Travel More, Spend Less: What I’ve Learned the Hard Way (So You Don’t Have To)
I didn’t start traveling smart. I started traveling excited. My first few international trips were powered by vibes, Google searches at 2 a.m., and a very optimistic view of my bank balance. I booked things too late, packed things I didn’t need, underestimated distances, and once paid €180 for a hotel room I was awake in for exactly six hours (late arrival + early train—my fault, not the hotel’s). After 15+ trips across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas , living abroad for extended periods, and experimenting with everything from shoestring budgets to “I deserve comfort this time” trips, I’ve learned a few things that consistently keep both me and my bank account happy. This is the advice I give friends when they ask, “How do you travel so much without going broke?” Step 1: Decide What You’re Optimizing For (Money, Time, or Comfort) Here’s the truth I wish someone told me earlier: You can’t optimize everything at once. Every trip is a trade-off between: Cost ...