How to Travel the World Without Going Broke

**Pick cheap places first.** This one is obvious but people ignore it. Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Central America, parts of South America. You can live well on $30-50 a day in Vietnam or Romania. Compare that to $150+ in Switzerland or Japan. If you have two weeks and $2000, go where the money stretches.

**Fly weird hours.** Tuesday at 3 AM. Wednesday night. Nobody wants those flights. That’s exactly why they cost half as much. I booked a round trip from New York to London for $320 by leaving on a Tuesday. The same route on Friday was $800. Set alerts on Google Flights and be flexible.

**Stay in hostels or apartments.** Hostels aren’t just for college kids. Private rooms exist and cost way less than hotels. Or rent an apartment with a kitchen. Cooking even one meal a day saves a ton. I spent $40 on groceries in Bangkok for a week. Eating out every meal would’ve been $200 easy.

**Walk everywhere.** Cities are best explored on foot. You see things you miss from a bus or taxi. Plus it’s free. In Paris I walked from Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower. Took an hour and a half and I found a tiny bookstore I never would have seen otherwise.

**Eat where locals eat.** Avoid restaurants with pictures on the menu or someone standing outside waving you in. Find the spot with a line of people who look like they live there. The food is better and cheaper. In Mexico City I had tacos for $1 each from a street cart. Tourists paid $15 for the same thing three blocks away.

**Use public transport.** Trains and buses are almost always cheaper than flights between nearby cities. In Europe, a bus from Berlin to Prague costs $15. The flight is $100 plus airport transfers. The bus takes five hours. The flight takes two but you spend three getting to and from airports.

**Skip the souvenirs.** That shot glass or keychain will sit in a drawer. Spend money on experiences instead. A cooking class, a guided hike, a museum ticket. Those are what you remember.

**Travel slow.** Spending a week in one place costs less than hopping cities every two days. You save on transport and find cheaper accommodation for longer stays. Plus you actually get to know a place instead of just passing through.

Look, I’m not saying you should sleep in airports (though I have). I’m saying travel doesn’t have to be a luxury. It’s about choices. Skip the fancy hotel room you only sleep in. Skip the overpriced tour. Walk, eat street food, and talk to people. That’s the real travel anyway.