Today I will be flying out to Los Angeles, California which happens to be one of my favorite places ever! I would spend my summers there as a kid however, I haven't been there as an adult so I cannot wait til I arrive. My boyfriend and I are going to be staying there for 6 days and although at first we were nervous because six days seems like a lot we decided to go for it anyways. Many people always ask me how is it that I am able to "afford" to go on vacations while having all these other bills to pay but it's really not that difficult as long as you're able to cut costs in other areas in order to be able to vacation with out spending a ton of money.
1. Stay with friends or at a very cheap hotel/hostel.
I personally don't know how I'd feel about staying at a hostile but I have heard great things about them. I also found a couple in the LA area on Airbnb for only $30-$40 a night! If you are traveling on your own or with a friend that might seem like a great option, especially since you shouldn't plan on actually spending time in the hostel other than to shower and sleep. Another great option is to stay with a friend or family member if possible. Luckily, we have a friend in LA who we will be staying with for 2 days. Not only does that cut costs down for a hotel but we will also have our own personal tour guide for that weekend. On the rest of our nights there we will be staying at an Airbnb in downtown LA since we already have activities planned in that are.
2. Travel during "off season"
This means traveling during slower months such as late September through late May or early June. The reason this is off season is because this is the time kids are in school meaning families take less vacations. I have taken 2 vacations this year and both were in off season months (January and May) and the weather was still pretty great. Flights are also cheaper and there will be flash sales for tickets which means you can get a roundtrip ticket for less than $100!
3. Don't eat at expensive places
When I travel I am all about the food. I love to eat new foods and I try to stick to the small authentic places because they taste better and it's a lot cheaper. I use the app Yelp to find a place near where we are staying that also has great reviews.
4. Use public transportation
I grew up in the suburbs so I am used to driving everywhere but when I travel I stick to using public transportation or Uber because it's a lot less expensive than taking a taxi everywhere. Also since I am under 25 years old, renting a car is also really expensive so I never go that route.
5. Do activities that are either free or almost free
When I went to New York I visited the Met museum and while in line I noticed it said that there was a $20 recommended donation. Then the people in front of us told us that the museum was technically free but that you could make a donation of even $1 in order to get in. We paid $5 each. There are other activities that you can find for either cheap or free you just have to make sure to look it up beforehand especially if money is an issue.
If you have any tips for traveling on a budget include it in the comments!!
