I am always told to make the most of my college experience by family, friends and professors. Whether that is going to sporting events, taking classes that interest me, trying new things or exploring new places. But one major restriction on college students’ freedom is the lack of excess funds to spend. College is often a large financial investment or burden that can be daunting to plan around. So how can students engage their new freedom in a financially conscious fashion?
Spring break is a heavily trafficked vacation time of the year, in which students take breaks from their classes to visit popular vacation destinations. During this time, two narratives are advertised: parties on the beach or alternative spring breaks. Alternative spring breaks tend to revolve around serving your community or communities around the country or world. I am not promoting either, but both options tend to come with additional costs and traveling expenses. Airlines and hotels anticipate the high demand and, conversely, will increase their prices; therefore, traveling during spring break could be a punch to the wallet.
How To Travel on a Budget:
1. Consider Transportation Costs
How you will arrive at your initial destination, final destination and all the fun places in between is important. You must consider your safety and budget in this process. Asking questions like how far away a destination is can determine what form of transportation is necessary: airplane, car, boat, bus or train.
To avoid incurring additional costs, my roommate and I decided to plan our own two-day trip via the Amtrak train. This was influenced by the state of gas prices due to the current geopolitical situation, not to mention the steep parking expenses if we were to drive from St. Louis to Chicago. We selected departure times that would give us as much time as possible in a new city and times that corresponded with the lowest price. We departed at 4 a.m. and arrived at 9 a.m. Our departure time on the way back was at 7 p.m., and we arrived a little delayed, only one hour, at 1 a.m., due to a storm.
If driving is not your primary source of travel, then you must consider other methods of transport. Do you have a friend in the city willing to drive you? Does your hotel have a transportation service associated with it? What is the cost of an Uber or a Lyft? How is the city’s public transportation?
In Chicago, we opted for purchasing an all-day bus pass. It was around $5, and it made a huge difference when traveling in the Windy City. It is a flat, cheap fee that allows you to easily get around. My bus pass saved me from walking over 15 blocks back to my hotel in the pouring rain or constantly purchasing Uber rides. We bought the pass on both days, and it even worked on the subway system. Just remember, when utilizing public transportation, be aware of your surroundings and practice traveling safely.
2. Booking a Stay
When considering where to stay the night in a new city, there are multiple factors in play: the number of people traveling, the type of room necessary, parking, location, price, amenities and policies.
It can be hard to find a reasonably priced hotel in the correct area that fits all your needs. The challenge I encountered as a 19-year-old college student was finding a hotel with an 18-year-old and older check-in policy and at a reasonable price in Chicago. Some hotels would state they had an 18-year-old and older check-in policy online, but when I called hotel chains’ specific locations, it was 21-years-old and older.
Double-checking policies prior to booking is a lifesaver. When purchasing tickets or booking a hotel, there is an option to “protect” your stay or tickets, so that you can get a refund in the event of a cancellation. While this sounds nice, it comes with an additional cost, and as a college student on a budget, I did not press that button and saved money; therefore, finding a hotel and checking the necessary policies prior to booking saved us from booking a stay that would not let me check in.
An additional aspect to consider when traveling with luggage is how to store it. In my experience, hotels have specific times when check-in begins; therefore, bags can not be dropped off in a room until this time has passed. One could organize their travel time around this to avoid carrying luggage around or paying an early check-in fee. But there is a third option! It is a common practice, but not applicable to all hotels, to allow guests to check their bags early for free and even after check-out.
This practice was insanely helpful when exploring the city. We arrived early in the morning, five hours before our check-in time, but because we checked our bags with the hotel, we did not have to worry about our luggage getting stolen. We even stored our bags after check-out at the hotel, while we explored the city some more.
3. Where to Visit?
Every major city has its major tourist destinations and bucket-list items. Prior to embarking on your trip, search the web to decipher what your travel destination has to offer. Diversify your search beyond the typical tourist traps and see where locals recommend.
When we were deciding what to do and how to plan our trip, we consulted the internet for the typical tourist sites with the intention of checking them off our lists, but we also consulted social media. There are many influencers dedicated to exploring their own city and providing hidden recommendations. They can also provide helpful information on when museums have free days for the public. These recommendations led us to explore places beyond the Bean, Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier. I visited the Harold Washington Library and was absolutely blown away by the ninth-floor winter garden. We even sat down on the fifth floor to complete a community puzzle, which was not on our to-do list!
When compiling your list, note the costs of each place or activity. The trip is confined to the time you have budgeted in between travel; however, your wallet does not need to feel all the pressure. Not every experience has to have a dollar sign attached to it; some of the best memories are spent wandering freely.
The Art Institute of Chicago is a popular destination, but not a free one. Instead of purchasing a ticket to walk around and look at this art, we decided to check out the Museum of Contemporary Photography, which was just down the street, and it had free admission. Another museum that is almost off the books is the Money Museum at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank. It is another free museum that allows you to learn about the history of American money and see a million dollars in person!
Deciding on where you will visit does not have to be concrete, but it can allow you to visualize in advance the amount of money you will spend ahead of time.
4. Where to Eat
This can vary depending on the group. Size, preferences and allergies are essentials in this conversation. If you have a large group or major allergies, locking down restaurants and other eating venues would be less stressful ahead of time. Large groups can be hard to get seated, and finding an allergy-safe restaurant could be hard in the moment.
Small groups without concerns about allergies or preferences allow for more freedom in deciding where to eat. In my duo, all of our decisions to eat were made on the fly. We did research in the moment about locations relative to us, prices and reviews.
When selecting food, consider the area’s cuisine. What is something new that you should try? In Chicago, we chose to try their deep-dish pizza and considered trying a Chicago-style hot dog. If a restaurant’s menu is online, check for allergies, a good variety of options and a price range. One aspect that I like about using Apple Maps to look at restaurants is that it rates how expensive a restaurant is on a scale of one to four dollar signs ($). As a college student traveling on a budget, most of my selections fell within the one-to two-dollar sign range. This indication prior to dining served as a preemptive cost range before receiving the menu or the bill.
Selecting places to dine in advance helps formulate a budget, but it can also be completed on the go. Either can appear stressful and restricting, but that just depends on the person. You can plan out getting gelato in advance, but it is more fun to get it in the moment.
5. Budget
You do not have to have the strictest budget; plan to have an amount that you are comfortable spending. After transportation and booking fares, divide your budget into two parts: food and shopping. These will be your largest expenses while visiting. Consider if you want any souvenirs or if there is a store that you want to visit. In Chicago, the Magnificent Mile is known for its shops. I went in with the mindset that I was not going to purchase anything, but would budget for purchases in Chinatown. Because we went into our trip wanting to try different food, Chinatown also held a large portion of our food budget.
Also, consider if you will need any cash. Visit an ATM that you trust prior to traveling to avoid getting scammed in a different city. Be aware of your money and personal belongings at all times. While traveling, I was always aware of where my phone and wallet were.
Remember, you do not have to visit everything! Do what interests you and fits your budget. Just because it is a trip does not mean that it needs to break the bank. Budget in time to rest, wander and explore freely, and you are sure to have a fun trip!