Traveling During a Recession

It's official. The National Bureau of Economic Research announced last month that the U.S. is in a recession and has been since December 2007. While this news is pretty disheartening, don't let it stop you from enjoying stellar trips! I have a couple of tips for you to navigate the murky waters of traveling during a recession. With a little bit of ingenuity, "roughing it" could be even more fun than you expected!

1. Try to go to a country with a favorable exchange rate. You want to go to a country where you get the most bang for your buck, and, as hard as it may be to believe, the dollar IS appreciating against certain currencies. I recommend going to www.xe.com where you can find the latest exchange rates for most currencies. For example, the South African rand, the Hungarian forint, and the Chinese yuan are all relatively cheap right now!
   



2. When you're in the mood for food… try not to eat out so much! You’d be surprised how much of your budget is spent on eating, especially when you regularly chow down at restaurants. So, instead of trying to find the nearest restaurant chain, think like a local and hit up the grocery store or farmer's market! You can find some great fresh fruit, ham and turkey to make sandwiches, and much more, all at a low cost! Plus, a little bonus is: it's portable! When I was in Amsterdam this summer, I didn't want to waste any time. So my tour mates and I bought bread, honey, nutella, and peanut butter and ate a delicious meal while standing in line for the Anne Frank house! Fun AND cheap!
   



3. Bottled water = EXPENSIVE. When you're planning your budget, you don't often think about the money you'll be spending on certain items that, over time, can add up. One of those things is bottled water. It is amazing how expensive it can be! So, if you are traveling to a location where drinking tap water is sanitary, bring along a water bottle with you and fill it up at water fountains or taps. You'll be thankful when you can spend that cash on a river cruise or museum tour instead of water!
   



4. Be wary of ATM fees! Most ATMs will charge you a processing fee when you pull your money out from a bank other than your own. These small fees can really accumulate if you're always in need of cash. Instead, try to anticipate how much cash would last you for a couple of weeks and withdraw that amount to cut down on your visits to the ATM. Or, if you would prefer not having a lot of cash on you, see if you can get a credit card that doesn't charge a fee when you use it oversees. Even better, see if you can earn frequent flier miles on your purchases with that card! Let your spending work for you!
   



5. Look around for scholarship, internship, or job opportunities abroad! You can't imagine how many opportunities that are out there concerning travel! Shop around for different scholarships that might be able to fund your adventures! If you are willing to do a little research or writing while on your trip, you may be able to reap monetary benefits! There are also plenty of companies and websites that want to help you set up a job or an internship abroad… just Google different ideas that you have, and let your web surfing go wild!

So as you can see, an economic downturn does not have to limit your traveling dreams! You may have to adapt your plans a little bit or go without certain luxuries, but if that means you get to continue touring, it's totally worth it! If you have any other ideas about how to save money for traveling, let everyone know in the comments section!