There are some people in the world that strongly believe having no money is no barrier to travel, and whilst we certainly agree that you don't need thousands to have an amazing experience, there is no denying that having even a small pot of money to fall back on will make life easier. If you know how to make that money go even further, well, that's the clever part!

We may not always travel on a shoe-string budget, we've certainly learnt a thing or two about seeing the world without spending a fortune - and we'll share it all here!

 
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how we avoid atm charges and bank fees when we travel
how we avoid atm charges and bank fees when we travel

Want to know our secret to travelling with no ATM or bank fees? Finally, there appears to be an answer...

So, you want to be an expat?
So, you want to be an expat?

Has your adventure brought you to the place of your dreams? If you have plans on turning your trip into a full time relocation abroad, then there are several financial and practical issues you have to consider.

beauty, bras and backpacking: being a girl on a budget
beauty, bras and backpacking: being a girl on a budget

Gone are the days of expensive face creams and indulgent shopping sprees. I managed like this for nine months, but then I had an epiphany.

how to travel smarter - six steps to using a budget app
how to travel smarter - six steps to using a budget app

There was no way we were going to be able to manage on a budget of £15 a day without knowing exactly where ever penny or peso was going, so we turned back to the budget app that kept us honest when we saving for this trip - MoneyWise. 

 

 

 

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Veggie ____ A couple of days ago I realised I had an important anniversary coming up - 12 years of being vegetarian (plus a fair amount of time dabbling with veganism). When I'm back home in the UK, I don't even consider it a limitation on my diet; I eat what I want, when I want, have a cupboard full of over-priced Wholefoods plant-based alternatives and have no problems feeling sated. South America on the other hand is most definitely not all sunshine and lollipops. This is a part of the world where the concept of having a meal without an animal thrown into the mix is as foreign as, well, probably half of those overpriced plant-based alternatives. I've had apparently veggie soups turn up with chicken feet as decoration, have learnt not to be a stickler for separate cooking facilities (or, if I'm really hungry, question the source of the broth), have had to remind people more often than I'd like that yes, chicken is a meat and explained that I'd prefer if you didn't simply pick the pieces of beef out of my meal. Of course, there are some truly excellent vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the bigger cities, places that pride themselves on cruelty-free meals but they're definitely the exception rather than the rule. Instead, I've learnt that if I want more greens than a sad wilted salad on my plate - or yet another plate of bad pasta - I need to cook it for myself. Remarkably, for countries that pride themselves on fried carbs (I'm looking at you, Colombia) the fresh produce out here is exceptional. The trick is finding a hostel with more than one pan to cook it in - and the odd box of soya protein! This is Andrew's first big trip as a 99% vegetarian, and he's definitely got more empathy for some of my frustrations than he did last time. How do you find travelling as a veggie? #TheConstantlyCurious
Sunset ____ The extra night we chose to spend in the gorgeous Colombian pueblo of Jericó meant we could go a little slower and savour being there. Tasting local coffees in the day, wandering around with our cameras, chatting to local men about increasing tourism here, and drinks with a handful of other backpackers into the wee hours of the evening (something that's been pretty rare on this trip). On the last evening, we walked to Las Nubes with only a few lines of instruction on the way to go. At the top, we savoured the shafts of golden light cast through the Colombian hills. There was nobody else there. When a town is low on 'things to do', it often means that you can actually do more of the things that you want to do, in the way you want to do them. #TheConstantlyCurious #Colombia #ColombiaTravel ____ #suitcasetravels #freshairclub #lightzine #thewildnesstonic #goexplore #searchwandercollect #postcardplaces #jerico #folkscenery #passionpassport #mytinyatlas #peoplewhoadventure #folktravel #folkcreative #speechlessplaces  #mydomainetravels #roamtheplanet #modernoutdoors #forgeyourownpath #thediscoverer #anotherescape #exploreobserveshare #stayandwander #chasingthelight #thebestescapes #inspiringwanderers #cntraveler
Snap ____ Remember that place in Ecuador where we went on a hike for about eight hours accompanied by three dogs the whole way, got lost a bunch of times and had to follow donkey shit to find our way back? Well, that place was called Alausi. And we kind of liked it. Famed for once being home to the most dangerous train ride in the world - that is until two two people lost their heads (literally) riding on the roof - Alausi has seen fewer and fewer tourists over the last decade. We arrived with low expectations, but found a lovely proud little town with the sort of streets we love to walk, friendly locals, and a relatively gringo-free (apart from us, obvs) experience. Where was the last place that surprised you on your travels? #TheConstantlyCurious #EcuadorAmaLaVida #Alausi ____ #discoversouthamerica #visitsouthamerica #thediscoverer #letswander #suitcasetravels #seetheworld #exploretocreate #justgoshoot #chasing_facades #doortrait #visitecuador #ecuadorisallyouneed #theprettycities #urbanromantics #iwalkedthisstreet #facadeporn #mydomainetravels #iamatraveler #stayandwander #livetotraveltraveltolive #forahappymoment #huffposttravel #travelon #speechlessplaces #passportcollective #goseetheworld #happytravels
Plans ____ You're probably as bored as we are of hearing about the constant changes to our itinerary? Well, sorry, but we're talking about the constant changes to our itinerary again. Travelling for more than a couple of weeks somewhere means that you have the incredible luxury of time and a degree of flexibility, but with a 'degree of flexibility' comes great responsibility too. The temptation to spread yourself thin is definitely there, but so is the offer of settling down in one place for a week or so. As we write about the places we travel to help out you guys (hey, go read our blog!), we also have to factor in time to do more stuff than some others so we can tell you if it's actually worth doing something or not. The frustrating thing is sometimes feeling that you're spending too much of your time planning ahead rather than making the most of where you are. This is a very long-winded way of saying that we were up until 1 a.m. last night here in San Gil working on our seventh bloody re-write of our Colombia route, booking transport and beds, and getting excited about old and new destinations. Perhaps because we know the region so well, we've been a bit 'drifty' in January. If we're going to make the absolute most off the last six weeks (for us, and for you) then we needed a more rigid plan. Every re-write brings an argument, but we are now golden - at least until that eighth version rears its ugly head in about, oh, four days. ps, we know we've completely disappeared off stories for the last week - we promise to be back up and running soon. Blame it on the drifting... #TheConstantlyCurious #Mindo #EcuadorAmaLaVida #AllYouNeedIsEcuador ____ #suitcasetravels #freshairclub #palepalmcollective #lightzine #thewildnesstonic #goexplore #searchwandercollect #postcardplaces #folkscenery #passionpassport #mytinyatlas #whatisee #peoplewhoadventure #folktravel #modernoutdoors #forgeyourownpath #thediscoverer #weloveadventures #welivetoexplore #wildernessculture #nextstopnature #seeyououtthere #goneoutdoors #wildernessnation #wearestillwild #chasingwaterfalls
Street Food ____ Sometimes before you set off on a big trip, you will read lots of earnest comments from people saying to avoid street food. On some blogs and forums, we've seen people go so far as to say that you should bring your own bowl and cutlery to markets, provide your own purified water to any woman making a smoothie, and refuse all ice cubes. No joke. Now, we have both had our fair dose of the shits when we travel (and unfortunately it usually coincides when we're staying in the cheapest room available with the toilet only separated from the bedroom by a flimsy shower curtain); we know how horrible it can be, and how much it can ruin days which should be spent adventuring. However, there is an inevitability to getting a bit of a dodgy stomach on a long term trip - and in certain countries there are absolutely some cast-iron no-nos to avoid due to health concerns - but following that ridiculously cautious advice about avoiding everything cooked or prepared on the streets or in markets is not only quite impossible and impractical to follow, but also seems a little insulting. If it's good enough for Anthony Bourdain, it's good enough for us... "Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonald’s? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head?” #TheConstantlyCurious ____ #quito #letswander #suitcasetravels #visualscollective #seetheworld #exploretocreate #flashesofdelight #justgoshoot #peoplephotography #thephotosociety #lensculture #liveforthestory #visualsoflife #passionpassport #mytinyatlas #worldcaptures #natgeoyourshot #eclectic_shots #goexplore #searchwandercollect #passionpassport #whatisee #roamtheplanet #thediscoverer #exploreobserveshare #stayandwander #discoversouthamerica #visitsouthamerica
Mar ____ One of the most common questions that we receive, is whether you can travel to South America without speaking any Spanish. And whilst our answer is always... probably. The real answer is, why would you want to? Latino culture is encapsulated within its language and, if you’re passionate about travelling in Latin America, then you should also be passionate about trying to learn some Spanish. Learn how to say hello, goodbye and good day, master as many numbers as you can, and how to order your favourite drink at the bar. Hell, try and learn the lyrics to that Enrique Iglesias song that is always on repeat! Your future karaoke-ing self will thank you for it. You don’t have to be fluent – even after two trips, we aren’t – but being able to engage the market stall owner, the old man on the bus or the kid on the street corner will breathe life into your adventure in a way that depending upon someone else having learned English will not. Of course, we understand that if you’re heading off on a two-week adventure, you’re unlikely to master a new language – but there’s nothing to stop you trying. After all, you’d be amazed at just how far a little bit of Spanish can go. ____ #TheConstantlyCurious ____ #suticasetravels #freshairclub #palepalmcollective #lightzine #thewildnesstonic #goexplore #searchwandercollect #visitperu #ctperu #postcardplaces #perudestinations #exploorperu #peruadventure #exploreperu #folkscenery #passionpassport #mytinyatlas #whatisee #peoplewhoadventure #folktravel #folkcreative #roamtheplanet #modernoutdoors #forgeyourownpath #thediscoverer #liveauthentic #anotherescape #exploreobserveshare #stayandwander