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My best tip for budget travel?

Ok. What are we budgeting?

I know. I know. Before you think of it as a dumb arse question, hear me out please.

A budget usually relates to finances but when we couple it with travel, it’s horizon expands to include time and effort, yeah?

A good travel plan involves all three variables in various permutations and combinations. It depends what ranks highest in our priority list.

I usually travel with family that consists of parents in their 70’s and siblings; all three of us in our 40’s. Over the years, our priorities changed and shifted as we aged and faced challenges that we didn’t when we were young guns travelling with not so old parents.

The Maximum Effort / Minimum Finances Era :

Until a decade ago, our main constraint was finances. We had the health and the attitude to push the pedal on the effort required to see us through our itinerary successfully. So our mantra was maximum effort in the time we could afford which naturally meant we chose buses over taxis, train travel over air travel, hotels which offered family rooms at a steal and an itinerary that was bursting at it’s seams.

My brother literally travelled with hard copies of the itemised lists for every single day of our trip which he would meticulously check at the end of the day. Dare I say, now that he isn’t within ear shot, that this kind of travel, although light on the wallet is EXHAUSTING!

Our food choices also were wide enough as youth allowed us to eat anything anywhere –street food, food stalls at stations and bus stops, on the go fried food; anything clean. We had age on our side to burn it all off without facing any serious repurcussions.

Shifting Gears : The Minimum Effort / Maximum Finances Era :

The older we got, the broader our personal needs and requirements. That meant more comfortable localised transport. No more buses. Personalised cabs took over the baton which eased our efforts but dug into our wallets.

Getting older comes with the package deal of a body that demands more attention and rest and a mind that screams for less chaos especially on the go. Ergo…no more family rooms. The oldies got a room of their own while us siblings crashed in the other. It gave us the freedom to choose how we spend the time in between temple hopping, restaurant jumping and sight seeing. All I need is a quick shut eye while my sis zips through some netflix. The man obsessed with the list usually needs his favorite video game to decompress. As for the oldies, they sure need their non-negotiable long naps!

To borrow Davidji’s words, Comfort is QUEEN. Period. It’s a saving AND a luxury. One bird, two bushes yada yada yada…you know where this is going.

Choosing physical and mental comfort over a comfortable wallet came with it’s own perks. It made us sleep better thus enabling us to get through the long cab journeys and unavoidable walks while sightseeing more manageable. It made us happier to travel this way since our health didn’t constantly nag us with niggling pain.

Obviously this meant we had to take extra care in how we budgeted time. What could be achieved in a shorter duration a decade ago is not possible now. Cities and navigation modes have themselves changed, but we also needed to add in the resting period we ourselves required. And this is something that cannot be compromised anymore.

There have been days when the pedometer itself would be too tired to count any more steps; that’s how long our day would have been in the earlier era. Not anymore. What is the point of travelling to a distant place in the hopes of seeking joy and pleasure but instead putting our health at risk?

Take it from me, there have been times when after a particularly exxhausting trip we had returned home checking off our itinerary lists successfully but only to fall sick promptly as soon as home approached! It’s not worth it.

So to sum it up my best tip for budget travel would be : Travel Sensibly. Travel Sensitively.

Take into account not just your finances. Think about how much effort you are willing to put and in how much time. Checking everything off your to- do list isn’t as important as how present you were while moving through them. Someday at 80, you won’t remember the entire list anyway. That leisurely walk by a river catching the sun pack it’s bags for the day is what will bring that toothless smile to your face.

If you are travelling with people of various ages in tow, make sure each one’s needs are met without straining the wallet. Sometimes going to explore different things in different ways on the same day is all one needs to restore our moods. Like the aged going to a temple visit while the youth to a cultural centre or a museum or an art exhibition or just food tasting by foot.

This is important — let food become nourishment for your sore body, not a reckless adventure that lands you in an emergency ward in an unknown place.

I saved the best tips of them all to end in style: These will save your money, time and effort when you are finally there in your destination. Discard a few pairs of clothes but do not make the mistake of chucking them in favour of carrying something else you will come to regret.

The Saviour : Carry a medicine kit at all times with you with all the essentials.

The Spice rack : A bottle of pickle to spice up any boring meal. The sachets of sauces, oreganos, chilli flakes we managed to hide in our fridges pinched from Burger kings and Mc Donalds? Yeah those hidden gems…carry them and make that loaf of bread interesting enough to save some money on a few breakfasts and dinners.

The Patch up gear : A tube of glue to repair anything that comes loose midway. And a needle and thread to nip and tuck any rips and tears.

The Back-up prayer : Some extra cash hidden somewhere in your suitcase no one knows the whereabouts of except you. Trust me, you will need it. Even if you don’t, atleast you will be less stressed during the trip knowing you won’t fall short or be stranded penniless in the middle of nowhere.

The last but not the least, probably the most important of them all — learn to let go of things that are beyond your control. Things change. Weather, flights, trains; they are bound to throw tantrums. Keep yourself centred. Things have a way of resolving themselves. Have faith that you are exactly where you need to be. And rest easy knowing you will figure it out, no matter what.

You cannot see it all. That’s just plain hard truth. Enjoy what you can while you are out there and come back with the acceptance that what you couldn’t is still out there. If not you, someone else will get to enjoy it’s sight someday. That’s just how the world goes round, mate!

Safe travels!

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