I always keep a careful eye on my budget when I travel, and I love a good travel deal… but sometimes spending money will actually save you money.

As a traveling showgirl, I’m always trying to find the balance between luxury and comfort, and I usually accomplish this by being strategic about my travel budget. I buy cheap flights whenever possible, but I like traveling to feel like a treat, too. Here are 8 small splurges that I consider worth It:

1A really good travel pillow. After I borrowed a friend’s amazing travel pillow on a long train ride and slept like a baby, I set out to purchase my own, but I was surprised to find it was a minor investment. How good could a travel pillow be?

Well, good enough that I made the purchase and I’ve never regretted it once. My Aeros Pillow is inflatable but infinitely adjustable. I’ve used it for years and it’s never sprung a leak, and it doubles as a camping pillow and back support. Best of all, it packs up tiny… something the overpriced, overstuffed pillows sold at airports can’t do.

2Once-in-a-lifetime tickets. Is your favorite band playing in another country while you’re passing through? Fork over the ticket price if you can swing it. Not only will you get a chance to see what their concerts are like in a different culture, you might also connect with locals over your shared fandom. Worst case scenario, you’ll have a great story and new appreciation and understanding for the city you rocked out in.

When I visited Tasmania, I blew my budget buying tickets to a site-specific art installation that puts two strangers in a small strobe-filled sphere for fifteen minutes together. It sat in the middle of a fancy restaurant, so people dined around us on fine china while we shared what I can best describe as a brief artificial acid trip. Was it bizarre? Oh yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

3Good shoes. Traveling often means walking, and it’s a huge bummer when foot cramps, bad traction or shoddy shoes stop you in your tracks. (One I lost the entire sole of a cheap boot on a cobbled Parisian street. Don’t be me.)

Don’t buy shoes immediately before you travel, but don’t pack a pair that only have a little life left in them, either. It’s worth investing in strong materials and sturdy construction, and this goes for flip flops as well as hiking boots. I like a low, casual hiking boot, and North Face Hedgehogs are my current go-tos. Be real about what your feet need, and spend the money that will keep you globetrotting pain-free.

4Waterproof gear. The difference between water resistant and waterproof is the difference between staying dry in a downpour, and being slightly only less wet than soaked. Truly waterproof clothing often has a higher price tag than water resistant clothing, but if you’re going somewhere that’s wet, it’s time to pony up.

Swap your sort-of water resistant coat for a lightweight, packable waterproof coat like the Colombia Arcadia 2, and suit up your phone with a waterproof case that properly protects it.

5Photos you couldn’t take yourself. A local is offering to take photos of you as you ascend in a hot air balloon at sunrise in a gorgeous location, but the price they just quoted you feels too expensive. Agree to pay it anyway and trim your budget elsewhere.

I once paid way too much money for a local to hold my phone and shoot photos of me while I bathed in a mud volcano in Colombia, but they’re my favorite photos of the trip and there’s no way I could have recorded the experience otherwise. Depending on where you are, you might be supporting someone who faces economic inequality, and sometimes that’s great reason to pay a premium price for a service.

6Safety spends. When you arrive at your hotel late in the evening and discover that your door has a broken deadbolt, the windows don’t lock, and the guy at the front desk doesn’t care, you’re going to have to pay for another hotel. It sucks, it isn’t fair, and it happens. Maybe you’ll get that money back tomorrow, but tonight, your safety is worth the extra spend.

Same goes if you lose the lock for your hostel storage and need to purchase a new one, or find yourself paying a premium price because the tour guide at the cheapest company skeeved you out. Sometimes spending money provides peace of mind, and one needs to be cautious about which risks they take in unfamiliar locations.

7Local delicacies. Often, the local food is cheap and delicious, but occasionally you’ll run across a regional specialty that costs a pretty penny. The local fish dish might be amazing, but only available a few weeks of the year, and the price might reflect that, or maybe you’re in southern Spain and local Iberico ham is on the menu. 

One lovely aspect of trying local delicacies is that restauranteurs are eager to showcase the best of their region’s cuisine to visitors, and they tend to appreciate those who consult them for recommendations and spend on new experiences. 

They might be willing to answer your questions, suggest accompanying dishes, or otherwise connect with you as an appreciative traveler, rather than an intrusive tourist. I’ve had the best meals of my life after befriending local chefs, and they’ve often been eager to introduce me to the best wine of the region, connect me with locals who can show me the ‘good sights’, or attempted to hook me up with the most eligible bachelor they know! 

8A night in a comfy hotel after a hostel stay. Sure, you could spend that sixth consecutive night in your creaky hostel bed, and save some precious dough. Sometimes that’s the right move, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

But if you can swing it, a night in a hotel feels like an incredible luxury (and somehow more deserved) in stark contrast to week of roughing it. I like to travel with costs in mind, but I am also not an extreme budget traveler, and the money I save staying in hostels makes an occasional hotel splurge possible. Pick a weeknight, as it’ll be the least expensive at most pricey hotels, and check prices on a few apps to get the best deal (I am a fan of the hoteltonight app and booking .com)

In addition to giving you the chance to have a long, hot private shower and sprawl out in a giant soft bed in a quiet room, a hotel stay gives you the chance to often replace small travel items like sewing kits, shampoo and toothbrushes for free. Worth it.

And that’s it! Of course, the travel splurges that seem most ‘worth it’ to you are going to come down to your preferences and priorities.

Which ones did you agree with and which ones would you skip? Did I miss any essential small travel splurges that you think are totally worth it?

 

PS: Hey babes, just an FyI that the above post contains afflilate links. This means that I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) from your Amazon purchases. I do not receive items for free and am not paid for recommending them… everything I suggest is something I use, love, and think you might love too!