Tight Arse Travel Time! Budget Travel
Many of us backpackers who traverse the globe tend to budget fairly tightly so we can extend our world trip as much as possible. I call it Tight Arse Travel.
This book called Vanabode details how you can travel forever on $US20 per day illustrates this!
Sometimes, this means sticking to a strict budget that usually sacrifices food for the sake of alcohol.
However, some interesting characters take the budgeting task a tad too far, to the point where every single penny, peso or pound is scrupulously analysed before any potential transaction.
Usually, they possess the ‘Minimalist’ Travel Personality Type which I wrote about in ‘Travel Personalities Explained’.
Another term for this type of traveller is a ‘Tight Arse’. A Tight Arse (or Ass for those from North America) is described as a ‘miser or a cheapskate who is reluctant to spend money’.
The Tight Arse Travel Commandments!
The Tight Arse Traveller lives by the following 10 Commandments of Tight Arse Travelling:
1. Thou shalt be able to wear a single piece of underwear 4 times before washing is required. That is, frontwards, backwards, inside-out frontwards, and inside out backwards.
2. Thou shalt prefer to crash on a free beach, park bench or forest instead of a paid bed.
3. Thou shalt view swimming in the ocean as an adequate substitute for showering.
4. Thou shalt abstain from using washing powder for as long as possible.
5. Thou shalt shun the marvels of underarm deodorant.
6. Thou shalt view razor blades and shaving cream as purely optional accessories.
7. Thou shalt ensure everything is recyclable and reusable.
8. Thou shalt use the following hierarchy of transport to minimise costs, in order of first preference to last – walking, hitchhiking, and as a stowaway in a plane.
9. Thou shalt drink the cheapest booze by methodically working out the lowest possible cost per alcohol content ratio ; and finally
10. Thou shalt follow alley cats to find the cheapest source of local cuisine.
How about you? How do you minimise your costs on the road?
Feel free to leave some Tight Arse Travelling Tips by leaving a comment!
More Tight Arse Stuff
Also check out The Smart Traveler’s Passport: 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers, which may help!
Your first commandment is just hilarious!
One from personal experience: Though shalt not spend your precious time in a queue that’s double as long as the other option, to get a 1% better currency exchange rate. Been there, done that, learned from it.
.-= Luc J´s last blog ..Compact Shaving Cream Alternative for Travel =-.
The tight arse traveller seems to be interchangeable with the stinky washing once a week traveller!
Great list 🙂
I’d probably add “haggling over a £2 fake lacoste/ralph lauren polo shirt anywhere in South East Asia” to the list
Yes, I’ve seen that done too!
“Thou shalt join a free city tour then at the end not make eye contact and wander off awkwardly while everyone else gives tips”! 😉