How to Travel the World on a Shoestring

BudgetKatelyn Michaud

Where do you want

to go?

What’s holding

you back?

What Holds You Back From Travel?

Money Work Time Travel companions Fear Children Health

Who am I? Certified workaholic

Healthcare analyst (full-time) Fitness trainer & instructor (part-

time) Endurance sport coach (part-time) Freelance writer (part-time)

Strong case of Wanderlust Penny pincher Travel blogger and amateur photographer

Spanish language student

The Planning Process

Where do you want to go? Do you have a specific location you want

to go? Are you flexible?

When do you want to go? Do you have a specific time you want to

go? Are you flexible? How long do you want to go for?

Do you have a budget? How much can you spend? Are you using any awards points?

Steps to

Planning Your

Trip

Step 1: Make a budget

Step 2: Choose a time of year

Step 3: Choose a location

Step 4: Research airfare or transportation

Step 5: Research accommodations

Step 6: Research activities and tours

Step 7: Pack efficiently

Step 1: Budget

You NEED a budget

Research costs of transportation, accommodations, and activities of where you’re going to determine budget

Once your budget is established, add 20% to it

And most importantly… STICK to it!

Step 2: Time

Flexibility is key to saving money

Travel in the off-season or shoulder season when possible

Europe: Shoulder Season

April – Mid-June September – October

Off-Season November – March

Central America: Shoulder Season

May September - November

Low Season Mid-April – Early-December

South America: Shoulder Season:

November May

Depends on country/region

Let prices dictate where you go

Step 3: Location

Specific location

Flexible location

Step 4: Transportatio

n

Airfare Airport preference Rewards/Miles Budget airlines

Ground Transportation Bus Taxi Car rentals Car shares/hitch-hiking

Step 5: Accommodat

ions

Accommodations Budget hotels Hostels Camping Airbnb Couchsurfing

Step 6: Activities

and Tours

Google “(location) travel blogs”

Check TripAdvisor

Travel Guidebooks (i.e., Lonely Planet, Fodor’s)

Visit Tourism Boards

Student/Teacher/Mature Adult Discounts

Free museum nights/days

Look for free events and tours Free Tours by Foot Hostel-sponsored tours/events

Step 7: Packing

Avoid checked baggage fees when you can! If you must check baggage consider an

airline-branded credit card

Learn to pack only what you need

Packing cubes are your best friend

Pack once, unpack and remove items, and pack again!

Travel Hacking 101

How to Use Credit Cards to Earn Free Flights, Hotels, and Travel

Rewards

Travel Hacking

101 What is travel hacking? Travel hacking is the art and science of

using credit cards to earn rewards and miles to cover the costs of travel expenses

How does it work? Sign-up bonuses Normal spending Filling out surveys Manufactured spending

The Best Travel Cards

Barclays Arrival Plus

• Earn 40,000 points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days – this translates to a $400 travel statement credit

• Earn 2x points per $1 spent on all purchases

• Points never expire as long as the account is open and in good standing

• Points can be used for any travel-related expenses, such as flight, hotels, bus or train travel, travel insurance, etc. (2,500 points = $25 in travel statement credit)

• No foreign transaction fees• 10% points back when you redeem for

travel statement credits• Chip-and-pin technology• $89 annual fee; waived the first year

The Best Travel Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Earn 40,000 points when you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months of account opening

Earn an additional 5,000 points when you add an authorized user to the account and they make one purchase within 3 months

40,000 points is equivalent to about $500 if used in the Chase Ultimate Rewards website

1:1 points transfer to several major airlines and hotels, including (but not limited to) United, Southwest, British Airways, and Hyatt Gold Passport

Earn 2x points on all travel and dining and 1x points on everything else

No foreign transaction fees

Chip-and-pin technology

$95 annual fee; waived the first year

The Best Travel Cards

Starwood Preferred

Guest

Earn 10,000 points with your first purchase and an additional 15,000 after spending $5,000 within 6 months

Earn 5x points with Starwood preferred Guest hotels and resorts and 1x points for everything else

Earn free nights at over 1,100 hotels and resorts in over 100 countries with no blackout dates (points go a long way in many Asian hotels)

Transfer points to over 30 airline mileage programs, including (but not limited to) Delta, American Airlines, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, etc.

Travel accident insurance

$65 annual fee; waived first year

The Best Travel Debit Card

Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking Account

No ATM fees worldwide (refund at end of month)

No minimum balance Chip-and-pin technology No fees No foreign transaction fees Open online or at a local branch

Reward Travel: $1500 Plane Ticket for $131.50!

Case Study:

New York City

Flight: Jet Blue - $179 (Erased with Barclays Arrival)

Hostel: HI NYC Hostel - $49/night dorm bed (One night free coupon & erased paid night with points)

Activities: Free Tours by Foot Brooklyn Bridge Tour -

$20 tip Free Tours by Foot Harlem Tour - $10 tip Highline Walk – FREE Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of

Liberty – FREE 9/11 Memorial – FREE Central Park – FREE Top of the Rock - $30 (erased with points)

Transportation: From JFK – AirTrain to LIRR & MTA

Subways Around NYC – Subways & walking

Case Study: Azores

Flight: SATA Airlines - $330 RT from BOS

Hostel: Vintage Place Guesthouse - $60 for 4 nights

Food: Under $100 for 5 days w/ alcohol

Activities: Road trips around the island with new

friends - FREE Military Museum - $5 Hot Springs - $3

Transportation: Airport shuttle - $7 Rental Car Share - $25

Case Study:

Guatemala

Flight: Delta into Belize; Express bus to Flores

Hostels: Los Amigos ($8), Tikal Inn ($65)

Food: $15

Activities: Tikal National Park - $40 Walking tour of Flores

Transportation: Express bus from Belize to Flores - $25 Bus/Taxi - $50

Case Study: Belize

Flight: Delta - $700 from BOS

Hostels: Pedro’s Inn, Bella’s Backpackers, Sea Breeze Guesthouse

Food: Ate local, refilled water

Activities: Cave Tubing - $75 Snorkeling - $60 (went twice) Massage on beach - $55 Read on the beach – FREE Walk around town/island – FREE

Transportation: Water Taxi - $25 roundtrip Air Topic Flight to Airport - $95

Helpful Websites and

ResourcesWebsites that you need to bookmark to save on travel

Flights Search Engines: Kayak Explorer Airfarewatchdog The Flight Deal Skyscanner Google ITA Matrix or Google Flights

Flight Deal Newsletters/ Forums The Points Guy The Flight Deal FlyerTalk Nomadic Matt

Accommodations

Free Accommodations: Couchsurfing Servas Camp in My Garden WWOOFing House sitting (House Carers, Mind my

House)

Budget Accommodations: Hostels (Hostelworld, Booking, Lonely

Planet) Airbnb HomeAway

Search Engines: Priceline Agoda

Activities Tours:

Free Tours by Foot (US-based cities) Free walking tours with hostels New Europe Walking Tours

Discount Cards: Student cards (ISIC Student/Teacher) City Tourism Cards

Free Activities: Check websites for free days Check with hostels/hotels/tourism boards Look for street festivals

Transportation

Walking!

Local buses & Subways

Inter- and Intra-Country Buses: “Chicken buses” (Central America) Busabout Backpacker Buses Megabus UK MEiNFERNBUS TicaBus Omnilineas

Trains: Interrail Eurail

Questions?Thank You!

@wanderinglobsta

@thewanderinglobster

Diaries of Wandering Lobster

www.diariesofawanderinglobster.comkatelynmichaud@gmail.com