Why Travelling On The Cheap Is So Fun

Travelling and money go hand in hand, right? Well, sure, if you want to feast at bougie restaurants all day and go to every museum, art gallery and expensive stores the city has to offer, then yeah. But in all honesty, “roughing it” on a severe shoestring budget can be so much more fun, hilarious, un-aesthetic and leave you with wild stories up the wazoo. Here are five reasons why you could defs still travel, even if you’re a tad broke.  
 

You get to experience life as a local 

When you live in a city, you’re not splashing out every day to see the best tourist attractions the city has to offer, you’re just soaking up the atmosphere of the city and looking for hidden gems while at it. Who knows, maybe you’ll grab dinner from a street food stall and it’ll be the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten, or find a free art display that’s more inspiring than the Louvre.   
 

It’s less full-on 

When you have an itinerary packed with a gazillion things your friend read you should do in the city, you’ll be worn out and ready to go home within a few days. But when you can’t afford to do those gazillion things, you can spend your time chilling on a beach, watching street performers, enjoying a coffee in a piazza or setting forwarth in search for the best view in the city. 

You’ll have better convos 

Ever seen the movie Before Sunrise? I swear the most money they spent that whole movie was to get on a train. The rest of the movie was pure conversation, and a good one at that. That could be you, walking through Vienna, having the conversation of a lifetime with the people you’re travelling with or someone you met at a hostel or dare I say... your soulmate who you met on the train from Budapest. 
 

You’ll meet more people 

When you’re not rushing around from landmark to landmark or guided tour to guided tour, you’ll find yourself making far more connections with others. The best part of travelling is meeting people you wouldn’t have the chance to at home. So, whether you’re chatting with locals while you’re out and about or hanging out with people from the hostel you’re staying at, having the time to build friendships is a blessing. 
 

More freedom 

When you’re travelling rich, you’ve probably got a bunch of bookings you need to plan around. You’ll have accommodation and transport booked, which doesn’t give you the opportunity to change plans on the fly. You'll be able to spend more time in the places you love and ditch the spots that didn’t live up to the hype without any hassle.  
 

So, if you want to have a truly unique travelling experience, you’re going to have to sacrifice some of the luxuries, but it’ll all be worth it when you have better memories, stories and experiences than all of your rich friends combined. As long as you take all the important precautions (like travel insurance and an international money card) to make sure you aren’t stranded overseas with no way home, you’re going to have the trip of a lifetime.  

This content has been created by Year13 and is sponsored by Westpac.