I’ve been asked many times how we’ve been able to travel so much in our five short years of marriage. We’ve been to five countries, Hawaii, and half a dozen cities domestically since we’ve been married. Plus, I’ve been to two other countries for work. I believe that it’s a myth that traveling has to cost an arm and a leg. Now, let me preface–if you’re wanting to fly first class, stay at the Ritz in Paris and get a private car to drive you around for 10 days, maybe this post isn’t for you; but, if you’re willing to be a little creative, and just really want to see the world, here are some tips that I think will help you accomplish that.

1. If you’re able, be flexible when you want to travel. Traveling off-season is considerably cheaper. So when searching for flights, click the flexible dates box to give you the best options. Typically, fall is cheaper to fly to Europe, for example.
2. Let’s talk flights. We do have the Amex Delta Skymiles card, and we get miles that have paid for 3 tickets abroad so far. If you don’t want to sign up for another credit card, totally understandable. There are lots of sites that are great for getting cheap flights. Kiwi.com [https://www.kiwi.com/us/] has really great deals for flights all over the world. Here’s the catch: You have to be willing to have multiple layovers, and most likely you will have to pay for everything, including bags, seat choice and sometimes snacks.
3. Don’t be afraid to stay in an Airbnb or rented apartment. For a while, we would only stay in hotels because we thought it was the “safest” option. While it is nice to have the concierge there to give you help when needed, and fresh linens left in your room every day, there are other benefits to staying in an apartment. The obvious is that they tend to be a bit cheaper than hotels. Also, it gives you more of a local feel. The hosts sometimes offer words of advice or guides for you of good places to eat, shop, get the best coffee, etc.
4. If possible, make use of the public transportation. Many large cities have fantastic public transportation. It may seem really overwhelming at first, but it’s totally worth it. I’ve heard before that you shouldn’t do the Tube/subway/metro because then you don’t see the city, but something to keep in mind, if you can’t walk, the public transportation is typically really quick. So you’re saving time and money and have more time to explore the place you’re trying to get to.
5. We save all our change, sell our old clothes, return bottles and put that money in a jar. When we’re getting ready to leave for a trip, we exchange that money for the currency of where we’re going. It’s an easy way to take a few hundred dollars of spending cash with you.

I hope some of these tips give you the confidence to book a trip somewhere! Tell me, where do you want to go?