ON VISA APPLICATION

• Do it yourself

I can’t stress this enough. Stop looking for visa application assistance! It’s an added expense and won’t do you any good aside from assisting you. What for when you can do it yourself? Have the time and patience to read forums and I swear, anything that you want to ask regarding your visa application can be found on the Internet.

• Choose a good insurance company

I forgot how much I paid for my insurance but it’s less than PHP 15,000 for a 65-day insurance. The good thing is that they will refund you in case your visa got denied. I purchased from Care Concept Germany.

• Choose a reputable agency

I got my Japan Visa by lodging my application in Discovery Tour. The cheapest agency for visa application, I just paid PHP 800 for this and I got my passport in less than 3 days!

• Print bank statement

Instead of asking them over-the-counter, print it yourself. Login your online account and check your bank statement. There’s a print button there. It will save you money instead of paying PHP 50.00 per page through your bank.

• Only bring what’s necessary

Only bring what is listed on the Embassy’s website. I saw people in the US Embassy and Japan Visa Agency who brought thick folders which contained their relative’s property abroad and here. For Schengen visa, go! Bring as much documents as you want as they are really strict in giving visa. For U.S. and Japan, stick to what’s written on the website.  Well, yeah, better be prepared but let’s face it – consul won’t even look at that. They didn’t even ask you to bring it so why would you? Plus, obtaining documents is not cheap!

ON TRAVELING

• Look for cheap flights

Hey, it’s okay to book different airlines to save money. I know a lot of people who just go to one airline website and buy from there when they can save a lot by mixing different airlines. If I bought my ticket from Emirates alone, it would cost me PHP 70,000 but I searched for the cheapest flight in SkyScanner.com and MyCheapFlights.com and it only cost me PHP 42,000+! Yes, I had a long layover in HKG and FRA but whatever! I love airports and it’s your chance to try different airlines in one travel. I board via Lufthansa, Cathay, Swiss, and Philippine Airlines for my trip.

• Take advantage of connections

OK, that sounded wrong but you get what I mean. I have the budget for accommodation but I saved a lot because I stayed with my aunt in when I was in Germany and a family friend in Netherlands. They were kind enough (thank you guys if you’re reading this) to make their homes my home base while I travel other countries and come back whenever I want to. If you have relatives/friends abroad, don’t be shy to ask if you can make their homes your home base while you travel.

• Do day trips

I went to visit Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg on a day trip. That means that I didn’t need to book a hotel for me to stay the night. I went back to my home base and traveled again in the morning. This allowed me to save a lot because European countries are near each other and you can do day trips all you want!

• Join a group tour

Stumbling upon TourRadar’s website is probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I am the person who has zero tolerance in planning and creating itinerary. With my bad sense of direction, I thank TourRadar and Expat Explore for giving me the chance to travel different countries with awesome individuals. The package that I purchased which was the Europe Jewel includes transportation, guide, accommodation, and some meals. For less than a hundred thousand and traveling 10 countries, that’s not bad at all. You can use my voucher code “TRIPCOMETRUE” for a discount. 🙂

• Join free walking tours

Every major cities in the world has a free walking tour. When we were in Prague, we walked for 16 hours with a tour guide. 2 hours of that was a free walking tour and we enjoyed it so much! You only have to give them a small donation if you feel like it. However, ‘wag makapal. Give them the money they deserve.

Last but not the least – travel to earn.

When I went to Europe, I purchased bags and girdles and when I went to Bangkok, I purchased hundreds of wallets to sell here in the Philippines. This allowed me not to only see the world but to earn money! 🙂

That’s all that I can think of but I’ll be sure to create another blog post should I have an idea.

You can send here your suggestion and question in the comment section.

Ciao and thank you for reading!