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YOU THERE!! DO YOU ENJOY LAYING ON SOIL AND EATING GRASS!? OR WOULD YOU RATHER EAT GOLD-FLAKED SLICES OF PIZZA AS YOU WASH IT DOWN WITH THE BLOOD OF THE PEASANT MASSES!? THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT KEEP US UP AT NIGHT! THAT’S WHY I WATCH YOU SLEEP! I NEED TO KNOW, HOW DOTH THOU BROKE TRAVEL!!!???
Why you broke? Go get a check!!
…..
Okay, I waited. Are you rich yet? Well, fear not, if not, you came to the right place. If it did work, damn how was it that easy!? And why are you still here!? Nevertheless, today in this post, I want to discuss how to travel without wasting your entire life savings and such. There are many ways to go about this but I will tell you mine because… Nevermind, just read this shit! Give me money! I never got my check😭😭 still went to Prague though 😜 Anyways, Broke Travel Shit Commence!
keep going!
Poverty is a disease that needs to be extinguished. Good thing we care more about removing abortion rights than fighting inequality huh? 😒
People of different backgrounds have many different approaches to traveling and how to finance it naturally. Of course, it depends on what kind of experience you want while traveling. I’ve met folks who spend thousands of dollars on exclusive tours, and stay in luxury hotels as well as people who bring tents with them to camp out at any available real estate in the city they’re in. So, do you!! I’mma do me though and I’m essentially somewhere in the middle which I think is common for most people.
What Kind of Traveling is Right for you Financially?
Anyone ever met a Doris? I haven’t and I was thinking I need to write this in the second person for Jesus. So, to everyone who could possibly read this, from now on you all identify as Doris. Doris… uh… McClairnythsworthington III
So Doris McClairnythsworthington III, the first question you need to ask yourself is what kind of traveling can fit within your current budget? Are you able to splurge using a bank account of the tens of thousands and live like a king? Or will you need to be more modest and struggle to maintain a fun trip despite your budget? I’m just gonna go out on a limb and assume if you’ve ventured here then the latter is true and cater to those types. If you’re rich, fuck it, you don’t need me, just enjoy your wealth and share some with the desperate proletariat hordes while the rest of us struggle to travel.
How Many Things do you need to see?
This is a pretty easy question but, especially if you will need to budget, you should consider it. There are the big touristy places in each country that are well-known but those could also have some of the most expensive tickets, entry prices and products being sold because they cater to the tourist market, who, especially in poorer countries, are perceived to be wealthier. So ask yourself first that, do I really need to see the Pyramids at all costs? Most likely the answer will be yes but depending on the person, the famous landmarks might not be must-dos. If you’re short on money I would consider listing places you couldn’t live with yourself if you didn’t see and making tough decisions to remove some locations that may be nice but not essential to your desire to visit the country or city.
How Much Time do you Have?
Another obvious question, which directly impacts the first, is the question of timing. It may blow your mind when I say this but you can actually do more in one year than you can do in one day! Holy shit! My dear Doris you country bumpkin, how long will your trip to Hawaii be? 3 months you said? That’s-hold on! Depending on how you like to travel can change what is considered a good length for you. If you want a real deep dive into the local culture and way of life, even 3 months in a small place such as Hawaii may be too short for you.
I tend to travel relatively fast, with usually about a week being the longest I stay within a single city. So, depending on the size of the country and your interest level, decide what’s necessary. I say for most countries which have at least 10 must-see places in your view, a month is minimum. Keep in mind your personality, patience, and how you operate under pressure. Some people allot a lot of time to chill and explore without feeling the need to see everything at once. Meanwhile, others get bored fast and need to move quickly. For your first time traveling, figure out which style suits you as you go along and adapt accordingly. I was this way and for that reason, I tend to air on the more spontaneous side. However, as you can guess this is not always the most practical way to save money.
A Few Ways to Save Money While Traveling
Traveling is expensive. There’s no way around it. Finding a place to stay in particular is one of the biggest hurdles to face. They say the best things in life are free but they lie a lot, whoever they are. Seriously, who are they? We always say they but no one knows who the ‘they’ is. One of life’s great mysteries I guess. Better call Scooby and the Gang! Imagine if they made a dark gritty Scooby Doo, like Scooby was on that goon shit! Anywho, back to the broke travel lecture thing at hand! A few ways to save money for shelter:
let’s get it!
- Couchsurfing: Couchsurfing is an app with the basic premise of allowing one to either host, meet up with or stay with someone while traveling. You pay for a subscription but the stay itself is free. It’s important to research and communicate with the person with whom you will stay beforehand so you know exactly what to expect. You could stay in their extra room in their flat, sleep on the couch in their home with their entire family, or stay in an extra home they have. It really depends on the situation. At best, Couchsurfing allows you to save money for lodgings while also meeting and spending time with local people and getting a bit of insight into their everyday life.
- Workaway: Workaway is a work and travel program where you basically do volunteer work abroad, usually for a few hours of the day in exchange for free lodging. The types of work are varied but the most common I’ve seen are farmwork, assisting with language learning, childcare, home maintenance, and hospitalities. Workaway allows you to meet other like-minded people and if you’re lucky you will be located near touristy places. Thus, the fact that you’re spending your travel days working will not be as awful as it sounds on paper.
I Love You!
- WWOOF: WWOOF stands for Worldwide Organization of Organic Farmers and it, as the name suggests, consists of farm labor. It’s an option pretty much everywhere on this Earth (except for North Korea somehow) and a good way to not only get insights into rural life and new skills. As logic would dictate, many require manual labor so keep that in mind. Farmwork can range from planting, construction, animal stuff and, like Workaway, the amount of hours required varies. The work is unpaid of course but in return, you have a host that houses and feeds you and puts up with your foolishness. I would recommend WWOOF as an experience for those interested in agriculture or just willing to put up with farm work for the sake of being able to travel cheaper.
- Airbnb: Airbnb is a favorite in order to avoid hotels and hostels and possibly save money. It can also allow you to reach more varied locations and gives you more privacy though within Airbnb there is of course a lot of variety of options. In my experience, I have never really found Airbnb to be significantly cheaper than hostels or hotels, enough to make it preferable. However, I’ve met many people who have used it successfully and cheaply. So I’d always consider it as an option but never see it as the be-all-end-all. Some people really vouch for it. Some people eat glue. To each their own.
You’re the best!
- Living out your Car: It may sound absurd but in many ways it’s quite efficient as the only burden is paying for gas and hygienic things like showers and laundry. For that price, you essentially get free transport and lodging in one. With this, you gain total freedom over and can either park for the night out in the wilderness or in the seedy underbelly of the city. The choice is yours. Hell, it won’t even seem like broke travel to you possibly, cuz everything would be in your control!
- The Streets: Speaking of the seedy underbelly of the city, if you wanna know what it’s like to live like the real impoverished folk or just don’t mind fixing up a little tent or sleeping bag by the road, embrace the street life. Believe it or not, I’ve met some hard boys who do rep this lifestyle so if your commitment to stinginess is on their level, by all means, have @
The Perfect Balance
This is now just my personal opinion. I, as the supreme deity of this blog, have the final say after all. Bow before me! Nah, but I like to sort of stay in the middle. What I mean by this is to conduct broke boy travel but not forcibly constrain myself to the point of preventing me from doing things because they cost a little more. Keep in mind that this approach has probably cut some of my trips short. Saying that, let me personally review some of the options listed above.
- Couchsurfing: Couchsurfing has been by far the most successful on the broke travel boy hierarchy for me. On the bright side, I’ve made a lot of friends through Couchsurfing and had some of my best travel moments using the app. On the negative side, the state of your lodging can change greatly depending on who you stay with and if you end up with a host you don’t click with it can really hamper your trip. Also, keep in mind that many Couchsurfers live away from the touristic center of their city and getting to and from their residence can be super tedious. All in all, Couchsurfing for me has the chance for the highest highs but also some sweltering lows as well.
- Workaway: Workaway to me has been somewhat disappointing in terms of personal experience with the options presented but the platform seems the most versatile of the programs listed. I’ve only done one Workaway and it was quite the joyful experience all around but I imagine a deeper dive into it would produce greater results. Some hosts do pay a little too so that’s something. Like CS, the variety of options suggests a variety of quality as well. However, for broke travel purposes, it is still a very convenient option, especially if you have experience or interest in some of the fields available.
tomorrow is another day!
- WWOOF: WWOOF for me was interesting more than it was fun. The work wasn’t really my cup of tea but I did enjoy learning farming techniques. Moreover, I loved the social times with the hosts and insights into local culture I was blessed with. Sometimes you lack things like wifi and phone signals and the work can be backbreaking but all that shit builds character. Hey, there’s a reason I’m the Main Character after all 😏. (Studies have still found zero evidence for the existence of the ‘they’)
- Airbnb: As mentioned, I never had much of an impression of Airbnb. Like, it works and I’ve been to plenty ones that are good but nothing special. In my experience, they’ve never been much cheaper. I did throw up in this guy’s Airbnb in Alexandria, Egypt though.
- Hostels: Hostels are my favorite on this broke travel list, because they are generally located in nice locations within a city, have less of a range of variables like Couchsurfing, and offer a chance to either be social or just enjoy decent comforts. For me, they are the default choice. Depending on the country they can be very cheap too. Hostels often offer amenities, kind people and are generally the most laidback places to book for me, like almost always solid at the very least.
YOU’RE DOING GREAT!
- Hotels: When I say hotels here I mean the more expensive high-end hotels. I probably stay in a few of these per trip. First and foremost, you shouldn’t limit yourself to only luxury hotels. In my opinion, everyone wants a cozier stay every once in a while. Personally, I like to book a more chic hotel after I’ve stayed with Couchsurfers or in a hostel and feel burned out by places that don’t provide the highest levels of cleanliness of privacy. So, those days when u just feel compelled to live your best life, get drawn into the seductive vortex that is the hotel! Ho-well!
- Advanced Loitering: Scratch the hostel bit, this has historically been my favorite past time. As far back as I can remember I always loved sneaking into people’s homes and crawling into the air vents, poking holes in the ceilings with my trusty pushpins so I can watch the family underneath in their kitchen. I peep down and see their food and by virtue of seeing it from afar, I feel as though I eat it myself, like spiritually. In reality, I starve but who cares about that? Yeah. Nah just kidding I don’t be doing this shit! April Fools! Don’t check the day this was written please 🥺
Final Thoughts
Damn what a wondrous post this was! The Homie got some heat!
William Shakespeare
I hope this was helpful. I guess the most important lesson is just that there are options and that someone planning to travel has to address what would work best for them before committing. The best way to decide is through trial and error. You may be surprised what you’re able to put up with when money is on the line. It could get fishy!! Get it? Fishy? On the line? Anyways this post was just about saving money while staying somewhere. I have another post about saving money on miscellaneous things while traveling right here… Unless, I don’t yet… Broke Boy Travel!
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