There’s no living person that doesn’t look forward to traveling, especially if there’s a chance to find some adventure along the way. Our souls are aching to go ride around the world, to experience an environment other than our own, but sometimes our bank accounts may not be that eager nor ready. It’s a common situation and you shouldn’t despair - although traveling is often associated with the terms ʽluxuryʼ and ʽexpensiveʼ, that doesn’t mean that all come with a luxury price tag.
The truth is you can travel like a boss on a budget if you’re willing to compromise a little and plan ahead a little bit more. That’s actually what the adventure is all about - coming up with different and alternative ways to travel around the world. We’ve prepared some smart ones which won’t make you part with the last coins in your pocket.
1. Take it Slowly
People usually make the mistake of wanting to see too much in a too small time frame, and that’s how your complete budget can evaporate. Instead of racing around the world, you should pick a continent, region, or the country and take your time. Besides the fact that you’ll spend much less on accommodation and gas, this is what adventure is all about - exploring. Traveling slowly will provide you with a much more in-depth experience of every place you visit. You’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in local cultures and experience what every destination has to offer on a very human level. It’s not a race, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money just to take a lot of pictures that you won’t know anything about later.
2. Ditch The Fancy Stuff
The first step is to manage your expectations for the trip, and that demands some honesty with yourself. If you’re really looking for an adventure then your priorities can’t be the same as you’re going on a fancy holiday. Be real about the level of comfort you require. You can rent state-of-the-art rent a car and drive around for a week, or you can stick to your old one and make the whole adventure last a month or two. If the adventure is out there, in nature and wilderness, do you really need a fancy hotel or simpler logging will do? Is cooking your own meals so bad that you’re prepared to spend twice as much on restaurant meals? Luxury is not something we require, but something we decide we need.
3. Maintain Style
Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to go around looking like a beggar. Everyone wants to travel in style. Maybe you think that nice and shiny rent a car will make you look like a boss, but it’s much cheaper if you decide to breathe some life into your old car - wrapping it up with digital printing and signage is equally efficient when it comes to leaving passersby breathless. Even more, if you come up with your own unique design. Same goes for food - if you want people to see you’re eating good you don’t have to spend a fortune in restaurants. Learn some culinary skills before you go and you’ll be able to cook and impress all those around you.
4. Catch Free Attractions
There is a surprisingly large number of tourist attractions which are free at least one day a week, such as parks or museums. In order to take advantage of this, all you have to do is to track a calendar. There is probably no city on earth that doesn’t offer a list of thing to do for free - from public squares, national parks, and beaches, across religious sites, to zoos - all this can be completely free or very cheap. Since the majority of cities are pedestrian friendly, one of the best ways to explore a new destination without spending money is to take a walking tour. That way you’ll be able to see a city’s top landmarks and orientate yourself at the same time for further exploration on your own. If you’re not a fan of guided group tours, simply download a free walking map of the city and act as your own guide.
5. Know What Kind of Experience You’re Looking For
Okay, of course, you can’t know precisely what to expect if you’re headed for an adventure, but having in mind what kind of experience you’re looking for will help a lot in your planning stage. There’s a huge difference if you want to explore the cities or take off the beaten path - in the first case you’ll probably have to do some booking in advance, while in the other the whole trick is to blend in with the locals. The experience you’ll have also depends on your decision to travel solo or in a group - if you team up with some friends or family members it’ll definitely be cheaper due to split costs, but the whole trip is then not completely within your control. Traveling like a boss requires the right company or none at all.
As you can see, traveling on a budget like a boss is all about taking your time, maintaining style without the luxury, searching for free attractions, and choosing the right company. In other words, it’s about exploration, challenges, choosing your own quest, and finding free-spirited companions. Isn’t that what adventure is all about?