As I plan my Europe 2018 itinerary, I recall something a friend once said to me.

"What's the point of travelling if you insist on saving on everything?"

If there's one thing seeing the world taught me, it is that we are seven billion different minds, and we are entitled to our own opinion. The inability to accept a differing opinion played a major feature in many avoidable conflicts. I was tempted to repudiate that statement but I guess some people just don't see the appeal in sacrificing comfort for more days abroad.

My friend there is one of the few people I know who has never taken budget airlines, much less stepped into a youth hostel. On my end, I only take full-service carriers if I'm redeeming my miles. I stay in hostels half the price of the hotels my friend stayed in, or even couchsurf to further cut my budget.

Travelling on a budget

Contrary to popular belief, I enjoy travelling on a budget. I know that many years later, I'd be able to afford travelling luxuriously but my body won't be able to take two overnight buses in a row. I won't recover in time to explore the city if I slept on shoddy mattresses. Some youth hostels even impose an age limit so I might not even get a hostel experience anymore!

It all boils down to priorities. My friend is not wrong — some days living on a budget takes a toll and I find myself questioning when will my trip end, but at the end of the day, I want an interesting story to tell. I travel not only to see the world, but also to walk away with a story to tell. If I never take the path less travelled, I'll only have the same story as every traveller.

Ah well, just my three cents. To each his own.