Frugal Travel

When Spending More Is the Frugal Choice

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When people hear the word “frugal,” they often assume it means spending as little money as possible.

That’s never really been our goal.

For our family, frugality isn’t about minimizing spending. It’s about being intentional with spending. We try not to spend money on things that don’t add much value to our lives. But when something does add value—when it creates meaningful experiences, strengthens relationships, or supports the things we care most about—we’re often happy to spend more.

Sometimes the most frugal choice isn’t the cheapest one.

Sometimes it’s the one that creates the most value.

Our recent trip through Central and South America provided two good examples of that.

Costa Rica: Saying Yes to the Expensive Activities

The first stop on our trip was Costa Rica, where we met up with two families we’ve known for decades.

Normally, our travels tend to be fairly simple. We spend a lot of time hiking, exploring, swimming, and enjoying whatever is available nearby. We’re usually happy to skip expensive tours and activities.

This trip was different.

Because our friends were joining us for their spring break, we knew this would be our primary opportunity to spend time together. We also knew that everyone was excited about the adventure activities Costa Rica is famous for.

So we leaned in.

We went ziplining through the rainforest. We rappelled down waterfalls while canyoning. We went whitewater rafting. We took night jungle walks. We packed more organized activities into those twelve days than we normally would during a much longer trip.

It wasn’t cheap.

And yet, looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

The activities themselves were fun, but what made them valuable was who we experienced them with. Our kids shared adventures with friends they only get to see once or twice a year. We spent evenings laughing together, playing games, and telling stories about the day’s adventures.

The money wasn’t really spent on ziplining or rafting.

It was spent on shared experiences and memories with people we care about.

For us, that felt entirely worthwhile.

The Galápagos: A Bucket List Destination

The Galápagos was another example of spending more intentionally.

There was simply no version of this trip that was going to be inexpensive.

The flights were expensive.

The park fees were expensive.

The tours were expensive.

The islands themselves are expensive.

And yet, from the moment we started researching the Galápagos, we knew it was something we wanted to do.

The wildlife is unlike anywhere else on Earth. The educational opportunities are incredible. The chance to snorkel alongside sea turtles, sharks, sea lions, penguins, and countless other animals felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The question wasn’t whether we wanted to go.

The question was how to do it in a way that aligned with our values.

Expensive Doesn’t Mean Unlimited

One thing we’ve learned is that deciding to spend money on something doesn’t mean you stop thinking about value.

The classic example from this trip was deciding between a liveaboard cruise and a land-based itinerary.

The cruises looked amazing.

They were also extraordinarily expensive.

After a lot of research, we realized that staying on the islands and exploring through ferries and day trips would allow us to experience much of what we cared about most at a fraction of the cost.

Before arriving, I worried we might feel like we were missing out.

We never did.

We saw giant tortoises, sea lions, marine iguanas, sharks, sea turtles, penguins, blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, flamingos, and more. We snorkeled incredible waters, hiked volcanoes, and explored multiple islands.

The experience felt magical.

Spending intentionally doesn’t mean choosing the cheapest option.

It also doesn’t mean automatically choosing the most expensive option.

It means finding the option that delivers the value you’re looking for.

The Cost Per Memory Test

When we look back on our travels, very few of our favorite memories are connected to the money itself.

What we remember are the experiences.

The boys nervously stepping off a zipline platform and then wanting to do it again.

Swimming with sea turtles.

Watching blue-footed boobies.

Laughing with friends by the pool after a day of adventures.

Talking with our kids about animal adaptations weeks after returning home.

Those are the things that stick.

If an experience creates memories, strengthens relationships, sparks curiosity, or brings our family closer together, we’re often willing to spend more than someone might expect from people who describe themselves as frugal.

Frugal Isn’t About Spending Less

One of the biggest misconceptions about frugality is that it’s primarily about restriction.

For us, it’s much more about alignment.

We don’t spend money on things because they’re expensive.

We don’t avoid spending money simply because something costs a lot.

Instead, we try to ask a different question:

Does this support the life we’re trying to build?

Sometimes the answer is no.

Sometimes the answer is yes.

Costa Rica was a yes.

The Galápagos was a yes.

Both trips cost more than many of our travels.

And both felt entirely worth it.

That’s why we’ve come to believe that sometimes spending more is actually the frugal choice.

Choosing the Right Campervan: Why Smaller, Simpler, and Well-Maintained Mattered More Than Space

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Before we ever set foot in Europe, I spent an enormous amount of time researching campervans.

Not because I wanted the “best” one, or the fanciest one — but because I wanted one that would work. One that would be reliable, functional, and aligned with how we actually travel.

That turned out to matter far more than square footage or luxury.

Why the Rental Company Mattered as Much as the Van

One of the first decisions we made had nothing to do with layouts or features.

We wanted to rent from a company that felt honest, fair, and human.

After a lot of searching, I found a very small, essentially single-person operation outside Munich. The reviews were excellent, and more importantly, the communication felt personal and responsive.

That contrast became obvious once we were traveling.

Many families in our group rented from much larger companies. Those companies were easy to find online, but once contracts were signed, communication often became difficult. Emails went unanswered. Small issues turned into big frustrations.

We, on the other hand, had our guy’s WhatsApp number. If something came up, we could text him directly and get a real response.

That peace of mind was invaluable.

What We Actually Needed From a Campervan

We were very clear about our requirements — and equally clear about what we didn’t need. That clarity came from our broader approach to frugality — focusing on what actually adds value and letting go of the rest.

Our non-negotiables were simple:

  • Sleeping space for four
  • Seatbelts for four
  • A table where we could sit inside if the weather was bad
  • A small but functional kitchen so we could cook our own food

That was it.

We knew we’d be staying in campgrounds with bathrooms, showers, and communal spaces. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have had a bathroom in the van at all.

But vans without bathrooms that still sleep four are hard to find, so we ended up with one — including a shower we never once used. It became storage instead.

And that was perfectly fine.

Why Smaller Made a Big Difference

Our van was about a meter shorter than many of the other campervans in the group.

That might not sound like much, but in Europe, it mattered constantly.

Driving through narrow streets in ancient towns is already challenging in a six-meter vehicle. Trying to do it in a seven-meter one would have been significantly harder.

Parking, maneuvering, and just feeling comfortable behind the wheel were all easier because the van was compact.

We didn’t want interior space for its own sake. We wanted mobility.

Simple, Functional — and in Better Shape Than Many Larger Vans

Our campervan was small and compact, but space was used efficiently.

It wasn’t luxurious, and that was intentional.

Ironically, it was in better overall condition than many of the larger, more expensive vans rented by others in the group. Some families dealt with refrigerators failing, toilets not flushing, or engines overheating.

We had none of that.

No mechanical issues. No systems failures. No time lost dealing with repairs.

That reliability mattered far more to us than having extra features we didn’t want.

Bells and Whistles We Didn’t Need

Our van actually had some features we never would have chosen — like a TV with a satellite dish.

We didn’t turn it on once.

Those kinds of add-ons didn’t make the experience better for us. They just took up space and added complexity.

What mattered was that the essentials worked, and worked consistently.

Was It Perfect?

No — and that’s okay.

When the bed was pulled out for sleeping, getting out of the van in the morning could be awkward. More than once, I felt a little trapped until everyone else started moving.

But these were small inconveniences, not deal-breakers.

They didn’t meaningfully impact how we felt about the trip.

Would We Do It the Same Way Again?

Probably.

If we do another long campervan trip, we’d look for something very similar:

  • Small
  • Simple
  • Well-maintained
  • Rented from someone we trust

This van fit squarely within how we approach travel in general: frugal and functional.

Not cheap. Not bare-bones. Just intentional — doing what it needed to do without extra complexity for the sake of it.

And for us, that turned out to be exactly right.

Is Campervanning Actually Frugal?

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Campervanning often gets described as a budget-friendly way to travel. Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it’s not.

Like most things in travel, whether campervanning is “frugal” depends less on the headline cost and more on how you value time, flexibility, comfort, and tradeoffs.

For us, campervanning has turned out to be a very good value — even though it wasn’t cheap in an absolute sense.

Owning vs Renting Changes the Equation

A lot of people who swear by campervans already own one. At that point, spending time in it feels like a no-brainer — the big cost is already sunk.

We didn’t own a campervan. We had to rent.

And rental costs vary wildly. You can spend surprisingly little on a very basic (or very junky) van, or you can spend a lot on something much nicer. We aimed for simple but solid: something that would let us sleep, cook, and sit inside if the weather was bad — but nothing fancy beyond that.

The rental wasn’t cheap, but compared to what some others paid for far worse setups, we felt we got good value for what we spent.

Campgrounds in Europe Aren’t Cheap — But They’re Not Just Parking Lots

One of the things that surprised us most was the cost of campgrounds in Europe.

We regularly paid between €40 and €100 per night, which initially felt expensive — especially compared to campgrounds in the U.S.

But European campgrounds often come with amenities that completely change the value proposition:

  • Pools
  • Saunas
  • Gyms
  • Playgrounds
  • Large, communal outdoor spaces

We weren’t just paying for a patch of ground. We were paying for places where our kids could roam, play, swim, and relax — and where we could actually enjoy spending time.

When you factor that in, the cost started to feel much more reasonable.

Comparing the Real Alternatives

To understand whether campervanning was frugal, we had to compare it honestly to the alternatives.

Without a campervan, we would have needed:

  • A rental car
  • Hotels or Airbnbs
  • More meals eaten out
  • More planning around check-in, check-out, and logistics

The campervan bundled many of those costs and decisions into one system.

Being able to drive up to a supermarket, buy groceries, and unload them directly into our kitchen — pantry and refrigerator included — was incredibly freeing.

Why Cooking for Ourselves Matters to Us

We like to cook when we travel.

That’s not true for everyone, and that’s okay. For some people, restaurants are a central part of the travel experience.

For us, cooking:

  • Lets us eat the food we want
  • Keeps things simpler
  • Feels healthier
  • Saves money

The campervan made this easy. We weren’t dependent on what was nearby or what was open. We could eat well without constantly planning around meals.

That tradeoff — saving on food so we can spend more in other areas — fits how we define frugal travel.

Small Spaces, Big Freedom

We absolutely could have had more space in an Airbnb.

But we didn’t want it.

We’ve learned that our family actually likes smaller, cozier spaces when we’re traveling — as long as we plan to be out most of the day. The campervan was our base, not our destination.

And there’s something powerful about having your home travel with you.

When you finish a hike or an adventure and your kitchen, dry clothes, and dinner are waiting for you right there — it changes how the day feels.

Time and Flexibility Are the Real Currency

This is where campervanning really shines for us.

Frugality isn’t just about money. It’s about what you’re optimizing for.

This way of thinking — where frugal means intentional rather than cheap — underpins how we make travel decisions as a family.

Campervanning gave us:

  • Flexibility to change plans
  • Freedom from fixed check-in times
  • Less daily decision-making
  • Fewer logistical transitions

That saved time and mental energy — which is incredibly valuable, especially when traveling with kids.

We’re happy to spend a bit more money if it means protecting time and reducing friction.

Where We Saved — and Where We Didn’t

Campervanning saved us money on:

  • Lodging alternatives
  • Restaurant meals
  • Transportation between lodging and activities

We didn’t save money on:

  • The campervan rental itself
  • Fuel
  • Larger campgrounds with amenities

And that’s okay.

Frugal travel doesn’t require saving money in every category. It requires making intentional tradeoffs.

Is Campervanning for Everyone?

Definitely not.

There are real tradeoffs:

  • Smaller living space
  • Larger vehicles to drive
  • More setup and teardown
  • Less privacy

But for us, the benefits have far outweighed the downsides.

We loved it — and we’re actively planning to seek out this style of travel again.

So… Is Campervanning Actually Frugal?

For us, yes — not because it was cheap, but because it delivered a lot of value in the areas we care about most.

It supported slower travel, simpler days, and more time together. And when we measure frugality by those standards, campervanning fits beautifully.

How We Find Flights That Are Worth the Cost (and Skip the Ones That Aren’t)

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Flights are often the biggest single expense in our travel budget — and one of the easiest places to either save money or make travel miserable.

For us, finding flights isn’t about chasing the absolute cheapest option. It’s about finding flights that strike the right balance between cost, time, energy, and flexibility, especially when traveling as a family.

Flexibility Is the Biggest Money Saver We Have

One of the biggest advantages we have is time flexibility.

Because we aren’t bound to a traditional school calendar, we don’t need to travel during the same narrow windows as most families. That opens up enormous savings.

We’ve repeatedly seen the exact same flights drop dramatically in price simply by shifting our departure or return dates by three or four days. Sometimes the difference is hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars.

When you’re not limited to a one-week or two-week break, flight prices start to look very different.

Why We Use Google Flights

We use Google Flights almost exclusively because it’s incredibly powerful for flexible travelers.

Instead of starting with:

“We’re going to X on these exact dates”

We often start with:

“Where could we go around this time that’s reasonably priced?”

We’ll search broad destinations, flexible date ranges, and multiple departure airports. Sometimes the flight prices themselves shape the trip — not the other way around.

More than once, we’ve chosen a destination because the flights were unusually affordable for a specific window.

Cheap Isn’t Always Worth It

We rarely book the very cheapest flight.

In our experience, those flights often come with tradeoffs that aren’t worth it for us:

  • Extra connections
  • Very long layovers
  • Red-eye flights that leave everyone exhausted

Saving a bit of money doesn’t feel frugal if it makes the first few days of a trip miserable.

Instead, we look for good value — flights that are reasonably priced and reasonable to take.

How We Think About Budget Airlines

We don’t automatically avoid budget airlines, but we also don’t pretend they’re cheap in the way the headline price suggests.

When flying budget carriers, we assume:

  • Everything costs extra
  • We’ll pay for carry-on bags
  • Seat selection may cost more

We factor those costs in from the beginning so there are no surprises.

Some add-ons are worth paying for right away. Others we skip.

For example, we almost always add carry-on bags upfront. But we rarely pay for seat assignments — many airlines have policies that allow kids under a certain age to sit with a parent, and that’s usually sufficient for us.

The key is knowing what you’re getting into before clicking “buy.”

Why We Don’t Over-Optimize Flights

It’s easy to turn flight booking into an optimization problem: cheapest fare, perfect timing, best airline, ideal seat.

We’ve found that over-optimizing usually leads to stress.

Instead, we aim for:

  • Fewer connections
  • Reasonable departure and arrival times
  • Flights that don’t wipe everyone out

Flights are just the beginning of a trip. We’d rather arrive feeling functional than save a small amount of money at the cost of exhaustion.

Letting Flights Shape the Trip (Not the Other Way Around)

Some of our favorite trips started with a flight search.

By staying open to different destinations and timelines, we’ve been able to plan trips that might not have made sense otherwise — financially or logistically.

This approach only works because we prioritize flexibility, but it’s been one of the most effective ways we’ve found to make long-term family travel sustainable.

A Frugal Choice That Protects Our Energy

Finding the “right” flight isn’t just about saving money. It’s about protecting our energy, our time, and our ability to enjoy the trip once we get there.

For us, frugal travel means choosing flights that support the experience — not undermine it.

Why We Put So Much Thought Into Our Family’s Luggage

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Luggage doesn’t usually feel like an important decision — until you’re traveling as a family and everything you own has to move with you.

For us, choosing luggage wasn’t about finding the “best” bag or the trendiest brand. It was about reducing friction. We wanted travel days to be manageable, predictable, and calm enough that the trip itself didn’t start with stress.

That made luggage a surprisingly important part of how we travel.

Frugal Doesn’t Mean Cheap — It Means Intentional

We think about frugality as a way to protect what matters most to us: time together, flexibility, and energy.

That means we’re willing to spend money on things that:

  • Make travel more sustainable over time
  • Reduce stress and decision fatigue
  • Help us avoid ongoing costs later

Luggage fits squarely into that category. A bag that makes travel harder ends up costing more in other ways — baggage fees, delays, physical strain, or just exhaustion.

The Problems We Were Trying to Solve

Before buying new bags, we were clear about what wasn’t working.

Traveling as a family means:

  • Everyone needs to manage their own bag, at least some of the time
  • Airports involve long walks, stairs, and uneven surfaces
  • Not every kid wants to carry a backpack all day
  • Checking bags adds cost and complexity we’d rather avoid

We wanted luggage that supported independence without making travel days harder than they needed to be.

Why Carry-On Size Matters for Us

We’ve found that keeping everything carry-on sized changes the entire feel of a trip.

It:

  • Avoids checked baggage fees
  • Reduces time spent waiting in airports
  • Makes transfers and connections easier
  • Forces us to pack intentionally

Packing less isn’t about deprivation — it’s about simplicity. When everything fits with us, travel feels lighter and more flexible.

Why Rolling Backpacks Made Sense for Our Family

We chose carry-on–size bags that can both roll and be worn as backpacks.

That flexibility matters more than we expected.

Rolling works well in airports and smooth spaces. Backpack mode matters for stairs, cobblestones, and uneven terrain. Having both options means no one is stuck struggling when conditions change.

For kids especially, this has made a big difference. They can roll their bags when it’s easy and switch when it’s not — without needing constant help.

What We Didn’t Optimize For

We didn’t try to:

  • Find the lightest bag on the market
  • Chase the cheapest possible option
  • Choose something that would only work for one type of trip

We were more interested in durability, versatility, and long-term use than in saving a little money upfront.

That tradeoff feels very aligned with how we approach travel in general.

Who This Setup Works Well For (and Who It Might Not)

This luggage setup works well for:

  • Families trying to avoid checked bags
  • Trips with lots of transitions
  • Slow or long-term travel
  • Kids who can manage their own bags part of the time

It may not be ideal if:

  • You pack heavy or bulky gear
  • You prefer checked luggage
  • You’re doing very short, single-location trips

Like most things in travel, it’s about fit — not finding a universal “best.”

A Small Choice That Makes a Big Difference

Choosing luggage won’t make or break a trip. But for us, making this decision thoughtfully has removed a surprising amount of friction from travel days.

When logistics are smoother, we have more energy for what we actually care about — being together, exploring, and learning as we go.

And that’s a tradeoff we’re happy to make.

What “Frugal” Really Means to Us (and Why It Matters)

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The word frugal can mean a lot of things to different people.

For us, it doesn’t mean deprivation.
It doesn’t mean cutting corners just to save a dollar.
And it definitely doesn’t mean living small or saying no to things that matter.

Frugal, for our family, is about protecting what’s most important.

And what’s most important to us is time — especially time together.

Time Is the Real Luxury

We’re very aware that we’re in a short, golden window of life.

Our kids still want to be with us. They still want to explore with us, talk with us, travel with us. We know that won’t always be the case, and we don’t want to look back and wish we’d chosen differently.

Because of that, work isn’t at the top of our priority list.

We work what we need to work to support our family’s lifestyle — but not more than that. We’re not chasing promotions for the sake of it, and we’re not interested in building a life that requires us to always be working just to maintain it.

Frugality helps us do that.

Choosing What We Don’t Spend Money On

There are plenty of things we happily don’t spend money on.

We don’t care about fancy cars.
We don’t care about trendy clothes.
We don’t care about keeping up with what we’re “supposed” to want.

Not because those things are bad — they’re just not valuable to us.

Every dollar we don’t spend on things we don’t care about is a dollar we don’t have to earn. And every dollar we don’t have to earn is time we get back.

Travel Is Worth Spending Money On — Thoughtfully

Travel, on the other hand, is something we deeply value.

We think travel is important for our kids.
We think it’s important for our family connection.
We think it’s important for how we experience the world.

But even here, frugality matters.

We don’t need five-star hotels to feel comfortable.
We don’t always need a guide holding our hand every step of the way.
We don’t need luxury if what we really want is presence and authenticity.

Often, a simpler place to stay, a slower pace, and figuring things out ourselves leads to better experiences, not worse ones. And when those choices also cost less, that’s a double bonus.

One example of how this plays out in practice for us was our campervan trip through Europe, where we had to think carefully about whether that style of travel was actually frugal — not just inexpensive on paper.

Frugal Doesn’t Mean Less — It Means Aligned

When we decide whether to spend extra money on something while traveling, we ask ourselves a few questions:

  • Does this actually add value to our experience?
  • Does it reduce stress or increase it?
  • Is this something we’ll remember, or something we’ll forget?
  • Is it worth the extra work time it requires back home?

Sometimes the answer is yes — and we happily spend the money.

Sometimes the answer is no — and we let it go without guilt.

That’s what frugal means to us: spending intentionally, in a way that aligns with our values.

Why Frugality Gives Us More Freedom

Here’s the simple equation we keep coming back to:

If things cost more → we have to work more
If we work more → we have less time
If we have less time → we travel less and are together less

Frugality breaks that cycle.

By keeping our lives simpler and our spending intentional, we give ourselves more flexibility, more freedom, and more time to do what we actually care about.

Why This Matters for This Blog

When we talk about frugal travel here, we’re not talking about extreme budgeting or sacrificing joy.

We’re talking about:

  • Choosing authenticity over luxury
  • Spending where it matters and cutting where it doesn’t
  • Building a life that prioritizes family time over constant work
  • Making travel sustainable — financially and emotionally — over the long term

That’s the kind of frugal we believe in. And it’s the kind of travel we’re excited to share.