So I’ve been a little quiet on the blog and since I last wrote a lot has changed. I’m pretty well settled into my new home. The other day I bought a scooter and found an apartment.
After 7 months of travel, 12 countries, 1 breakup and countless apartments, hotels and hostels, I’ve found a home.
That home is Antigua, Guatemala and I’m in talks now with a lawyer to start the residency process, in order to become ‘tax-free’ legally. On Monday I start volunteering and in 2 weeks I’ll move into my new apartment. It feels kind of like a dream, especially after traveling for so long and not finding anywhere that really suited me.
During my travels I’ve observed how much travel really costs and learned a few tricks for preparing for the expenses before I’ve visited the countries. If you’re planning any travel or want some suggestions for how to prepare for the cost of a trip, please read on:
1) Do Your Research
There are lots of ways to research the cost of a place before you visit. The most obvious way is to ask friends and family who have been there, because they can give you accurate estimations. However, my favourite way is to look up the price of common things and then to compare that price to that of my own country. It gives me a pretty good indication of whether it’s going to be more expensive, cheaper or on par with home.
2) Set a Budget
I’m a queen of no budget and ouch, it burns. I spent on average $2,000 while in Costa Rica, per week. That’s crazy. Most of the time I was in hostels and while my school was a pretty big factor in the costs, it still doesn’t really balance out. Setting a budget is a great way to have a clear plan of how much you’re going to spend while you travel.
3) Pay In Advance
4) Figure Out How Much Does It Really Cost
Check out this awesome infographic below and figure out how much things cost in different parts of the world. I just use a currency convertor to change it into my local currency.
