Traveling abroad is a beautiful luxury that not everyone is able to afford. We're told that there is nothing better than hopping on a plane, a train, a boat, or in a car and just...going. But how can we do that when traveling is getting significantly more expensive? The idea sounds good, but it's not very realistic when of us are in debt or working our arses off to live a simple life. But what if I told you that you don't have to be rich to travel? What if I told you that all you need is to be strategic? It's okay if you don't believe me -- see it yourself. I am going to share with you all five ways to travel on a limited budget, whether that's abroad or domestically.

1. Staycation

One of the biggest ways to experience travel while saving money is to participate in a staycation. What is a staycation? It's when you stay local while vacationing. This could mean traveling to a metro-city for the weekend or renting an Airbnb for the weekend. These types of trips can encourage you to really get to know where you live. After all, how many of you can say that you have experienced what tourists come to town for? We get a bit lazy and take our cities for granted. Let's change that by treating out hometowns or metro-cities like you would if you were to fly half-way across the world.

This option is particularly convenient for college students. I know that we all want to go far, but realistically, our schedules don't allow for that. Now, you can travel an hour or so away, relax like you're in Bali or ski like you're on the Alps, and make it back to campus in enough time for your 8 am class on Monday.

2. Join a Student Travel Organization

I wish I would have known about this nifty tip when I first studied abroad. Joining student travel sites provides you with discounts and savings that can make an unaffordable trip become...well, affordable! This time around, I am a member of STA Travel, which is awesome for getting huge discounts on adventures, travel methods, lodging, and even little things like food (or big, if you're a foodie like me!) With this, I also got the ISIC (International Student Identity Card) through MYSTA, which also provides discounts. Their new app allows you to browse by location, and you can see all the potential savings. Note that this card is only available for full-time students.

3. Travel Solo

Solo travel is a pretty popular option that young women are taking advantage of nowadays. If you want your adventures to stay budget-friendly, going away by yourself is a great choice. You can focus on what activities you want to do, and not feel FOMO or like you're being judged by your companion for skipping out on other, costly options. When it is just you, you don't have as much pressure to partake in things that might bankrupt you. And if you are still feeling unsure about whether traveling alone is for you (whether it's because of potential dangers or simply because you like having company too much), there are plenty of websites that cater to solo travelers. You can meet up with others whenever you want, but don't have to worry about not being able to do your own thing if you want.

4. I'm Feeling Lucky with Google Flights

Google Flights offers a pretty sweet opportunity for those who want to travel with a budget. I'm not sure how often it is used, but it can definitely allow you to travel cheaply. How sway? You go to their website, set a maximum price that you are willing to pay, and the app will gather all affordable flights for you. You can also filter your flights even more by interests (e.g. shopping, architecture, or nightlife), airlines (because Delta is my go-to), times (red eyes tend to be cheaper), stops (you can save some bucks with layovers), and the flight length. This is a very comprehensive app that works for you and your budget.

P.S. Make sure that when it comes time to select dates, change it from 'specific' to 'flexible'; you will still have the option to choose which month you'd like to travel in, but the less locked down on dates you are, the more likely you can catch a good travel deal! (Google Flights will also let you choose whether you want a weekend trip, weeklong trip, or two-week trip, even with flexible dates!)

I have always found it funny how college students talk about being broke so much, yet it seems like they're the main ones traveling for spring break. Before I became a college student, I thought that this was impossible, and these people who were complaining were lying about something. Were they even really broke? Or did they photoshop themselves somewhere? Because how are you traveling - and why are you spending all the money that you have - if you are so broke? But now that I am a college student, I see the truth. You CAN travel abroad (or around the country) with limited funding. It's all about working the system and finding the best programs/funding opportunities for you!

1. Study Abroad with Your College (Short, Semester, or Year)

This option is the most expensive on this list, but it's probably much cheaper than you going abroad by yourself! When you decide to study abroad with your college, you open yourself up to many grants and scholarships that can help fund your trip. Keep in mind the type of program you choose, however, as some have strict itineraries, whereas others are free-as-you-please. 

2. National Student Exchange

I will be participating in NSE next Spring semester (2018). You'll be able to catch me in the US Virgin Islands, St. Thomas! (Fun, right?) The aspect that I love most about the National Student Exchange is how you can either pay your regular school tuition and room + board, or your host college's tuition and room + board. In my case, I will be paying the USVI, which works out perfectly because it's a bit cheaper than Iowa State. 

3. Spring Break Programs

Going abroad (or, in general) during Spring Break may seem like it'd be completely unaffordable; however, that's not true. If you choose a program (either through your school or a completely separate trip), you will receive some type of discount compared to doing it alone due to it's all-inclusivity. Student City is a great place to check out future trips and prices.

4. Go With Friends + Split Everything

When I went to Chicago for a weekend, my friends and I split literally everything: hotel costs, gas, food, drinks, etc. This helped everyone financially; at the end, I spent less than $100 dollars for an entire weekend in Chicago. If you are going abroad, however, the only separate price that you would have to foot would be airfare. 

Traveling is an experience all of itself. There is aplenty of sights to see, food to taste, and people to meet. However, what you cannot bank on without open arms and an open mind is experience. Experience comes from the nitty-gritty, unexpected moments and lessons that one can get from traveling. One of my favorite ways to garner a bit of experience is to stay in a hostel. For those of you who are unaware, a hostel is a cheap place (similar to a hotel) that allows you to stay and share a room with other [same-gendered] people for a night or however long you plan to stay. It is a pretty cool way to meet people from all over the world.

One of my favorite hostels that I have ever stayed in was in Frankfurt, Germany. Of course, I am a bit biased because of the people that I spent time with there, and it was also the last place I stayed at in Germany; however, it was great! They had an enlarged map with pins in each place that someone came from. It was cool to see where past or present guests of the hostel came from. The common area stayed open until about 2 AM. The architecture was pretty awesome! And they had free WiFi and computers (!), which was important for me to contact people because I had no data plan in Germany at that time. Aside from those things, I cannot really speak as to how sleeping overnight went because I never went to sleep that one night we stayed there; a couple of new friends and I stayed up, drank, and talked the whole night until we had to go to the airport. Great memories, guys.

Anyways, considering the fact that I may not have already convinced you to stay in a hostel by now, here are just a couple of reasons why you should:

1. All of the Peeps

2. You Save Loot

3. Live More Like a Native

4. Best Way to Stay Connected & Unconnected

5. Food