31 Days of Frugal Travel Tips: Day 1



After writing a recent post about how I have been learning to live more frugally since moving to Spain I began to think about how Jose and I try to save money and still travel. It is one of our passions and something that we began doing together from the very beginning of our relationship. We really were able to bond and get to know each other while seeing different parts of the world. We love it!

 Though some times (see our honeymoon cruise) we spend more money than others lately with the way life has been going and the expenses we have had we are cutting corners everywhere. We don´t want to give up something we love so much and have been working on ways to save money while traveling. I have decided to do a month-long series for these posts since there are quite a few of them. Here is day 1. I hope you enjoy and that you can use some of these ideas yourself!

  1. Travel off-season: You save because hotels, restaurants, attractions and other tourism-related businesses are looking for people to spend money. Often times they offer deals just to fill rooms and seats. You might have to think outside the box and be flexible with your plans but this can really save some moola. Here is an example: Jose and I wanted to spend a weekend away in December (see post). We decided to head to the mountains and go hiking even though we knew it was going to be cold.  We found a place to stay on the cheap and then actually were upgraded to another better room since it was going to be empty anyway. This region sees the most of its visitors during the summer months and our business was more than welcome during their slow off-season. Another bonus: You can also enjoy yourself without waiting in lines.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

La mesa camilla

Image
The mesa camilla is a very Spanish invention (in fact I believe it to be a very southernly Spanish invention). It consists of a table, a heater and a heavy, long tablecloth-like fabric that drapes over the sides. The idea is that you put the heater under the table and when you sit down you put the fabric over you like a blanket. The truth is that it does keep you quite warm. The downside is that once you get up and move, you lose the heat. Since the houses and apartments here in the south of Spain are not created for the cold (no central heating) a mesa camilla can be found almost every where.  We didn't have one last year and survived with blankets, space heaters and flannel pajamas throughout the winter. This year Jose decided we needed to get a mesa camilla. I fought the good fight (since often times they look very similar to the option in the picture above) but we ended up ordering one not too long ago.  Typically the mesa camilla is made of wood and can be stored throu
Read more

Simple Spanish recipe: Chipirones a la plancha

Image
Ok so I know this picture is a bit blurry and I apologize but it is the final result of my having cooked chipirones a la plancha for the first time. Let me explain, chipirones are small squid and a la plancha means grilled. They are served in an olive oil, parsley and garlic sauce. At first I wasn't sold on the idea of this recipe but believe me, it is pretty awesome and super healthy. It is a really typical tapa that you can order at almost any bar here in the south of Spain. Chipirones a la plancha is usually served on a bed of lettuce or with a small side salad. Yum! Here's the how: First you need the chipirones (small squid that come with the heads and tentacles attached). I can buy them at my local grocery store in the fresh seafood section. I bought a package of 400 grams though the good thing about this recipe is that you can make as much or as little as you like. Allow me to also explain that here in Spain people tend to eat a lot more fish and seafood than
Read more

Spanish names

Image
Maaaaaaaria, I just met a girl named Maria Hopefully you just read that and sang the song from West Side Story in your head. Let's just say that from what I have experienced here in Spain, people really, really like this name. In fact, there are times when it seems like EVERY woman or girl is named Maria (or Maria de/l something) and though they might go by the second part of their name, their given one is still Maria. People definitely opt for traditional names here, unlike the US where names go through trends.  Recently a friend on Facebook posted a link which contained a GIF  (originally from The Atlantic)  showing the different female names that had been popular in the US since 1960. It is interesting to see how a name like Jennifer would be popular in one region and then would sweep the nation. Such a map would not be as cool here in Spain since not a whole lot would change. Maria. Maria del Carmen. Miriam. Marian. Mirian. Variations on a theme. Religious names I
Read more