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What’s killing our travel budget

I’d hoped to be spending a lot less per day right now (like $50 or under a day). But a couple of things are making this difficult:

The heat

I’m loving the fact that I can breathe freely in the Asian heat. Clear airways are a wonderful thing. (My skin doesn’t like the temperatures quite as much, though.) On the other hand, the heat here is making my poor husband a bit of a sad sack. I’d be fine in a fan room (and we stayed in a fan room on our first night in Thailand) but for his sake we’re seeking out rooms with air conditioning – which basically doubles the price.

The food

Again, I’m in my element here. Him? Not so much. He’s not used to the food (we eat a lot of Asian at home, but not for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and is wary of street stalls (sigh). He misses steak and burgers and dairy products. And while at home he swings between eating hardly anything at all (most days) or eating everything in sight, while in Asia it’s been a case of the latter constantly. Nothing keeps him full. That said, I’m glad he’s getting into some sort of regular eating routine.

Everything is still crazy cheap by Western standards, but we’re on a tight budget.

12 thoughts on “What’s killing our travel budget

  • Reply anna May 18, 2013 at 07:22

    The street stalls are awesome!! Plus you feel like you’re like a local… the touristy areas charge double or triple the price, which just seems outrageous. Hope you’re having a blast!

  • Reply SavvyFinancialLatina May 18, 2013 at 07:31

    I live in Texas, and it get hot here. Sometimes I understand why the heat kills your husband. Extreme heat drains my energy.

  • Reply krantcents May 18, 2013 at 07:34

    I think you have to be willing to try things while traveling. I remember family restaurants and noodle parlors as inexpensive. In Taiwan, I was turned off by some street food too. It seemed risky.

  • Reply Rita Marie May 18, 2013 at 09:28

    I’m from Texas. It’s 104 here tomorrow. I totally understand you’re husbands issue. And I’d want air conditioning. Heck, I want air conditioning in 70 degree weather (with our humidity) At the same time, there’s nothing like heat on your skin. And clear airways are an amazing thing.

  • Reply Linda May 18, 2013 at 10:11

    How much longer will you be in SE Asia? Perhaps you can adjust your budget for other locations to allow for the extra splurge there. You did suspect that T would have problems with the heat, but you never know exactly what will happen until you’re there. Hopefully you can find ways to have a few lower cost days ahead to make up for the additional expense now. Nonetheless, $50 per day for two people is pretty darn low! If you’re able to keep it fairly close to that, kudos to you!

  • Reply Michelle May 18, 2013 at 11:49

    $50 a day still seems pretty low! Not sure if you’ve heard of Filling in the Dots (I think it’s fillinginthedots.com), but they spent a lot of time in Asia and they outline their budget. I’d check out her blog!

  • Reply SarahN May 18, 2013 at 16:47

    I hope you settle into a rhythm travelling together! I’ve not been reading your blog long, but have you two traveled together much otherwise – I know he proposed when you were travelling in NZ. I know some countries can be really challenging – place that aren’t like Australia/NZ, but even though you’ll be making compromises I’m sure ‘next time’ your husband will be that little bit better with intrepid food and heat!

  • Reply Sense May 18, 2013 at 22:05

    Awww, I’d do the same thing as T. I need recognizable food and quiet, temp controlled sleeping quarters to be happy on a very basic level. It can definitely be tough to cope in Asia. Everything is so different there! And that heat is no joke…

    Sounds like a frugal vs cheap dilemma to me–spend on needs and what matters most! You def. don’t want a sleep-deprived, hungry husband, so I’d say the extra expense is worth it for the sake of your trip! Who cares if you still have money left at the end if one half of your party has not been having a good time?

    I would have bet that he would have tried stuff when he saw that you didn’t get sick…or does he think your body is used to it from childhood visits? Nothing to do about it now, but I wonder if stopping in Asia last instead of first would have made any difference to how willing he was to try new things there? I bet that he’ll get better at it as time goes on. 🙂 Good for you for not making it a typical OE, where people just stay in their comfort zone the whole time, then come home and aren’t changed at all!

    So excited to see these updates! Good luck with the budget! 🙂

  • Reply fabulously frugirl May 19, 2013 at 04:28

    Awww, I’m just salivating thinking of all the street food stall that you guys get to eat! But I think I understand how T feels about just wanting comfort food. Sometimes, nothing satisfies the craving quite like simple food that is comfort to us.

    Looking forward to reading more about your adventures!

  • Reply Mike@WeOnlyDoThisOnce May 19, 2013 at 05:26

    I’m with him on the heat aspect. Some of us just wilt in the heat! Seems like you’re keeping things very under control, though. Enjoy the trip!

  • Reply The Asian Pear May 20, 2013 at 11:30

    I can relate to T. I hate the heat. It’s too bad that you’re in Asia during the really hot months. Tell T to hide out in the shopping centres!

  • Reply Amber May 22, 2013 at 08:38

    Food ALWAYS kills our travel budget no matter where we go! I also hate the heat and would be miserable if I wasn’t sleeping well so I get the wanting a/c rooms. Maybe alternate between a/c and fan rooms?

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