r/Shoestring

Hi! I'm trying to plan my backpacking trip to Bulgaria and I would appreciate any tips on how I can save money (I'm from Asia and the exchange rate is giving me anxiety...)

How much cash (euros) should I carry with me? I have some US dollars with me- should I exhange this at the airport or the local banks/money changers?

Is it easy to withdraw money from the ATMs? (I'm a bit worried about incurring lots of extra charges, so I guess I should withdraw a bigger amount?)

To get to my hostel, I can just use the metro from the airport ya? Is there a weekly public transport card for metros/buses?

From my research so far, I should be able to get cheaper food from supermarkets and bakeries ya? Where should I go for good, cheap coffee/wine?

Are there certain days where some attractions/museums are free?

How much should I tip for the free walking tour?

I love live music (I'm a musician)- any music venues you'd recommend?

What local sim provider would you recommend? Can I buy it at the airport? Would I be able to use it in other Euro countries? (Might go to Romania if I can)

Thank you so, so much for your help!

I’ve been playing Pop Slots and I just unlocked 35% off the best flexible rate plus a waived resort fee at Farmhouse Inn in Sonoma California. The discount knocks the room cost down significantly so my main remaining costs are food, transport and activities once I’m there.
I’m driving from East Tennessee, so it’ll be a long haul out to California but I’m treating it as a road trip and plan to use a couple of free/cheap nights along the way to break up the drive.

For the Sonoma leg itself, I’ll be based at the Farmhouse Inn which is a pretty upscale property so the room itself is the splurge. I want to keep everything around it as lean as possible.

Question:
Sonoma vs. nearby Santa Rosa as a daily base for food/errands? The inn is in Forestville which is pretty rural. Is it worth driving into Santa Rosa for cheaper grocery runs and meals or does Sonoma town have affordable options worth staying close to?
Free or very cheap outdoor activities in the Sonoma/Russian River Valley area? I know Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve has a low day use fee. What else is worth doing that won’t cost much? Are tasting room fees avoidable. I want the wine country experience without paying $30/$50 per tasting.

Dates would be something before August 2026 since that’s when the reward expires. Any tips?

I’ve been to Portugal, Iceland, and England. Where in Europe in November can I get to that will make my dollar worth it?
CAD sucks but, I know some Euro countries can be cheap. People say stuff like Croatia, but looks so expensive to go too?? I was thinking Greece maybe but idk.

I’m open to anywhere! Just cheap haha. Suggestions? We also would rather do hotels and air bnb instead of Hostels since we are a family with a 13 year old. Just for safety you never know:)

growing up in the urban (ugly) part of the philippines, ive always dreamed of visiting those old historical cities in the west. dont get me wrong, the philippines is beautiful, but not the cities. especially not the one i grew up in or the one i live in at the moment. i watch walk through videos and sometimes go on google maps street view to get a feel of what it would be like to walk through edinburgh, prague, paris, or rome. everytime i do this, i feel such a strong sense of both awe and envy, it makes my chest hurt.

im 31 years old and i have an average metro manila income (a bit on the higher end but still within the average range). i've been pretty frugal my whole life and i've saved up a bit. i now have enough to go on a 2 week trip to scotland and still have enough left over without touching my emergency fund. im looking into different ways i can go on this trip on a super tight budget, like staying at a cheap hostel, and packing food so i dont have to eat out too often.

despite these measures, going on this trip would still make a significant dent on my savings. i wont go into debt or drain the money i need for basic needs but my frugality is making me think twice about going on a vacation. i ask myself if the money i saved would be better spent elsewhere

i'll be going on this trip alone. i enjoy my alone time but have learned from past experience that i dont enjoy solo trips to the beach. ive since learned from other people on reddit that beach trips can get lonely and they suggested i go to a city instead for solo trips.

so here's my dilemma: i dont know if i can justify spending tens of thousands of pesos to see beautiful landscapes and architecture. i imagine it would feel like a dream (might even get a bit teary eyed) but im also scared it wont turn out as good as i expected. im scared i'll regret it.

I travel a few times a year mostly for work and I always end up going back and forth on which budget carrier to actually book with. The price difference between them seems small but the experience can be really different depending on the route.

I've had some flights that were way better than expected and others that were a total mess even on the same airline. Things like legroom, on-time performance, hidden fees, and how they handle delays matter a lot more to me now than just the base ticket price. I feel like there's always one airline that flyers swear by but nobody talks about enough.

Been wanting to visit Japan for years and finally pulling the trigger. Every time I search though, Delta seems to be the only one flying direct from Seattle and the prices shift a lot depending on the day. Do you guys usually just watch prices for weeks or is there a smarter way to go about this? Any tools or habits that actually saved you money would mean a lot.

Im a 34 year old male, no fiance or kids, clean background.

Anyone know any cheap locations in the U.S.? The max im looking to spend is $315 a week

Not talking about one weird fare search. I mean routes where the cheap carrier used to make the whole trip possible, then the schedule gets cut or the fare is suddenly close to Delta/United anyway.

When that happens, what do you actually do?

- nearby airport

- different dates

- bus/train/drive

- wait for a sale

- skip the trip

I've caught myself doing the math and realizing the "cheap" flight isn't cheap enough to justify the rest of the trip anymore.

I am visiting Stockholm in early September. I have got 3 days in the city, so I was planning 2 days in the city and then 1 day may be somewhere outside the city. Vaxholm seems nice and a good option. Looking for if there's anything better.

Also Stockholm seems to have a lot of hostel options, in what area in the city should I look for accommodation which will be closer to public transport? Thanks

i know it sounds a little insane to travel so far for a first solo trip out of country but ive always wanted to see scotland lol

i know i can just go somewhere nearer like thailand, and i do want to see thailand one day but it's just so similar to the ph which is good but right now i really want to see a place thats entirely different from where i am

that said, i have no solid plans yet, just looking around for ideas. im thinking of going for 2 weeks, hoping to see edinburgh and the highlands, and maybe a bit of glasgow

do you know of other maybe more affordable places one can go to or stay at? ive heard edinburgh can be a bit pricey so im ok with commuting to and from my hostel into edinburgh

would you also know what the cheapest time of the year is to go to scotland?

So I planned a honeymoon to Georgia. Beautiful country, great food, amazing history - or so I thought. What followed was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life dealing with any government system, and I want to make sure nobody else goes through this blind.

Attempt 1: I got rejected because I entered my name incorrectly. Fair enough, my mistake. Except - their portal gives you zero guidance on how they want names entered. No format example, no validation, nothing. Azerbaijan's portal tells you exactly what they want. UK's portal has a full guide before you start. Georgia's portal just... lets you fill it wrong and then charges you to find out.

Attempt 2: Rejection reason was so vague I genuinely couldn't figure out what to fix. Reapplied based on my best guess. Wrong guess apparently. Still no clarity from their end.

Attempt 3: Fixed everything. Same documents as my wife's application which got approved. Bank statement - certified, unaltered, straight from the bank. Rejection reason? "Bank statement was modified."

It wasn't. My wife's application with the SAME bank statement got approved. Think about that for a second.

Now here's the fun part - the rejection email says you can appeal within 10 days using a form. There is no form. No link. Nothing on the portal. Emailed them. No reply. Called them. Nobody picked up. The appeal process exists on paper and nowhere else.

I've travelled to the UK, Turkey, Egypt, UAE. All approved me with lesser balance, lesser documents, zero drama. Georgia - a country that desperately needs tourism dollars - is out here rejecting Indians on made up grounds and pocketing the fees.

Their "Visit Georgia" marketing is a straight up lie. The reality is an opaque portal full of glitches, no customer support, no appeal mechanism, and rejection reasons that contradict themselves.

If you're an Indian passport holder planning Georgia - just go to Armenia instead. Visa on arrival, genuinely welcoming, similar history and landscapes, and the people actually want you there. Or Azerbaijan. Their e-visa portal alone shows they respect your time.

Georgia isn't worth the mental gymnastics. There are better countries in the Caucasus and they want your business more.

I'm planning a 1-week vacation in Vancouver, B.C., this summer, and Hotels and Airbnb are crazy expensive! I wonder if anyone has explored home swapping for affordable travel. Any tips would be appreciated, please. BTW, I live in Edmonton, Alberta.

I'm from the US will be in Italy, Austria, and Czech Republic from June 12 - July 8, and I'm thinking of getting a local data plan, preferably via an eSim because I need to keep my physical sim in my iphone so I can receive calls and texts on my US number.

Are there actual unlimited plans for under $60 USD for the month? All the ones I've been looking at aren't actually unlimited.

My girlfriend and I are trying to find the cheapest possible flight from New Orleans LA, Gulfport MS, or Mobile AL to Columbus, Ohio.

We’re looking to leave Friday October 16th and return Sunday October 18th.

All the options we’ve seen are anywhere from $370 to $600 per person. Could anyone help us find cheaper flights, I’m not a seasoned flyer and am not sure where to find the best deal. Thank you!

I'm not sure how to describe this other than relief mixed with mild embarrassment.

I spent most of my 20s accepting financial conditions as fixed things that happened to me. My rent was what it was. My interest rates were what they were. There was a period where I genuinely did not understand that these were negotiable or revisable, not facts of life.

The specific thing that cracked this open for me was looking into refinancing my car loan. I'd had a 13% rate for two and a half years and a coworker mentioned it almost in passing, like obviously you can lower that. And I had just never considered it.

Once you do one of these things and save real money from something you thought was immovable, something changes in how you see all of it. Renegotiated my internet plan, switched insurance, looked at every recurring charge differently.

Has anyone else had a moment that flipped the switch from passive to active with money?

i'm trying to plan a cheap southeast asia trip and suddenly realized my passport expires way too close to my travel dates.

the actual DS-82 renewal isn't impossible but i genuinely don't trust myself to fill everything correctly right now because i've been bouncing between overtime shifts all week and my attention span is fried.

also learned different acceptance facilities charge different execution fees which feels ridiculous considering how expensive expedited processing already is lol.

curious if people here just renew directly through the gov site or use prep/checking services first.

So i'v never been on a plane in my life and i have never traveled at all. But i want to take a trip to germany to visit some of the ww2 sites and see the history. I'm wondering what would be the cost for this and how long could i stay? my budget is 5k max. But what can i do and for how long on that much money?

Also what time of the year would be the best to go? Thanks

Hi,

I have never travelled abroad before and want to go to Amsterdam with my friend this year. I am getting so confused looking at all the different prices/flights etc and don't know where to start.

I would love to do it as cheap as possible (flights/hotel) so I can have more money to spend.

I would like to fly from Newcastle if possible, and have a room with 2 separate beds.

I do drive but would much rather fly to cut out unnecessary travel.

Any help appreciated,

Thanks.

I am going to the Scandinavians in August for 11 days. I am starting from Copenhagen and finishing at Stockholm. I will be spending 6 days in Norway, a bit confused whether I should 3 days in Copenhagen or in Stockholm. Given both are cities, the vibe would probably be similar. What's your advice?

I currently stay in kalyan form which I want to travel alone a solo trip with 10k budget for one month , I have a place in mind which is Ratnagiri which says low cost trip and stay where another side Goa where the stay and travel will cost more and I like photo graphs more for side quests and want a little peace of mind to think to start of a career