 80% of the planet that is not overly developed, overly expensive. Then you've got some real sweet spots where you can live like a king for next to nothing. Vilcabamba Ecuador, Playa del Carmen Mexico, Mui Ne Vietnam, Seihnukvile Cambodia, Goa India, a few spots in Peru, where I am now, and where I just was in Thailand. There are sweet spots all over the planet, but LA and NY and everything in-between, certainly don't make the list! Glad you totally get me bro! Have a great day.
When I think about it, we're on a budget of about $100 per day. And since we're 5 in the family it comes out to $20 per person per day. This includes cost of camping, driving, eating and activities. Not included are things we pay on a yearly basis like insurance. Also not included are one time upfront costs like buying a camper and a car and the camping membership that enables us to camp really cheap.
Interesting, I think you're doing great with having a family to support. Are you an IT guy? Work from your computer?
I've done some IT stuff but never made much money that way. Right now I'm actually on parent leave, one benefit of being Swedish. I get 80% of my previous salery for about a year. My wife makes some money and we're working on building more income streams. We have what we need till the end of the year and hopefully will build a sufficient income by then.
Awesome. I just thought you may have been American being that you're in America...but you never really seemed American. I like your style.
Oops! I answered to my comment. You can read my answer there.
I am (also) American! I'm born and raised in Sweden but met my wife in the US. We lived the last 10 years in Sweden and are now traveling full time. All 5 in the family are dual citizens.
Very unique. How are you liking the states?
Rad to see how a little conscious spending goes a long way. Cheers on your travels. Keep it up. It's amazing to hear about how far money goes out there.
Thank you for the real nice compliment. Sometimes seeing how far my money goes even blows my mind!
I am taking notes. Thank you!
Now that's a compliment I won't forget! Thank you!
Nice work man!
Get these Steemit blogs to $23 a day and you are set!
That's what I've been thinking! Thank you!
0.04 further on your way!
Nice!
Nice! Can't wait to see the hotel. How was the bus trip?
The bus trip was bit third worldly, meaning pot wholes galore, swift kick in the but turns of he driver yanking the wheel one way then the other. But 3 hours later we made it. Ticket was 5 bucks. All in all it was an adventure and I'm happy to be here. Vang Vieng is a total hidden Gem. I had no idea how nice and high standard of living I would have here.
Yes I've got so many post I can do it's not even funny. Including one about this hotel. I've got so many photos from Vienteine to go through. That's two post there. Incredible monuments and structures all throughout the city. So much to do. I've been researching the hell out of steemfest. I saw 222.22 for the tickets but that's steem. so it's like 300 bucks. My account liquidity in steem is totally short. I just started powering down, and calculating what I need to deposit from paypal to make it happen. Then I read about how if I don't buy soon, prices are likely to go up. Then logistics. Then to go kayaking tomorrow and visit caves with some nice people I met, it's all too much sometimes. Life would be easier if I sat on the computer all day, or not! I shouldn't complain as all my problems many people would be jealous to have. Life is good. Keep on steemin' you're doing great here!
It sounds like you are having fun. I heard those Laos bus trips were a bit rugged. Apparently the trip from Vientiane to Hanoi is one for the record books and can take a couple of days in bad conditions.
Def post about Vang Vieng. I have also heard it's a great place people do not want to leave.
I would be doing the travel stuff now and posting later for the most part. You went for the experience, so have it! Me - I am fine anywhere in front of the computer :)
Yes, as you know my issue on here has been balance between travel comupter time. Today and yesterday have been computer days. But all related to travel. I've got tickets to by routs to plan, dicisions to make, and that all takes research. The more I research the better travel decsions I can make. My steemit activity is unfortunately getting pushed to the side. But what can I say. and yes, busing through this country is pretty lausy. I'm thinking I'll just fly my butt out of here.
What amazing tips as always, can't wait to see pictures of your river hotel sounds amazing.
Wow a flight and bus trip for $29 that is awesome.
It's amazing what experiences you can get when you know where to look.
Love what your doing Dan, keep up the Fabulous posts.
Thank you, that's my next post. But I've been way busy, socializing with friends and family, making travel plans, including plans back to Florida for 10 days then back to Ecuador for December then from Ecuador south and out through Buenas Aires to Europe. Visas, moving money around, then researching the heck out of Steemfest and how much that would cost me, looking more and more like I can't afford the added expense and monkey wrench in my travel plans. Certainly want to go. But it's getting way complicated and expensive the more I look into it. Then I have so many photos to go through, then I have to go tubing, caving, hiking, and more while I'm here. Between all that I've mentioned my steemit activity is unfortunately having to take a back seat for the moment. Thanks for your support and encouragement as always! -Dan