foXnoMad

Yesterday I asked you has the global economic crisis is affecting your travel plans, and for the most part it hasn’t - although as Priyank mentions, it does have him a little worried. Before you cut your own plans however, consider the following unconventional ways to fund your travels.

• Sell Your Old Books and CDs - Unless they’re for reference, most books are dead weight once you read them. Lighten the load and sell back your books as soon as they’re read to get the most value back. I prefer Half.com, which makes it easy to sell books, CDs, and DVDs and reimburses you for most shipping costs.
  • Take the books you can’t sell after 60 days and take them to a public library, they’ll buy them for much less but at least you’ll have more than nothing and be 1 book less at that.
  • Download free eBooks instead and stick to a single carry on.
• Grab Extra Change From Toll Booths - Chances are you are missing the ‘rejects’ coin return below most toll booths. Drive through the toll booths that are unmanned or exact change only and stick your hand in the coin return - many times you will find part, all, or twice as much change as it cost you to get through the booth.
  • You probably won’t make a net gain, but could save a few dollars a month. Or save all of the change you find and put it aside for some small travel essentials.
• Tutor A Language - There are plenty of high school and college students who are struggling with their language classes. For a few dollars an hour you can provide them with some homework help. Check for signs on college campuses, church, or Craigslist.
  • Only know English? For longer trips find a job teaching it at your destination in exchange for lessons. (Either way, you should know a few words before you go, here are the 12 best ways.)

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Last October I highlighted the best places to travel on a weak dollar - inexpensive gems for those of you carrying weak currencies and looking to make the most out of your money. One year later, the dollar is still plummeting while some traditionally weak currencies are leveling up with the greenback.

Quite a bit has changed in the global economy over the last year and it’s time to update the list. Places were your currency won’t go as far as it used to, food and hotel prices are increasing, and getting overloaded with tourists.

• Czech Republic - This former ‘cheap’ destination was discovered by citizens of the Eurozone in the early 1990s and since then has seen it’s tourism numbers nearly quadruple. With 1.5 million Germans alone visiting for vacation or shopping sprees for an average of 1 week and a stable government in a volatile region, the Czechs have been able to nurture their tourism industry.
  • Using the Economist’s interactive foreign exchange map you can see the Koruna gaining on the dollar. In 2010 (or 2011) the country will adopt the Euro, when prices will skyrocket.
  • The Czech Republic can still be considered a good place to travel on a weak dollar, but not the one of the best - especially with Slovakia and Slovenia so near by and at half the cost.
• Turkey - As Darren of Travel Rants and Colin note, food and drink prices in Turkey along, its west coast and major cities are almost equivalent to the prices in the US. Among the booming Turkish economy and tourism industry you can still find good deals however along Turkey’s Black Sea coast and eastern cities like Van or Kars.
  • A cheaper alternative to Turkey is Northern Cyprus, which offers you Turkish culture and food along a low cost section of Europe’s Mediterranean coast. You’ll just have to fly or sail through Turkey to get there.

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Travel blogs are a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, post pictures, and meet other vagabonds as you wander around the world. A travel blog can also be a way to generate a few bucks towards your next trip. The amount you can generate varies, but without the best tools to use you won’t be making more than a few dollars a month.

While in most cases you won’t be leaving your job or paying your plane tickets, here’s how to use your travel blog to help finance a few meals and small portion of your simple travel budget.

1. Content - Let me start by saying that “content is king”; the better and more frequently you write, the more people that will be attracted to your blog increasing your advertising revenues. On the flip-side, if you’re only writing a travel blog for money and forget about the travel writing itself, you’re likely to turn away your audience.

2. Google Adsense - Arguably the first place to begin is this free service that generates ads on your blog based on the content of a particular page. Every time someone clicks on one of the ads, you’ll get paid and Google passes along the money directly to your bank account each $100 you earn.

Some Tips:

• Blend the ads by matching their background and font colors with your website.
• Put them in places that don’t distract from your content.
• Don’t write asking people to click on the ads, Google may suspend your account.

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Find out how much it will cost you to get from point A to point B via taxi in major international cities around with World Taximeter.

The free online service gives you a break down of the price for 15 North American and European cities. A simple query for a fare from the Chrylser Building to Penn Station shows the 3.14km ride to take about 9 minutes and cost $10.28. World Taximeter estimates the cost not only based on the distance, but the average wait time, any peak hour surcharges, and 15% tip.

Although the search helps you by suggesting famous landmarks, the service is a bit shoddy unless you use specific street addresses. Hopefully World Taximeter will expand its list of cities offered (they are currently taking suggestions).

Knowing how the approximate distance and fare for any cab ride when you travel around the world is the best way to avoid getting ripped off.

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Recently MSN posted 7 ways to travel cheap - a good list that didn’t go far enough. Although anyone can benefit from their common sense ideas, the smart travelers will take their advice one step further.

#1 MSN Says: Take A Picnic Basket

Stocking up on mini-boxes of cereal, snacks like granola bars, dried fruits and nuts, and other easily brown-bagged bites like jerky—and eat your breakfast (at least) in the car.

foXnoMad Advises: Cook your own food and create mini meals loaded with fiber for constipation, protien to keep you full, and B-vitamins to give you energy. A few potato omelets with corn and spinach will do the trick for less than 10 dollars. There are a number of ways you can cook these 5 easiest foods to cook.

#2 MSN Says: Don’t Pay For Kids’ Meals

Kids’ meals, meanwhile, may seem a good deal for a measly $3 or $4, but those wee bits of change add up, and what are you paying for the privilege of eating?

foXnoMad Advises: If you are going to get restaurant or fast food, get kids’ meals for everyone, even the adults. You’ll eat less junk and save money, especially if you aren’t traveling with kids.

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ABC News is reporting that swiping a credit card at the pump may instantly increase your per gallon cost of fuel by a few cents.

Right now I’m running an expierament at several gas stations and I’ll report my findings next week. I’d first like to ask if you’ve noticed any hidden gasoline charges at the pump?

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Avoid the powerful Euro along the blue seas of the Mediterranean without avoiding Europe by traveling to these two countries outside of the Eurozone. Both countries, while still being European don’t roll with the Euro.

• Croatia - Rebuilding its economy since independence with its booming tourism industry you can get a taste of the Mediterranean coast without paying Italian, French, or Greek prices. The Croatian Kuna is worth about 25 US cents.

The Croatia Travel Blog is a good place to start familiarizing yourself with this Balkan nation.

• Northern Cyprus - The island of Cyprus has been split in two halves since 1974. The Greek part of the island joined the EU in 2004 and prices have jumped since. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus uses the Turkish lira but offers the same beaches, climate, and historical sights like the ancient Roman city of Salamis.

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Many of you vagabonds, college students, and corporate workers have been waiting to get your tickets for that upcoming vacation are have been shocked by what you’ve found. Long gone are the cheap fares and good deals of last year.

Why are we paying more for the same flight now?

A combination of economic recovery, downfall, and a weak dollar are making a good deal scarce.

• If You’re Just Realizing Now That Prices Are High, You’re Looking Too Late - This isn’t the time to be looking for a summer vacation package - that was February.
• Fuel - Airplanes run on kerosene-based commercial grade jet fuel (which is about 115 octane). The increasing price of oil has the same effect on drivers and pilots - increased costs passed on to you. Airlines are becoming more fuel-conscious however and slowing down to save gas.

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What you lose in convenience you gain in security when using cash to pay for your trip, buy souvenirs, and leave tips for waiters. While credit and debit cards are useful if you get ripped off, using cash can prevent it from ever happening.

Purchasing Tickets

Pro

• Tickets purchased in cash can protect your privacy keeping travel itineraries out of bank hands. This may seem like paranoia, but you may want to consider it if you’re traveling to a destination unpopular with your government.

Con

• For more expensive travel you should consider the protections a credit card can offer since many of them offer trip protections.

For instance, Citi PremierPass Elite MasterCard comes with Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance for free.

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Travelers outside of the US who use charge while shopping should check their receipts for full credit card numbers. If you see that your copy of any printed (or written) receipt has all 16 digits, request a new card from your bank when you return home.

United States law requires that credit card numbers are obscured on receipts helping to prevent someone from taking in the number and using it online. Consider taking a travelers card (many banks offer it) or stick to cash. Credit cards numbers are often used as collateral at hotels so protect yourself by bringing an unactivated card. Keep tabs on your statements online if you can get reliable Internet (never from cafes) and contact the credit card company as soon as you see something fishy.

Most countries around the world don’t prohibit the printing of full numbers on receipts, which may leave you open to fraud even months after you return. Although you can certainly decline the charges, it may be hard to keep track of small purchases long after your trip.

[photo by: The Flooz]

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