Let's Make Budget Sexy!

Budget is not a sexy word. But, it just means that you are conscious of the money that you are spending. Even if you have tons of money, you should still be aware of what you are spending it on. I am always aware. I still do and experience everything I want in this life, but I do it responsibly. This way I just get to squeeze more out of it all. It all lasts longer, the clothes on my back, the food I put in my mouth, each and every adventure. Think before you spend. I take a little bit of time to see if there is a more money-efficient way to get the same thing, but spend less. The answer is there is. I constantly get asked, How do I do it? My answer is to think outside the box. There is no one way to do anything.Getting there:Nomadic Matt has a very good point: not all search engines are created equal when looking for your next adventure. We all have our favorite sites that we use, but you need to get outside of that box. Some times budget airlines are not shown on travel websites. A little digging needs to done to see what airlines serve the area. I needed to get back to America shorter than expected, so I booked a budget airline from Bali to Bangkok, then to NYC. With a little research I saved myself almost a $1000!Staying there:According to moneyunder30, restaurants have an up-charge of 300%. That adds up when you are eating out a few times a day or getting your morning coffee. Every time I set on a new adventure, I always make sure that my place is going to have a kitchen or a cooking situation.  Going to the local farmer’s market is always on my list when I visit a place. I still experience the food culture by shopping local and even do a cooking class with a local. This gets me in the local’s kitchen without breaking my vacation budget.Getting around there:If I know that I am going to be headed to a city, I always stay as close to city center as possible. Even though I pay a little bit more for accommodation, I save by not getting into taxis, ubers, or renting a car. There is no reason to be dishing out money daily for something that can be free with walking or using the public transportation. I understand that there are some places in the world where renting a car is absolutely needed, but that is why you have multiple ways to save; where you can’t save in one spot, you can save in another.I say we make the word Budget sexy. Who is with me?