I've always known I can stretch my wallet, but I was put to the test, when I decided to go to Chicago, with no more then 200 dollars in my wallet and four days to explore the city. I had to have money for food, accommodation, sight seeing, transport and with only 200 dollars to divide through three nights and four days. With so much to see and so much to do, I had to really think about what and how I would spend my money.
So to save I decided to surf, what? Couch surfing, I joined a community of backpakers and money savvy travellers; I decide to find my self a host family that would lend me their couch for the weekend. I ended up finding a home 45 minutes away from Chicago, an amazing family, that decide to put me up, of cause, it was not what I expected, a little messy, ok maybe a lot messy, but the family had the most amazing souls. With that, I had a new family, only for the weekend, airbed, pillow and a black cat for a roommate.
Luckily the trip was on the weekend, so that meant I could travel as many times back and forth from Chicago to Elgin where I stayed on one ticket, more money saved! I gave myself a meal budget, three times a day and not more than 20 dollars spend on food a day. But then I had friends who had travelled up to Chicago who decided we'll all go out for lunch and see the city together, great idea bad for budget, but those were the best two days of the trip, we hired bikes and cycled around the city, like a gang, with people looking and taking pictures, 8 bikes following each other, trying to see the city, I felt so cool, I had not ridden a bike in so many years, but you know what they say, you never forget how to ride, well that was lie for the first few time I tried getting on it, but then, it felt like I had been riding for forever.
Going around Chicago with the gang was fun, but not great for my small, vanishing budget, so I had to call up another friend from Chicago, who was going to show me the city and have fun for FREE. That sounded great, grabbed a small on the go breakfast for five dollar and I was on my way, we walked around the city; I have never walked that much in my life, but it was fun and I got time to take in the city more, going to the arts museum, a free place and fields park.
And by the end of my four days, I had just enough money to get me back to Kentucky and get a cab back to my room. Who said travelling had to be expensive, just fun.
