A Life Lesson for More Travel
Published: Sun, 03/25/18
"You can only spend a dollar once."
That was a lesson my parents drilled home. It's simple, yet easy to forget.
It was likely my father who gave it such succinct language but my mother who modeled it on a daily basis.
As I planned my trip to Japan (I'm there now. I wrote this before leaving.) I thought about this approach to money and planned accordingly. With limited funds and many travel dreams, I have to be careful. I decided that, in the big cities where I would spend most of my time out exploring, I would go cheap on my accommodation. I found two very nice looking, well-rated hostels. In the town of Takayama where things would be quieter, I wanted a more restful place to stay and I spent the money to get it.
Few of us live without financial boundaries. Travel trade-offs are a given but also personal. As long as we think them through we win on our terms.
Where I'm traveling
Japan. It's my first visit. The planning was complicated. You can read about it here: Japan Solo: Trip Planning Resources, Itinerary and Budget. I'll write lots about the trip when I return including a comparison of my plan to my actual trip, budget and all.
Nominate Your Company for a Solo Travel Award
Nominations for the 2nd annual Solo Travel Awards are now open. The Awards are designed to recognize companies that treat solo travelers well and encourage more to do the same. It's part of our commitment to advocate on behalf of solo travelers. Companies nominate themselves and share information on how they serve solo travelers well so that our panel of judges can determine the winners. The Awards are sponsored by World Nomads.
This year, we're excited to include a new Award in the program. The World Nomads Solo Travelers Choice Award will be open for voting after nominations for the general awards close on May 15th. From May 16th to September 15th you can review all the nominees and vote for the company that you think serves solo travelers exceptionally well. At the same time you'll be introduced to new companies to consider in your travel plans.
That's it for now. Safe and happy solo travel to all.
Janice
P.S. If you're traveling soon, don't forget...
- Going Alone? Travel Insurance is a Must - why I never travel without insurance, how I've used it to recover losses, and how to buy it.
- VPN for Travel: What, Why and an Easy Setup Guide - how to protect your identity as you travel.
- Bare Minimum Packing: Here’s Your Packing List - our ultimate packing check list
- Free 30-day trials perfect for a trip: Audible, includes 2 audiobooks. Amazon Music Unlimited. Videos from Prime or HBO. Remember to cancel your subscription if you don't want to pay monthly.
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