Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of traveling. I wanted to explore all of those destinations I read about in textbooks, meet people from throughout the world, and learn about different cultures. I heard that travel was really expensive, so it seemed like something that was too far out of reach. But, I ended up proving everyone wrong. I traveled to over 30 countries — some of which include: Cuba, Bosnia, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Thailand, and Belize — without breaking the bank at age 24. It's a whole lot easier than you'd think.
When I was growing up, travel seemed extremely unattainable. These days, you can book a trip with the click of a button. On top of that, you can easily learn how to travel on a budget with the help of the internet. There are so many resources available to help travelers save on flights, hotels, and much more.
A few years ago, I started a travel blog to share my best tricks and budgeting tips to help people see the world. I never thought I would have the opportunity to travel to 30 countries at my age, so I share my story to pay it forward.
Many people may think that travel has to be luxurious, but that couldn't be further from the truth. There are luxury options and there are budget options, so you have the freedom to travel however you want.
Instead of splurging on my travels, I started discovering ways that I could save. Instead of looking for resorts, I became open to staying in hostels. As opposed to eating at expensive restaurants, I started eating local meals to enjoy traditional foods and immerse myself in the culture of the place I was visiting. After all, I simply wanted to travel so that I could learn about different cultures and see this world.
Sure, I have a few places on my bucket list, but I quickly realized I would have to be more flexible if I wanted to travel sooner. I just wanted to travel, so I was open to go anywhere at the end of the day.
I started using flexible search features on apps like Skyscanner to choose destinations based on my budget. I became more flexible with departure dates, destinations, and airlines. This flexibility opened up so many more destinations and options to me.
When you're new to travel, you may not know where to even begin. It can be difficult to know which websites to trust and what resources are reliable. I began researching more often, which made it so much easier to determine which online websites had the best deals going on.
Search engines like Google Flights and Airfarewatchdog helped me find super cheap flights. Apps like HotelTonight assisted me in finding discounted hotels, and Airbnb helped me rent apartments on a budget.
The reality is that proper research is key when it comes to finding travel deals. It's important to utilize blogs and online resources to find options that best suit your budget.
