Quick take: Not sure where to spend or save when planning a trip? We break down our favorite strategies—and share how different traveler types approach smart budgeting, meaningful splurges, and stress-free savings.
Whether you’re a month-at-a-time slow traveler or a carefully plotted two-weeks-a-year explorer, one truth always applies: you can’t splurge on everything. But you don’t have to go full shoestring, either.
The real magic? Finding a balance that works for you.
Over the years, we’ve learned how to make intentional tradeoffs—not to follow some perfect travel budget strategy, but to build trips that feel balanced, joyful, and doable. Here’s how we decide when to save and when to splurge—and how you can too, no matter your travel style.
What’s Worth a Splurge?
We’re not big on rules, but here’s our honest guide: if it affects our health, our sleep, or our ability to really experience a place—we’ll pay.
Sometimes that means a better bed. Sometimes it’s a food tour we know we’ll never forget. Sometimes it’s a guide who helps us understand the history behind the archaeological sites we’re walking through.
And if we’re somewhere we may never return? That goes into “once-in-a-lifetime” territory. That’s when we let go of the calculator and lean in.
In our experience, splurges worth making often include:
- A calm, clean place to sleep—especially for longer stays
- Rare or local food experiences
- Well-guided cultural or historical tours
- Lounge passes on long or multi-leg travel days
- A place with good light, fast Wi-Fi, and a little breathing room
- Destination-defining moments—like visiting Uxmal and Chichén Itzá while in Mérida, cruising Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, exploring Angkor Wat in Cambodia, sailing Alaska’s Inside Passage, or joining unforgettable food tours in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia.
These aren’t luxury-for-luxury’s-sake. They’re investments in experience—the kind that shape how you remember a place long after the trip ends.
Where We Save Without Regret
We love a good save—but not at the expense of the experience. If it won’t affect how we feel, what we remember, or how we connect to a place, we skip it.
That might mean taking the bus instead of a taxi. Cooking meals at home. Choosing the local noodle stand over the “must-Instagram” café.
It often means:
- Booking monthly rentals instead of nightly stays
- Doing our own laundry
- Staying in homestays or modest apartments, not hotels
- Skipping guided tours when we can explore on our own
- Being intentional with shopping—we usually skip the tourist shops, but happily buy things we’ll use or gift: a bottle of pox from Mérida, local chocolate, a handmade wallet, or small art for our walls
- Choosing destinations where our money goes further
- Managing points and miles carefully to stretch our flights and lodging
- Moving our bodies in local, natural ways—beach walks, ocean swims, city hikes, or public workout parks instead of gym fees
It’s not about being frugal for the sake of it. It’s about preserving energy and resources for the moments—and mementos—that truly matter.
What Kind of Traveler Are You? (And Why It Matters)
Your splurge-save decisions should reflect you—not what someone else did in Bali, not what TikTok recommends, and not even what we’re writing here.
Think of these less like labels and more like travel moods. You might shift between them depending on the season you’re in—or even the day of the trip.
🌿 The Intentional Wanderer
You’d rather settle in than rush through. You travel to understand a place, not just check it off. You value depth, connection, and the small rituals—morning coffee, neighborhood walks, weekly markets—that make a place feel temporarily yours.
- Save: By cooking at home and skipping fast-paced day trips
- Splurge: On a long-stay apartment with natural light and a workspace that feels like home
🔥 The List Chaser
You want to do it all, and you’re willing to pay for it. Bucket list? Checked. You’re often up early, camera ready, and packing as much as you can into each day.
- Save: By skipping meals out or staying in budget hotels
- Splurge: On big-ticket must-sees—think skydiving, gondola rides, or private access tours
🗺 The Country Collector
You’re here for the passport stamps. Time is tight, and the world is big. You often plan your route by borders, logistics, or how many places you can see in one trip.
- Save: By skipping deep-dive tours and staying in ultra-efficient transit hubs
- Splurge: On fast flights, upgraded trains, or airport hotels that keep your schedule tight and smooth
🌾 The Restoration Traveler
You travel to feel better—not just to see more. You’re drawn to peaceful mornings, slow meals, and the quiet kind of joy that builds when you’re rested.
- Save: By limiting how much you move around during one trip
- Splurge: On massages or on a restful stay—quiet, clean, and calming, even if it’s a little more than the cheapest option
🧭 The Guided Traveler
You love a plan, a path, and a pro leading the way. Whether it’s a river cruise, a hiking group, or a museum tour, you’d rather relax and follow a well-built itinerary than guess your way through.
- Save: By skipping pre-trip research and relying on packaged options
- Splurge: On expertly guided experiences, whether it’s a multi-day group tour or a private walking tour with context that makes the place come alive
🏔 The Adventure Chaser
You travel for the activity. The destination matters, but the real draw is what you’ll do there—trekking, paddling, climbing, or crossing something off your personal challenge list.
- Save: By camping or staying in ultra-basic lodges
- Splurge: On gear rentals, local guides, and physical preparation that makes the adventure safer and more rewarding
👨👩👧👦 The Memory Maker
You’re traveling with family or friends —and you want it to feel good for everyone. You care about logistics, comfort, and finding ways to experience a place together, whether that’s a ferry ride, a long lunch, or an impromptu game of cards in the hotel lobby.
- Save: By booking apartments, family suites, or homes instead of separate rooms
- Splurge: On shared experiences everyone will remember—boat rides, cooking classes, or that one perfect family meal with a view
You don’t have to pick just one—and we never do.
We’ve been the intentional wanderer on long, quiet stays. The restoration traveler after a hectic season. The guided traveler on a cruise with family. The adventure chaser when the trail called. And the memory maker on trips designed around shared joy with friends and family.
The right mix depends on the moment you’re in—and the kind of experience you want to create.
Final Thought: Make Your Own Equation
Some people love saving just to save. Some find joy in a perfectly poured rooftop cocktail. We get it.
Whatever your style, make your choices intentional. Not performative. Not automatic. Not driven by guilt or comparison.
Ask:
– Will I remember this?
– Will this change how I feel, how I sleep, or how I connect?
– Is there a simpler option that would feel just as good?
And then trust your answer.
📍 Planning Your Next Trip?
We’ve put together a free guide featuring 4 places where your travel budget goes further—and the experience runs deeper.