Traveling has been a very hot topic on social media. Everyone wants to go somewhere and travel. I can’t blame you – it’s addictive! Sometimes, I feel a lot of guilt with the money I’ve been spending on travel. My expense for my Eurotrip could be a downpayment for a car or a house and lot. However, those can wait. I’m not getting any younger and in the blink of an eye, I might already have my own family which will make traveling hard. So yup, travel, travel, and travel until I’m able.
Anyone can travel just as long as they have money. I don’t consider myself a special snowflake because I know that with enough budget, anyone can do it. It’s just that I’m blessed with a good job, an entrepreneurial mind, and guts which allowed me to earn money and to see the world.
I used to feel so uncomfortable disclosing how much I spent on my travel and visa application because I didn’t want to be judged. I know not everyone has the same traveling style so some might think that I spent an excessive amount or some might think that that’s too cheap and something sounds fishy. When people ask me how much I spent on my Eurotrip, I do not answer them with “I spent blah blah blah,” I would say “Prepare 350,000 to be on the safer side.” I didn’t want to share how much I spent because I didn’t want you to base how much you’ll bring based on my experience because unless you’re me, our expenses will be different.
However, please respect because my money is my money. I have worked hard for this and I can choose whatever way I’d want to spend it.
Anyway, to answer your question, here it is!
This year’s travel and visa application expenses
Please note that all of these are just estimates. Especially with my Eurotrip, I estimated PHP 350,000 because that was the difference on my bank account before and after the trip. I’m just estimating how much I spent for this and that.
I don’t know about you but that’s cheap! I’ve been asked by a lot of people how I can afford to travel. Some even asked if I loaned in a bank or if I have a credit card. Fortunately, I only spend money that I have. I have PHP 0.00 debt in my life and that’s something that I am proud of.
I know a lot of people who spent a million on Europe for a month and PHP 60,000 on Thailand just for a few days!
So, how did I keep my traveling expenses and visa application at a minimum?
Click next!
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!