See More, Spend Less

As I mentioned in my first post, I recently traveled to Ireland with my school. A group of about 30 of us ventured off to the beautiful country for about two weeks. Within this time frame we explored Dublin, Dungarven, Galway and many other small towns in between. Traveling was always something I have dreamed of doing and getting this little taste of it has only made me want to continue traveling more. Yet there is always one problem that comes into play with traveling around the world: money. As many will know, traveling is a pretty expensive hobby. From plane tickets to meals to entertainment, there is no question that it could drain your bank account. But do not fear, I have learned a few tips along the way that could help almost anyone enjoy their traveling experiences for less!

1) Split Meals
At first, you will be totally pumped to try all the new and cultural foods of where you are visiting but I am here to warn you; you don't need three full meals every day. In the two hostels we stayed at they provided somewhat of a free breakfast. Take advantage of this! Every morning they had out free toast, fruit, cereal and juice for all guests. It wasn't a five star meal by no means but it will save you that extra 5 euro for breakfast. It is enough to get you started for the day and it costs nothing! Another tactic that my friends and I used whenever in Ireland was splitting bigger meals like lunch or dinner (depending on where we went). When moving from place to place with no set "home" to go back too, there is no room/need for leftovers. That being said, don't go for a huge expensive meal when you know you won't eat it all. Split with a friend; that's half the cost and no food to be tempted to lug around for later. I promise you, that half a fish you didn't finish is not worth carrying around for hours that you probably won't end up eating later...

2) Walking 
Not only is this a great exercise, but it is an amazing way to save money and explore to the full extent. Especially in Dublin, we walked to a majority of our destinations, map in hand, and I do not regret it one bit. By actually walking around the city, it gave us the opportunity to find new things that we never would have if just stuck on a bus. Half of what we did in Dublin was from just walking around and unplanned. Now don't get me wrong, if something was all the way across the city and it was down pouring out we would take a taxi. This only cost us about 2 euro each since we were splitting it five ways. So long story short, if you keep public transportation to a minimum and walk instead, you will not only save a ton of money, but discover a whole lot more!

3) Free Admissions
This one is pretty self explanatory. Always look for places that are free of charge to enter or public places like parks and stores. Museums, libraries, parks, malls, pubs, cathedrals, Trinity college; all places we went that cost nothing to go to. Yeah, maybe a library isn't the first place you would want to go to but you're in a totally different country! Anything is a cool experience and everything is an open opportunity to get to know other cultures. In all of these places,

I got to talk to many natives to Ireland and that's when you really get the full experience. Take in all of the countries history and get to know the people from there and even better, get to do it all for free!

4) Souvenirs 
As tempting as it may be, do not buy the very first thing you see, especially in the big cities. A lot of souvenir stores have the same memorabilia and some are a lot more expensive than others. Wait a few  days after you've shopped around and then start thinking about buying. Another thing is sometimes freebies and pictures are the best souvenir. Don't think you have to spend hundreds of dollars to remember where you went. Having a ton of pictures is one of the best gifts you can have. Also, a lot of places we went to had free gifts. It could range from a pub poster or free postcards that won't cost you a dime. Think before you buy and remember that memories are the overall best souvenir!

Traveling over seas was with no doubt, one of the best experiences of my life and something I think everyone should experience. Don't let money be in the way of stopping you from experiencing your dreams. If you follow these tips and are overall sensible, the cost will be a little less scary. Take advantage of study abroad opportunities, there is only so many chances you get!

Cheers!
Olivia B.