Before every trip I flip into save mode, and then I can’t stop thinking about money the whole time. For my six days in Lisbon, I did the whole “prep to save” thing, grabbed travel size basics early, used a TikTok promo once for a couple small items, and kept telling myself I’d only do cheap meals, walk everywhere, and say no to anything that felt like an “extra.”
I also booked a place in Amadora to save about $55 a night. It sounded smart, but it got frustrating fast. Every day I was commuting 35 to 45 minutes each way, walking a ton, and showing up already tired… like I hadn’t even started the fun part yet. I skipped a couple places I actually wanted to see because I didn’t want to pay for another ride. I kept picking the “good enough” option, then feeling annoyed about it later. By the end I wasn’t relaxed, I was just tired and kinda bummed.
When you travel, do you track every expense, or set a budget first and just enjoy once you arrive?