Hi Glampers !
Today we have a guest post for you written by Sharon Wagner .
Sharon Wagner is creator of
SeniorFriendly.info and author of the upcoming book, The Ultimate Guide to
Senior-Friendly Workouts, Fitness Gear, Healthy Recipes, and More. With
both her website and her book, she hopes to provide helpful tips, tricks,
advice, and product recommendations that help seniors stay active and engaged
as they age.
6 Easy
Ways to Have a Great Trip on a Budget
Research and studies have shown that travel can improve
overall health, boost creativity, and even lower the risk of depression. After
retirement, you typically have more time to travel. If you’re hoping to travel
while still saving money, here are some great ways you can on a budget.
1. Home
exchanges
One inexpensive way to see the world is by
agreeing to a home exchange with another individual.
This can reduce your cost of accommodations to nearly zero. It also gives you
the chance to see a huge number of locations on a budget. It works by agreeing
to trade spaces with another homeowner for a short period of time. All you have
to do is search “home exchange” on the internet and look at the options
available.
2. Stay
with locals
Services like Airbnb have seen a huge
explosion in the market during recent years. This has added tens of billions of
dollars of value to the company and cementing Airbnb as an extremely valuable option for budget-conscious
travelers. You can stay with locals in whatever area you’re traveling to and
pay lower prices and enjoy a more immersive experience.
3. Plan
itinerary in advance
First organize the sights and activities that
you want to see in a city, country, or continent according to geography, and work on connecting
the dots from there. Look at what is closest to each option and factor in how
much you want to go to a particular location. Often poor planning can lead to
unexpected expenses, so make sure you have a good idea of what you want to do.
You can still have some wiggle room, but winging it isn’t the best idea
financially.
4. Take
care of your home before leaving
An easy-to-forget part of your budget is taking care of your house before
leaving. It’s no fun paying for damages when you come home. When leaving for
vacation, make sure everything in your home is secure. Check for batteries in
your smoke alarm. If it’s wintertime, turn on your faucet just a touch to let
water trickle through the pipes so your pipes won’t freeze. There are even services available which allow you
to locate a house sitter to take care of your home, pets, plants, or whatever
you need to care for when you’re traveling.
5. Use
alternative means of transit
Public transportation, along with ridesharing,
can be a viable means of more affordable travel. An article from The New York Times
about using public transit while abroad recommends planning your trips so that
you don’t have to travel at night. This allows for safer travel. Look up the
local road culture or transit availability before you go to a destination.
Large cities also offer hop-on, hop-off tours that get you to all the sights
without exerting too much energy.
6.
Balance buying local groceries and eating out
When you’re visiting countries that are expensive to travel in, one of the
best ways to save money is by visiting the local supermarket and making your
own food occasionally. This is especially useful if your accommodations allow
you to prepare your own food. You can—and should—still eat out to experience
the local cuisine; however, as a rule of thumb, try to eat out only once a day
so you can keep some spare change in your wallet.
There’s a lot of places to see in this world,
but you don’t have to be rich to see them. If you’re not retired yet, practice for it by taking some
affordable vacations now and see what you’d be interested in doing. You’ll have
an enjoyable time and won’t have to worry about finances.
