28/03/2026
canāt deny it - traveling will use up some funds (especially these days) but hey! they donāt have to be overly expensive.
pre-baby, my husband and i had our fair share of traveling within a very limited budget a.k.a budget backpackers.
from catching red-eye flights, staying in budget hotels/airbnb, carrying only our backpacks and eating in āwarungsā or small stalls / cafĆØs - weāve done them all with zero regrets!
but traveling with a kid now will somehow require us to opt for more comfortable but reasonable options.
from choosing an ideal flight time, booking a comfy accommodation, a checked luggage and considering the places to eat.
while we no longer run on a very tight budget, we still make sure that every spend is reasonable and within our allocated funds.
these strategies work for us whenever we save up for our trip:
āŖļøplanning ahead of time: and that includes deep, intense research of where we want to go, how long the trip is going to be, the timing of our trip, how long it will take for us to hit our target travel budget, etc.
āŖļøusing our credit cards wisely: we use CCs to gain points, so *personally* we make sure that whenever we kaskas our cards, we at least have 50% of cash on hand to pay for it immediately, better if we have 100% to pay for it in full.
plus we kaskas right after the cut-off date so that the expenses will be billed in the next billing cycle. we also make sure to pay the remaining amount in full to avoid getting those extra charges.
āŖļøadopting slow, intentional travels work for us now. having only a few highlights of the trip and not packing our days with too many activities help us keep our expenses low. plus, we get to enjoy the day by doing things one at a time.
āŖļøpacking & traveling light keep us from getting over baggage which incurs additional costs. we donāt shop too much, and we donāt spend too big - that alone saves us more $$.
āŖļøweāve always travelled on our own as there are a lot of perks to it. we have control over our time and itinerary which are two of the things we want to manage, plus most of the places we get to visit on our own are free of charge *wink, wink!
we may have a controlled spendings when we travel, but we still ensure to make each trip worth it by trying out and setting budget aside for foodtrips, must-try activities and entrance fees for must-see places.
we personally donāt spend on a lot of things - maybe a couple of pasalubongs which are not really mandatory.
with proper and strategic research, exploring places with the family wonāt have to break your bank.
and yep, Nova is what you see in there. we pack baon from the Philippines like light snacks, instant coffee, sliced breads and spread.
