Camp Kátur Blog

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.