Travel Affordability

Two freelance film crew members (married to each other)

 attempt to explore Southeast Asia (SEA) in "100 Days" 

on a shoestring budget.

Day 1: Vicky and Mike's last stateside selfie from LAX

We call ourselves "Checkpoint Chanislawski." It's a mash-up of our surnames: Chan and Stanislawski. One year of planning and saving is how we turned a dream into reality. One year that also cost us twelve months of rent in Los Angeles, bills, student loans, more bills, five round trip flights to our hometown of Chicago, nights out with friends, and probably a cumulative four months of unemployment between the both of us. So how do we AFFORD to travel this magnificent Earth? Here’s how WE did it:

SET A DATE

Day 9: Sunlight breaks through some clouds 

over Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand

Just like planning for a wedding, we chose a date in the near future that would serve as a deadline for setting aside funding. From our previous backpacking excursion through Europe in 2014, we could reasonably predict that it would take us one year to save up for SEA, especially since the cost of living is considerably cheaper there.

LIMIT CONSUMPTION
As Americans, we’ve been indoctrinated from birth to buy, buy, buy. Starbucks every day. A bigger TV. The newest iPhone. The latest fashion. Instead, we brew our coffee at home. Most of our furniture is bought second or even third hand off of Craigslist. We rarely update our wardrobe, but when we do, we turn to thrift stores. Thankfully, the L.A. scene provides us with a quick turnaround rate on name brand digs for dirt cheap.

BUY ON A TUESDAY, FLY ON A TUESDAY
(or sometimes Wednesday)
From reading travel blogs and being avid travelers, we’ve noticed that airfare tends to be cheaper on Tuesdays. This makes sense because most 9-5ers only have the luxury of taking off Fridays or Mondays to travel rather than mid-week, thus driving up prices on those days. Also, the prime time to buy is 5-8 weeks before the desired departure date. This is what I call “The Golden Period.” It’s the brief window of lower fares offered in between purchases made by the overly-prepared vacationers and the last-minute seat fillers.

Day 10: Silhouette of the majestic Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia

WATCH IT GROW
Our savings account dedicated to our trip, that is. Like a home-grown tomato plant, we nurtured our savings account to fruition. Instead of water and sunlight, though, we used portions of our paycheck. Sometimes we could only transfer $10, other times we were able to throw in hundreds. But the more we invested, the more worldly experiences we could envision. And so we watched our savings grow.


FOREGO LUXURIES WHILE TRAVELING

Day 39: Abseiling next to a roaring waterfall in
  Da Lat, Vietnam

We budget for hostels, street food vendors, and ground transportation. Our goal is to average $30/day/person for our entire trip. A low-key day of walking around, hanging out at public parks, and people watching can help off-set an expensive day of canyoning through forests and waterfalls.

 Accommodations: A hostel bed or budget hotel room can be found for $5-$10 USD/night, even with A/C (for my husband who is covered in fur, it’s necessary in SEA). We occasionally find deals on Agoda.com for accommodations that include a complimentary breakfast.

Food: A hearty meal at a food stall on the street corner can cost $1-$2. Beer can be found for 50 cents in some areas!

Transportation: We tolerated a thirteen hour coach bus ride from Bangkok to Phnom Penh for $9 each, whereas a one-way/one hour flight costs roughly $60/person. As with many things in life, it’s either time or money. Our $49/person open tour “hop-on-hop-off” sleeper bus through Vietnam has proven to be most rewarding. That’s quite a deal for exploring seven cities in one month across the expanse of over one thousand miles.

 

Day 32: A steaming bowl of Vietnamese pho noodle soup
warms the soul!

We booked our Vietnam open tour bus
through TM Camel. We'll hopefully post
 a complete guide to surviving a sleeper
bus before the end of our trip.

LET'S BE HONEST
Through a series of fortunate events and life choices, we can afford to travel because we have fewer financial responsibilities than others and an extremely flexible work schedule. We don’t have dependents or children. We rent, so we don’t pay a mortgage. We are relatively healthy people. But we’ve earned every penny and we live modestly. Some travel articles will boast that anyone can travel the world. Traveling is not for everyone and not everyone can afford to travel. However, by sharing our experience, we hope to encourage the daydreamers to wake up and see that world exploration is possible.

Day 44: Maybe the grass (or rice) is greener on the other side?
Luscious rice paddy fields in Hoi An, Vietnam

And now we leave you with ten more tips that we actually follow...

PRACTICAL POINTERS FOR SAVING MONEY
At home or abroad

1. Sublet your apartment or rent out your house.
2. Suspend your cell phone plan while traveling. Free WiFi can be found most anywhere.
3. Share a meal with your partner/friend when eating out. It's a diet plan too!
4. Get a reusable water bottle with a filter and stop buying plastic water bottles.
5. Do your research. Spending extra time comparing costs can save hundreds.
6. If you like going to the movies, opt for a matinee screening for half the price of a normal ticket.
7. Check up on current exchange rates before you enter a different country. Knowing the value of things can defend you from scam artists.
8. Carpool. It's a great excuse to sing-along together to your favorite guilty pleasure pop songs.
9. If there is something expensive you want to have, whine about wanting it for the next six months. If you still want it, get it. Or don't get it, save the money, and whine for another several months.
10. Volunteer to do something that's enjoyable to you. It's a free activity that also gives back. Play with kittens at a no-kill shelter for four hours? Don't mind if I do!

Checkpoint Checklist: Paris on a Budget

Ah Paris... the City of Love, the City of Light, the City of I Can't Afford Anything Nice. When money is tight, you might need to rethink your idea of a romantic getaway. Forget about champagne or sharing a candlelit dinner with a view of the Eiffel Tower. But don't be discouraged! Here are some tips on how to enjoy this city without breaking the bank.

The Eiffel Tower, photo taken from the Palais du Chaillot

CHEAPEST ACCOMODATIONS: After thoroughly searching the internet, Airbnb seems to offer the best and cheapest places to stay. If you're a single traveler, a bed in a hostel can still be cost efficient and more fun. But for couples who want a little bit more privacy, try renting a private room in the apartment or house of a local! We met some great hosts who provided us with a cozy bedroom and advice not found in tour books or online. The best part is you generally have access to a full kitchen and washer/dryer.

• Price Range:
• Hostels - €15-30/night per person. Prices fluctuate based on demand; Friday/Saturday nights cost more
• "Motels" - €45-60; I give them low ratings in cleanliness and comfort. Paris is the bed bug capital.
• Airbnb - €30-70; The website offers many filter options, lots of pictures, and reviews for each host so you can find exactly what you want, whether it be a pull-out sofa bed or an entire loft apartment to yourself.

Sacré Cœur, Montmartre, 18th Arrondissement

CREDIT CARD: I prefer using my credit card because I don't get charged a foreign transaction or conversion fee, but some places have a minimum purchase limit and many local shops don't accept American credit cards (explanation below).

• MUST READ! Most automated machines in Paris do not accept swipe credit cards! We encountered problems while trying to purchase tickets for the Metro (the subway). We were also really disappointed when we tried to rent the city bicycles and the machine couldn't process any of our cards. In France and much of the world, they have chip-and-PIN cards that read differently than the magnetic strip cards we are issued in the States. However, many restaurants and stores have dual card readers.   

CASH MONEY: Always carry cash in the currency of the country you are visiting. Smaller denominations are easier to handle and the vendors will hate you (tourists) less.

• Most ATMs don't charge any service fees but your bank most likely will.



The Seine River

FOOD: Not much fine dining for this couple! The cost of a regular dinner at most restaurants/bistros is between €12-16 per person. The cost of more refined dining is double or triple that. Our little taste buds will never experience the exquisite cuisine that Paris is known for. Instead, this is what our diet consisted of:

• Crepes - the little huts along the streets of Paris offer sweet and savory crepes for 3-6 Euros
• Ethnic Food - Paris is quite a diverse city. We found many kebab shops, fast food Chinese, Indian, and African. Warning! If you walk into a fast food place and you see a microwave behind the counter, run away! Unless you're hungry and desperate.
• The Locals - No, we did not convert to cannibalism. Ask the people who know the ins and outs of the city best. Our hosts took us to a no-frills African restaurant where we sat in a dark basement and ate an incredibly tasty authentic Ivory Coast meal... with our hands.
• Boulangerie Patisserie - On every block in Paris you can find these mom and pop bakeries that offer low-cost sandwiches, bread products, and pastries all baked fresh daily. €3.50 for a thin "foot-long" simple sub.

GETTING TIPSY: A glass of wine can be cheaper than a bottle of Coke. For some reason soda/pop is really expensive in Paris. So grab a seat in the patio of the nearest bistro and order a glass (€3-€4). The best advice from everyone and their mother is to grab a six-pack at a supermarket and stroll on down to the Seine River at night.

Locals and tourists hanging out along the river

Gettin' all spry on some Grolsch; Notre Dame Cathedral in the background

SEEING THE SIGHTS: So many incredible monuments, so little time. Paris is fun to explore on foot and the Metro weaves through every part of the city and beyond.

• A single ride fare on the Metro costs €1.70. An unlimited day pass is roughly €8.
• 704: number of steps to the second level of the Eiffel Tower. Climbing the stairs is a cheaper and "healthier" option than taking elevator. €5 stairs to second floor/€9 elevator to second floor/€15 elevator to the top. The wait is shorter too.

The right way to climb up the Eiffel Tower

The wrong way to climb up the Eiffel Tower

•  Palace of Versailles - This amazing, decadent palace costs a decent €15, which includes an audio guide. However, the majestic gardens and parks are FREE! Take a whole day to wander the grounds and nap in the grass. It does take about an hour and a half by train to get there from the city centre.

• 

  The Gardens behind the Palace

  

  A moment of reflection by the Grand Canal

  Seven days in Paris doesn't make us experts, but hopefully these tips will make your first or next visit more enjoyable and help to keep your hard earned money in your pocket.

East view from the Eiffel Tower  

Checkpoint Checklist: Tips For Saving

Vicky here! Thanks for following our adventure. This is the first installment in the series "Checkpoint Checklist" in which we provide bullet point lists of tips and information on traveling based on our experience and research.

How can two freelancers in the competitive film industry afford such an extensive trip through some of the most expensive countries in the world? Here's how we did it:

• LIVE WITH ROOMMATES: 2 bedroom apartment in North Hollywood. 4 adult roommates. Sounds crowded, but Mike and I each saved around $500/month compared to what our colleagues generally pay. We split the cost of utilities and internet four ways as well. Netflix ended up being $2/person. Every penny counts, right?
• When you have cool roommates, you go out less and spend less because every night is hang out night!
• COOK YOUR OWN MEALS: Buying groceries and cooking at home saves SO MUCH MONEY! We generally spend $100 every two weeks on groceries. Between the two of us, that's $25/wk per person. That's less than what you would spend on one night out at a chain sit-down restaurant.
• Of course we still went out and enjoyed a nice dinner or drinks with friends. Just not too often.
• It also helps that our jobs offer catered lunches because we work 13+ hours a day and can't get away to buy lunch.
• DON'T BUY NEW CLOTHES: Mike and I are not trendy at all when it comes to fashion. Our jobs require us to wear practical clothes that always get dirty and torn. When we do want to update our wardrobe and dress like adults, we go to the local Goodwill or more fashionable second hand stores like Crossroads. I bought a chic BCBG sweater for $15 with the original price tag marked at $150.
• Same goes for electronics/furniture/material goods: CRAIGSLIST is the SH*T! We find amazing items and deals on Craigslist.
• OPEN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT: People who live paycheck to paycheck don't realize this is an option. This is a great way to prioritize your earnings and spending. I usually put away 50% of my paycheck into my savings. We have been saving for this trip for about a year. Even setting aside $50 a month can add up.
• Mike and I are great at saving, but that doesn't mean we stay home all the time and avoid all things fun. We go back to Chicago at least twice a year to see family and friends because that is what is important to us. Otherwise, we could be saving another $1200/year on airfare alone. Keep in mind, we aren't making any money when we visit home.
• READ TRAVEL BLOGS: Like ours! You are not the first or only person to want to travel. Many people have done it before you and have utilized blogging to share their experience and advice. There are error-proof ways to save money leading up to your trip and cost-cutting tricks to use during your trip. Listed below are the two most useful travel blogs we follow:
• http://www.nomadicmatt.com/ Nomadic Matt offers sage advice on travel budgeting.
• http://herpackinglist.com/ This blog was more useful for me than for Mike. Women think, plan, and pack differently. It was great to read about travel experiences from the ladies.

Up next: The journey begins. LA to London...