Gettin’ Carried Away

Times are tight. Money isn’t easy to make. Hopefully, the state of the economy in 2009 (and beyond) will improve little by little. Until then, we have to work with what we’ve got.

I have even neglected my own blog in order to devote more time to work. And while I’ve been making more money, I realized that I lost sight of my passion: traveling. So what do we do when we’re struggling to make a buck, but we still want to travel? I’ve got a few ideas…

Explore your city: If you live in (or near) a big city, get out there and do some exploring! Chances are, you have not visited every square inch of your neighborhood. Even if you live in a small town, there might be a local bar or a family-owned restaurant close to your home that has never been graced with your presence.

For me, I headed up north to Wrigleyville. As a White Sox fan, I don’t venture over there too often. However, I made some amazing discoveries, like the Horizon Cafe. Here, you can get a $5.99 breakfast any time of the day. For me, the Teriyaki Chicken Pita ($8 with fries and soup) was a the most perfect afternoon meal I could ask for.

Take day trips or 24-hour trips: I live roughly 20 minutes from the Illinois/Indiana border. I also live about two hours from a friend’s cottage in Michigan. If I just do a little net research, I can find endless ways to fill my days.

Lucky for me, though, my friend Sam has invited me to his cottage  in Michigan the weekend of April 24. My plan is to go for just a day, as I work on Sundays. However, I also need to save money, so this little 24-hour getaway is perfect for my budget. Where do you live? I’m willing to bet that with some good research, I’d be able to find something exciting for you to do in a span of 24 hours.

Plan inexpensive weekend getaways… and bring friends: It’s always easy to travel when you split the cost with a few people. When you’re going away with, say, three people, a $300 hotel stay becomes $100 and a $150 worth of gas pumping becomes $50. The rest of the expenses left to you will include fun and food… and you can always find affordable activities and cheap eats.

I have a few baseball road trips in the works, including a day trip to Milwaukee and road trips to Cleveland, Kansas City and Minneapolis. I think I have one or two spaces left in the car… who’s in?