Boston Cost Breakdown: Do More With Less

As guest blogger Ryan Latone always tells us, "Do more with less". We practice this in our every day lives as well as on our travels. Unfortunately, Americans do not believe in vacation days the same way other countries do, so we already START with LESS. We spent 3 days and 4 nights in Boston for this visit (only 2 vacation days). Below is the cost breakdown.

Category	Total	Per Person
Flight	$300	$150
Transportation	$126	$63
Activities	$159	$80
Food	$312	$156
Accommodations	$308	$154
Gifts	$62	$31
Total	$1,267	$634

The big money saver were flights and accommodations. This DID NOT involve using any type of rewards (hotels or credit card). This was purely looking for deals. Deals can help you do more with less. 

Flights
On average, people like planning in advance. They love having their flight booked and a roof over their head. We can't blame them, it is a great feeling to know everything is done... but what is it worth? United has "last minute" deals that are very time restricted. The offer usually has to be purchased by the end of the week and actually take off by then too. Typically the trip ranges 3-6 days. Southwest has a similar offer, but it is seasonal and usually gives you more time the prepare. This is actually how we found our flight to Boston. For those that need the comfort of purchase in advance, United has a Special Offer page.

Get with your preferred airline and set e-mail alerts for deals and specials! You are only hurting your wallet if you don't!

Sleeping

Accommodations are a make or break deal for vacations. After all, you do spend about a third of your day in your bed.  For us, that is all we use it for... and storage for our luggage. There are many types of accommodations, including hotels, condos, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and apartments. We wrote a compare and contrast article for Hostels and Hotels, but don't let that limit your choices. Hostels aren't as prevalent in America as they are in Europe. Bed and Breakfast places are usually in remote locations. Renting apartments/condos is on the rise though. We tried out AirBnB which does exactly that. Guest Blogger Ryan Latone tried this in Puerto Rico with great success, so we gave it a shot. We found a great deal and honestly, we got what we paid for. It was a bed in a room with a shared bathroom. Not once did we see the other guest. Our room had it's own key and we had clean sheets... we were set. 

Don't be afraid to try new things.

Budget travelling makes you feel so accomplished that so much was done on so little. Check out some of our previous trips like 9 days in Alaska for $150/day or Saving while visiting Chicago on a holiday weekend

Chicago Cost Breakdown

We do our best to keep costs to a minimal while traveling because it allows us to do more and travel more. Due to busy weeks at work and preparing for school to start up again we did not get a chance to search any deals on Groupon. We also did not buy the Go Chicago card we referenced in our trip recap. So here is the cost break down for 4 (2 full days) in Chicago on a holiday weekend visit.

ACTIVITIES	$     107.40
AIRPLANE TIX (2)	$     615.00
BAR	$     236.29
FOOD	$     257.28
HOTEL (3 NIGHTS)	$     400.00
SOUVENIRS	$       80.32
TRANSPORTATION	$       87.16
TOTAL	$ 1,783.45

*Note the airplane tickets and hotel cost were paid in advance

Travel With Friends

If you can bare your friends for weekend trips, it might be worth doing. We took this trip with Becky's cousin, which helped greatly with hotel cost. Hotels are NOT cheap in Chi-Town... roughly $200/night after taxes. You can try staying further from the city but you miss out on the atmosphere, plus Taxis are not that cheap. Half our transportation cost were on Taxis and that was taking turns paying for them! There is nothing wrong with walking. On our first day, we already walked nearly 5 miles before noon. 

Think before grabbing a Taxi!

Splurging

Ok. I will admit it, we splurged this trip. Take a look at our cost from 9 days in Alaska and compare it to 4 days in Chicago... we would be broke! We spent more on hotels in Chicago than Alaska! 

Doesn't this look delicious? Because it was!

But always remember to take a look at the purpose of your trip. Alaska was adventures and outdoors, Chicago was attractions and food. We made sure to stop and smell the roses (or pizzas?) and savor it. How could you not? Chicago is home to many great varieties of food. The bar scene was fun and inviting. Northwestern's campus was a block from our hotel. Sometimes it is OK to spend a little bit of money!

5 things to try on your next trip

Part of the beauty of travel is to explore new things – to step out of the comfort zone you are so used to at home. Most people revolve their lives so much around a routine that something as simple as making a slight detour on your way home from work can throw you off. This also makes it challenging to not bring some of the routine with you when you travel. No need to try all 5 at once, but maybe start with one and work your way up!

1. Do NOT make a hotel reservation

This one can be daunting for so many people. It may give assurance that once you arrive you at least have a bed, but what if it isn't the bed you thought you reserved. Check out these funny “misleading” photos of different hotels that give illusions of paradise like pools, huge rooms, proximity of attractions, etc. (marketing tricks). Try having 5 places in mind and when you arrive you can check them out personally and make a decision… or pick one that wasn't even on your radar!

2. Try a local favorite or "hole in the wall" restaurant

I will guarantee that Joe’s Crab Shack in Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco will taste just like the Joe’s Crab Shack in your home town. On the other hand, walking a block further to Cioppino’s would be a different experience. (try it!). I ate here the night before I swam from Alcatraz and just because it does not have a brand name behind means they serve sub-par dishes or poison. I like to think it helped me survive! Don’t be afraid to try a local specialty!

3. Make a trip without renting a car

It is terrifying being at the mercy of public transit to get you from point A to point B, but outside the States, it is a common form of transportation. Europe is an easy place to start as the public transportation system is excellent. I have never rented a car in all my trips there. If you would rather keep your travels domestic, it can still be done! Check out walk score to get an idea of some of the cities that are best. Even some cities outside of the top 25 are perfectly capable of accommodating you, like Denver, San Diego, and New Orleans to name a few that I can personally vouch for.

4. Talk to some locals

Even if you are typically the shy type, branch out and open up. Odds are you will never see this person again, but if you strike a bond, even better! Locals love talking about their city; they can update you on some current events surrounding the city like bonds up for election. They also know what there is to see, do, and eat. They can certainly help out with Tip Number 2, as I don’t think their favorite place to eat over and over again is McDonalds. Hell they could even help you with Tip Number 1 and give you a place to stay!

5. Do not penny pinch

Saving money is a great feeling, and more than likely the reason you saved money is to go on this trip… so why save $5, $10, $50 to miss an opportunity? I am not insisting on spending $2,000 on an excursion that may be awesome, but set you back financially. But if you come across bungee jumping off a bridge, I am willing to bet you will remember working up the nerve to make the jump rather than how your spent the $50. Take chances and don’t be afraid!

We'd love to hear your ideas! Leave a comment or email us at 10centtravels@gmail.com! Also, connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @10centtravels

Hotels Vs. Hostels

We have stayed in both youth hostels and hotels. Hollywood has caused people to get a bad taste in their mouth when they hear the word "hostel," but they are not as dangerous and creepy as the movies make them seem. I will be giving my point of view about both options.

Notice the lockers here, Big plus!

8 person room in Hostel  Alessandro in Rome (2 of 2)

Youth Hostels are definitely for the social traveler. I love meeting everyone in my room, and those roomies become instant mates to go experience nightlife. Many hostels give options for how many roommates you would like to have. Rooms with 4, 6, 8, 12, your choice. The more the merrier in my opinion!

Pizza Dinner with Hostel in Florence

For a traveler on a budget, the more roommates you have, the cheaper the bed. There will be all female/male rooms if that appeals to you more. Most of the time you will be given a locker to put your backpack in (yet another reason to ditch the massive bag and travel with only a backpack!), a set of bed clothes (sheets/blanket if you don't know what bed clothes are), and a bed. Many youth hostels host nightly events, such as pub crawls or pizza dinners. Several youth hostels have kitchens with large refrigerators to store food, if this is the budget-friendly route you would like to go. Most have free wifi and computers to use if you need one. Many times hostels are situated in the hotspots of big cities at a WAY cheaper price compared to surrounding hotels. Some things to consider: You don't have as much privacy (obviously) in a room with 11 other people, and most of the time you share an all female or male community bathroom/showers. If you are a light sleeper like me, you will hear your roommates coming in from the bar at 4 am or leaving to catch a train at 5 am. You hear the snoring, farting, and shifting of the others. All roommates I have encountered have been as courteous as possible about their noise level.  Things to know before you go: It is normal for the hostel to require your passport to make a copy (I silently freaked out in my head the first time this happened). Bring a lock to put on your locker, if you forgot yours, most places sell some. Pack a small hand towel for baths, and on that subject. Don't expect long, hot showers,  plugs with converters, or lots of mirrors to get ready. Be respectful of others. I sleep with my purse under my pillow or against my body (I'm a light sleeper so I could hear a person before s/he could touch my stuff).  RESEARCH the hostel. Look on tripadvisor or a similar website to read the reviews. If the website has many typos, poor sentence grammar, crappy pictures, don't choose that place!!!!! Many of the chain youth hostels are very reliable. I have never felt unsafe or scared in a youth hostel. Don't put yourself in a situation to be a victim and you won't regret choosing a hostel!

Not all are pretty - Hostel my brother and I got in Amsterdam

Hotel in Cinque Terre - La Spiaggia

Hotels are a great escape for those travelers who want privacy. Once again, RESEARCH the hotel before you book it. Hotels are more expensive than hostels. Many (especially in SE Asia) boast breakfast buffets, have comfortable beds, wifi, your own shower, mirror, etc. Some may even have their own exercise room and hotel pool which can all be enjoyable! If you land a crappy hotel, you didn't do your research. With the World Wide Web making everything available at your fingertips, there is no excuse to stay in a bad hotel. Many hotels are in strange neighborhoods, far away from any attractions, so be aware of the surroundings. If we book a hotel outside the city, it will be near a train station or metro station for easy access. Use discount websites like expedia or the Aussie version wotif.

Relaxing by the pool in Bangkok!

Some things to consider: If you are the type of traveler who likes to sleep late, lounge around the hotel, and rest, then hotels are for you! If not….I wouldn't waste my money if all you will be doing is sleeping for 5 hours (who sleeps when there is so much to see and do!) and taking a quick shower. Your idea of breakfast may differ from the hotel's idea of breakfast. Never use the comforter….EVER…in ANY country. Things to know before you go: The concierge will ask for your passport to make copies. Lock bags before leaving hotel. Be courteous and it will be returned. Speak up! If the room isn't clean…say something!

Puripunn Baby Grand Boutique Hotel Bath

Angkor Pearl Hotel making our Honeymoon special!