Ask An Amateur Travel Writer: Pushing Your Travel Further Pt. 1
As I’ve been traveling, I am constantly asked various questions. I always offer my honest opinion and helpful tips here on Adventures in Redefinition. So, today’s question is, “How can I push my travel further through budgeting?”
There are a ton of simple ways to budget a trip and many of those fall under the obvious: Book cheaper hostels, take the cheapest transportation, eat less (if that’s a possibility for you). However, I would say that in my travels there has been one very important credo that has almost always kept me on my budget: “Go Around the Corner.”
Many travelers have a tendency to overly veer towards comfortability. They book into a hostel, whether in a private room for a couple extra bucks or into a large dorm (as I always do). Once at the hostel, it is extremely easy to fall into the trap of proximity. Close is easy, but what you should also know is that easy is usually more expensive. Here are some examples for the hostel I am currently at (which is an excellent hostel that I would recommend):
Mad Monkey Siem Reap
Private Room ($12) to Dorm Room ($6).
Laundry: $2/kg…10 steps around the corner is a place that does laundry for $1/kg. They did it well, too.
Food: $5-$10 for a meal….around the corner I found a place that did Western food for $3-$6. Alternatively, you can go down to Market Street a couple blocks away and find good food for $2-$5.
Those are just a few examples of “Going around the corner.” I would say that if you can just break the idea of staying close to where it is comfortable, you will be able to find whatever you need rather cheap and still at a good value. I mean, it’s kept me at about $20/day in Cambodia (with room, transportation, food, and drinks included in the $20).
I mean, isn’t why we travel to go “around the corner” anyway?
Note: If you enjoyed this bit of travel advice, take a look at some of Adventures in Redefinitions earlier posts: What Makes Good Travel Writing? And, Why Do We Write?
