If you’re an intrepid globe trotter, you’re probably already familiar with the tide of expenses that pop up beyond the arrivals gate; instead of budgeting your hard earned cash, you may have the tendency to save more to deal with your desire for a champagne lifestyle whilst touring cities and lush, regional locations, buying the best of everything to complement your desire for excitement. And while you’re certainly free to indulge in a few weeks of opulence if you can afford it, for those of you who can’t and watch every cent as it rolls out of your hands, life abroad is a little tighter. Don’t be discouraged though, like your high flying, big spending cousins, the thrifty traveller can easily unlock the pleasures of the globe, with prudence and aplomb. How? Read on.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Don’t Fail to Plan

Failing to plan is the best way to lose track of your money while enjoying the sights and scintillating delicacies of an international bazaar of travel destinations – one impulse buy becomes another, an impromptu coach tour leads to monuments and fee-based attractions you didn’t anticipate, let alone budget for. Before you know it, you’re a week in and your cash has dwindled to an alarming amount, demanding an emergency influx of cash and the re-organising of what were essential stops. To avoid this scenario, plan where you’re going, what you’ll see, how much it will cost and whether you need to cover transportation. If you’re a spontaneous soul, anticipate your own personality and set a few dollars aside for those extras you just HAVE to do, see, own or eat.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Be Money Smart

Keep your cash stashed in different locations on your body – though the criminal elements is near invisible in many European and Asian countries, it is hardly rare. Protecting yourself from a hard place will ensure your money stays where it belongs; as an extra precaution, be careful of using your credit card for anything or passing details on. Where possible, pay with cash and use an ATM, or pre-paid Cash Passport to ensure the best protection possible against credit theft and fraud. While this isn’t related to spending directly, it can severely affect how much cash you have to throw around.

Beach Huts by Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Avoid Hotels

While hotels are chock full of everyday comforts, they aren’t normally budget friendly. You have a few alternative here, depending on your personality and expectations for a trip away – hostels, bed and breakfasts, camping or private accommodation. While there is no right answer, researching and measuring testimonials against insider advice will ensure your safety and sanity; additionally, the above options are considerably more social and enjoyable than an isolated hotel experience. If you’re a camping fan, be mindful of weather conditions, environmental warnings, social implications and possible dangers before setting up camp – sometimes it’s best to have a solid roof over your head for the want of a few extra dollars!

Do you have any tricks of the travel trade to share? Let us know below in the comments!

Travelling to any foreign land can be both exciting and unnerving at the same time. As one eagerly looks forward to seeing new sights, exploring unfamiliar places, and immersing in an entirely different culture, the thought of being in a strange land with nameless faces can leave a queasy feeling in one’s stomach. This anxiety can be alleviated though by familiarizing yourself with the terrain and the culture of your travel destination through travel blogs and travel guides. Here are three different travel guides you should refer to before and during your trip.

Online Travel Guide. Before you fly off to your much-anticipated vacation, do let your fingers do the walking first and check out online travel guides. Doing so would give you an idea what to expect during your trip. It is also prudent to know any precautions you must take while in a foreign land.

Published Travel Guide. Travel guides vary from publisher to publisher, choose a travel guide that fits your own travel style. If you love adventure, you may want to choose one that shows off the beaten track sites and budget lodgings. Some guidebooks also include translations of commonly used phrases which can prove really useful when going to a place where English isn’t as widely used.

Personal Travel Guide. Once you’re in your travel destination, you may want to consider hiring the services of a tour guide. You may have to allot quite a portion of your budget for this but ensures you that you get to see all the wonderful sights the place has to offer. Just be sure you hire a reputable tour guide to avoid getting duped. It would be wise to ask your hotel concierge for referrals.

If you have read my previous post, you’d know that I dream of travelling with my husband and my children when they are a little bit older. I have always dreamt of travelling and even wanted to learn How to become an au pair so I could travel a bit when I was younger but unfortunately never had the chance so travelling with the people I love most would be amazing. You’d also know that I’ve been reading travel blogs to learn more about places that we could visit someday. Since I do plan to gift our children with an awesome family trip in a couple of years’ time, I’ve been looking up on the best travel spots to take the children to. Here are some of the best places where kids and kids-at-heart can all enjoy a fantastic vacation:

Hong Kong. This is actually the trip I have been saving for basically for two practical reasons, proximity and affordability. It’s just a few hours away so I won’t have to worry about the kids getting bored while on the plane and travel expenses are within our means. What’s more, we all get to go to Disneyland and Ocean Park.

Orlando, Florida. There’s the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Sea World and Wet ‘n Wild Water Park. What more can kids want?! The “Theme Park Capital of the World” is definitely on top of our list and should be on yours too if you already have children. There’s also more to Orlando than just theme parks, the entire family can also bask in the sun along Florida’s coastline. Cocoa Beach and Daytona beach are among the most popular but families travelling together may best enjoy going to Apollo Beach or Canaveral National Seashore.

Copenhagen, Denmark. Home to the second oldest amusement park in the world, Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen is also on our must visit travel wish list. Wouldn’t it be spectacular to take a ride on a wooden – yes, wooden – roller coaster than has been around since 1915? Tivoli Gardens also has manicured lawns with fountains and flower beds that make it just perfect for a stroll. Also, I’d like my children to see the Little Mermaid statue and to explore the land where one of our favourite authors, Hans Christian Andersen, lived. I almost forgot to mention that Legoland is just a few miles away.

We are thinking of buying a caravan so it’s easier to travel the country and have little weekend trips away too but we will have to look at a reputable caravan loan broker before we make any decisions.

These are just three of my dream destinations. I also want to take my children Egypt to see the pyramids and ride on camels, to Lapland in Finland to visit Santa’s home, to Australia to see kangaroos running freely and to swim with the fish in the Great Barrier Reef, and to many other places where they can discover how beautiful the world is. I seriously doubt that I’d be able to save enough for all these trips but I do hope to instill in my children a love for travel so they will someday yearn to visit these places too.