Although I love to talk about my experiences I’ve had traveling, I’ve been very apprehensive to write about it or sometimes find it tricky to give traveling advice to people.
Primarily because wages aren’t really that high in this country and paid vacation is more of a luxury than the standard, which means most Americans are lucky to just go a hundred miles from home, let alone go on a really nice trip. So honestly, it just feels like bragging when I mention all these great places I’ve been to.
However, after going to Colorado earlier this past summer and realizing that I spent more in five days in Denver than I did in 16 days when I went to Guatemala and Belize in June of 2019, I started thinking about how much money people throw away just by not planning ahead or not knowing their cheapest options.
When I spent much of 2017 traveling around Australia and Asia, I would research a place to find every way possible to not overspend on hotels, food and tours, just because I was going to a new place once every four or five days and every place would vary in price. I had to know what I was walking into so I wouldn’t unexpectedly spend an extra $200-300 everywhere I went and risk going broke thousands of miles away from home.
Nowadays, I help family or friends plan their adventures and I even map out hypothetical trips for fun when I’m bored.
For example, I recently saw that direct flights from Houston to El Salvador in mid-February were $123. Since the average temperature in El Salvador during February is 86 degrees and a flight to Cancun around the same time costs $328, I was intrigued and mapped out something because it's such a great deal.
I immediately looked at my options on AirBnB since they are typically cheaper than hotels and found a modest place for $12 per night, but also found something nicer on the beach for about $60 just in case I wanted something lavish.
And since I’ve also been to El Salvador before, I knew I would be content just hanging at the beach everyday with other people from my hotel. This means that I don’t need to set aside money for one of the nearby volcano tours, a boat rental or a jet ski.
Budgeting for food, I know I’ll eat at the same place I ate at for lunch and dinner every day the last time I visited since El Salvador is known for pupusas, which is white cheese, refried beans and meat inside two tortillas tightly sealed together. I can get one for a $1 or $1.50 depending or which meat I choose. But if the people I end up hanging out with want to eat at a more touristy restaurant, I know I’ll spend about $8-15 per meal with tip.
People always ask how I’m able to travel a lot and to be honest, there are many factors. Not having children or a car payment obviously helps, but I also try to find really affordable places where I can have experiences that I wouldn’t normally be able to afford in the U.S., Canada or Europe.
Thinking about my pricey Colorado trip also motivated me to look at prices comparing popular destinations that I saw a lot of people around Milam County go to this summer. This inspired me to compare the cost of trips to Port Aransas, Cancun and Destin, Florida in the chart in this week's Reporter.
GUIDE—Since space is limited, I will describe the context of the graph.
The graph is done with a family of four in mind, spending seven days from June 14-21 (random time not close to July 4th or Labor Day) in one of the beach destinations mentioned above. If this chart inspires you to plan your own trip, keep in mind that if you’re only going five days, budget less than what the graph says to spend on hotels or AirBnB. If you have six people in your family, you’ll budget more for food, accommodation and more for plane tickets if you decide to go to Cancun. Keep in mind that this graph isn’t one size fits all, it’s simply just a frame of reference or something for you to build off of.
Also, the only place I’ve been to in the chart below was Port Aransas and that was in high school so I don’t know much about many of these spots. The chart isn’t full of personal recommendations in regards to what places to stay, where to eat or what tour services to use. So take that into account.
OPINION—If I had to recommend where to go, I would say if you’re traveling with a lot of kids or multiple families, Port Aransas is probably the ideal trip since you can find a place with a kitchen and cook most of your meals and don’t have to buy multiple plane tickets.
But if you’re an individual, a couple, a group of friends or smaller family, Cancun will probably provide the best bang for your buck.
You can probably find a place with your own private pool in Cancun for $70 per night while just a condo inside a big resort with a pool that you share with dozens of other people will likely cost at least $200 in Port Aransas or Florida.
In terms of activities, Cancun also has a lot to offer from exploring ancient Mayan ruins to deep sea fishing in some of the prettiest water. Many of their activities are also affordable.
But all-in-all, take your time and do your research since you have plenty of time before summer comes.
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