Best Packing List Apps for Travel The motivation to write a post on the best packing list apps for travel was initially selfish. It was inspired by a girls' weekend in Vegas when I arrived with only one pair of pants and no razor, when I took a trip to New York City in spring sans rain [...]
Postcrossing Shows You the World The majority of the reality and wanderlust are in direct conflict with one another. There's never quite enough time or money to wander as much as we desire, so I’m always trying to find ways to wander inexpensively or vicariously. Postcrossing is one of my coolest discoveries. In 2005, Paulo Magalhaes had [...]
Have You Ever Dined Underground at Supper Clubs? There are so many places to wander—to a country or city you've not yet been, to vibrant neighborhoods in your favorite metropolis, to the kitchens of total strangers in your own home town. That's right—a stranger's kitchen. It's easier than you think thanks to the super cool concept of underground dining, [...]
Travel Cheap Tips #7: Try Professional Housesitting It's both a comfort and a necessity for many homeowners to have their dwelling—and all the animate and inanimate treasures that come with it—watched over while they're away. What one person yearns to temporarily escape from can be the ideal home base for your next wander. And, the it [...]
Travel Cheap Tip #6: Volunteer Travel Just like my Travel Cheap Tips—#5 Hosting Exchange Students," volunteer travel will simultaneously help you travel cheap and enrich your life. The connections you will form and the overall experience is sure to depth and breadth to your soul. Depending on where you go, you’ll probably be honing your second language [...]
Travel Cheap Tips #5: Hosting Exchange Students Looking back on my (almost) 30 adult years, there are a handful of decisions that have added infinite value and meaning to my life. In the top five is hosting exchange students. In 1997, two 21-year old French girls arrived at San Diego International Airport. Just nine years younger than I, [...]
Travel Cheap Tips #4: Save Money by Staying in Hostels Don't be afraid of staying in hostels — There's a way to do it smart. And, hostels are NOT just for college kids! The world’s first hostel was born in 1912. They are the brainchild of German schoolteacher, Richard Schirrmann, who wanted to help young Deutschlanders [...]
Travel Cheap Tips #3: Do a Home Exchange Vacation There's a third way to travel cheap that saves you a wad by doing things the old-fashioned way—do a home exchange vacation. Back in the day, bartering was the way most transactions went down. Neighbors swapped with neighbors, customers swapped with merchants, and everyone's wallets saw a lot [...]
Travel Cheap Tips #2: Be a Host on Airbnb or VRBO There are two sides to every story. If someone can share their space with you on Airbnb or VRBO, the odds are that you can host on Airbnb or VRBO yourself. Do you have some extra space—or are you willing to lend out your entire [...]
Travel Cheap Tips #1: Use VRBO, Homestay or Airbnb Vacation Rentals It was in the midst of a midlife transition—from conservative married at-home suburban mom to divorced bleeding heart working urban mom—that I discovered my preference for showering outside with livestock. Since my divorce, I have figured out many ways to spend less money on my wanders and stay in [...]
