Traveling on a budget

by Meg Mottola | All #FinancialFebruary posts are sponsored by State Farm.

Traveling is something that many want to do but are hesitant to do due to the potential costs. Traveling is one of my favorite activities and throughout my years of traveling, I’ve learned more and more ways to budget well and still have plenty of opportunities to enjoy oneself. Here are my top 3 tips:

1. AirBnb — this is a great way to find affordable places to stay while traveling. It’s quick and easy. You can find them in specific neighborhoods depending on where you’re traveling to or if there are certain sights you want to see. Sometimes hotels are limited in and around rest stops and there might not be too many (affordable) options so AirBnb works as a great way to have a place to stay all at a price that is doable. It’s definitely got a much homier feel too!

2. Food — packing food can save a ton of money and this way you can spend money on those really cool and chic local places that you see all over Instagram. Many rest stops have microwaves so you can even pack things that might need to be heated up! Granola bars, trail mix, peanut butter, beans, dried fruit, bread, cereal, avocados; just to name a few! You can even pack a cooler to keep things like veggies and hummus on hand as well. some Not only are you saving money but you’re also ensuring that you can choose healthier options while on the road instead of relying on fast food or rest stop food throughout the duration of your trip. Even considering cooking at your AirBnb instead of going out!

3. Planning Sight Seeing –When traveling, there are tons of free activities, amenities, and places to visit! This takes a bit of planning before traveling. It helps to really think about what exactly you do want to spend your money on, what’s worth the extra buck, and what’s not. Most of the time, you wouldn’t go out to the movies while traveling since you can do that back home, but maybe there’s a museum you’ve been wanting to go to, so that might be something to budget your money towards. If you’re a student, there are also student deals at different sites, and Groupon is a great place to find some deals for popular sight-seeing places that might cost money. Usually the town has a website with a list of free events that go on daily. And if you find a gift shop, think about putting your wallet away (chances are you get the same thing on Amazon for way cheaper anyway) and wait to splurge on those “once in a lifetime” kinds of things!

Happy travels!

Love and light,
Meg

About the Author:

Meg Mottola, 26, is an east coaster but a traveler at heart. After taking time off and traveling a bit, she is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology. Beyond that she plans on getting her Master’s in Sports Psychology. She’s also in recovery from a 7+ year battle with Anorexia and Compulsive Exercise. Aside from writing for the foundation, Meg enjoys hiking with her twin, yoga, jamming on the guitar, and photography. She believes the key to life is to surround yourself with positivity. You can follow her Instagram, @meggmott, where she posts pictures of adventures with her girlfriend, her love for nature, and much more!