Nothing worse than a broke chick with expensive taste! Ok maybe you’re not exactly broke, but you aren’t trying to break your pockets during your travels around the world either. And I totally understand. I recently set out on a 2-month solo tour across Asia and Europe and had to learn to maximize my dollars like never before. Traveling with people is expensive let alone traveling alone, so it’s important to balance your bourgeois side with a little bit of thriftiness. I had always been one of those people who NEVER thought I could or would stay in a hostel, but when I landed in expensive Oslo without any hotel reservations and Airbnb rooms were even an arm and a leg, I had to succumb.
– The first mistake I made when desperately booking my hostel in Oslo was being desperate. Nothing good usually comes out of desperation so I would recommend booking a hostel at least a few days in advance. That way, you are more likely to find higher rated hostels on hostel world or hostels.com and control your situation better.
– If you plan for hostels in advance, not only can you find well-rated places with clean bathrooms and great security, but you can also get private rooms! In countries like Vietnam and Costa Rica, you can get private hostels for under $25/night. And even in many European cities, you can save lots of money by getting a private hostel instead of renting a hotel room or Airbnb.
– Don’t get mixed dorms, especially if you’re a woman. I did this one night and freaked out by the perverted men I had to share my room with, so I naturally checked out and paid way too much money for a hotel instead. As a bourgeois person, you probably want to feel comfortable the majority of the time, so if you know you’re the kind of person who gets creeped out easily by strange men (or women), get a same-gender dorm instead.