A Filipino traveler known as Travelosyo has shared valuable insights on how to save money while still enjoying the pleasures of traveling. Despite taking two international and nine domestic trips in 2023, Travelosyo successfully increased their savings, enjoyed occasional shopping and dining out, and managed all this without accruing any debt.
Travelosyo attributes this achievement to strategic planning and self-discipline. One significant approach involves staying home to save money. By cooking and grocery shopping independently, and limiting outings, they were able to allocate more funds for travel.
Here are some key tips shared by Travelosyo:
Advance Flight Bookings: Capitalizing on seat sales for flights and planning trips early helps to avoid higher costs closer to the travel date.
Do-It-Yourself Travel Planning: Researching and organizing trips independently can be significantly cheaper than using travel agencies. For instance, Travelosyo spent only around 30,000 pesos for an 8-day trip to Vietnam, including two domestic flights.
Affordable Accommodations: There are many budget-friendly lodging options available, especially within the Philippines. Travelosyo provides a link for recommended hotels.
Extra Source of Income: In today’s economy, relying on a single income source might not suffice for travel enthusiasts. Travelosyo suggests finding ways to earn extra money and allocating a portion of income for travel.
Realistic Pasalubong Practices: Travelosyo advises against feeling obligated to buy gifts (pasalubong) if it’s not within the budget, emphasizing financial self-care over external expectations.