How to Visit California on a Budget

A few months back in August I found out that one of my favorite artists, Eric Clapton, would be playing his very last concert at The Forum in LA. Due to me living in Austin TX, airfare and hotel stays would have been outrageous if I were to fly out and stay in a hotel just for the concert. So we had to do some real research on the best way to make my concert, while still getting the full California experience and staying within my budget...

Here's how I did it.

1. Make the most of your expenses.

Rather than booking a flight and a hotel room to stay in one of the most expensive cities in the country, which would've cost me upwards of $1,400, We decided to drive, and to not actually stay anywhere near the concert venue on the night of the show. Due to the amount of money the cost of gas versus airfare saved us, we were able to factor in an entire three week road-trip down the coastline of California all the way to LA, then drive straight back through AZ and NM to our home state.

2. Stay in small towns versus large cities.

Since we drove all the way up through Colorado and Oregon to get to the furthermost northern part of California, we had to do a lot of research on finding the smallest affordable cities to stay in, and what activities there were to do in each city.

First stop, Manitou Springs CO: Manitou Springs is a great place to stay if you want to experience what a small town in Colorado has to offer; ranging from mountain hikes to 'mom and pop' coffee shops and diners, it was exactly what I was looking for.

Next stop, Crescent City CA: This was one of my favorite towns I have visited in my life. Just 20 minutes from the Oregon state line and right on the coast. The views were breath taking, and the weather was incredible even in mid September. Now this was the true definition of a small mountain town. Crescent City isn't quite redwood territory, so we didn't do a whole lot of hiking there since I was saving all of my energy for those giant 3,000 year old forests. I did, however, spend a fair share of my time "hiking" up the massive tree covered boulders by the coast line, and stopping at as many local shops and grocery stores as possible.

Trinidad CA: Trinidad and Arcata were the next and I wanna say the last small cities I stayed in. Granted, these are larger cities than the first two stops, but still much smaller than Austin and LA.

Trinidad was mind-blowing to say the least; gorgeous coastline views, mountain hiking trails everywhere, AND this is where the Redwood forests begin... so you could say I had my stay there pretty much planned out for me. I didn't spend much time looking for shops or diners that would change my life, since I was spending so much time hiking and sitting at the beach. I had booked an airbnb in Trinidad for a beachfront home with a full accessible kitchen, and there was a nice local grocery store near by so I made home-cooked meals for my entire stay.

Arcata was definitely more of an old school Austin feel, which was super cool in my opinion. I love my hometown, so whenever I visit a place with a similar vibe and similar locals, I just feel at home; which was nice after being away from home for so long. There were strips of shops and local diners everywhere, but you could still find large chain restaurants and fast food if you looked for it. All in all Arcata was a super cool hippie town with a more city-like feel than the others I visited.

3. Avoid Hotels and fancy restaurants.

Probably the most important tip when it comes to travelling on a budget. Although it can be nice to splurge a little on a nice hotel room or a fancy dinner at the cities nicest restaurant, it is not necessary unless you plan on budgeting separately for those expenses.

With today's technology and apps like airbnb, it's almost not necessary to book a hotel at all. The entire trip I think I stayed in two hotels (lets be honest here, motels), and that was only in cities that were just quite frankly not populated enough to host airbnb stays. Now, for the rest of the three week long roadtrip, airbnb was my life saver. Each room I booked cost me roughly $40-$60, and the majority of the hosts would offer me discounted rates for me booking the room for longer than two nights.

Mom and pop coffee shops and diners are one of my go to things to research before any vacation. Partially because I love the food more than that of chain restaurants most of the time, but also due to major price differences. Avoiding large chains and sticking to "buying/eating local" is one of the easiest ways to stay within your budget on road-trips.

4. Pack lightly.

Another easy to accomplish tip of mine is simply to PACK LIGHTLY. Only pack your essentials. Long road-trips usually mean lots of car time... so bring your favorite comfy outfit for the time spent driving/riding in the car, and then from there bring basics and a few statement pieces you will be able to mix and match your wardrobe with. I remember really only packing two nice outfits, and the rest were all hiking clothing and comfortable car ride clothes.

One thing I like to do when it comes to packing lightly, is to only bring one bag and fill it as full as possible with necessities. This serves two purposes; I won't be upset for leaving anything I really needed at home due to just leaving too much extra space in my bag, and I won't have any room to shove souvenirs or new clothes in my bag for the trip home. There is nothing wrong with picking up small souvenirs for friends and family but it can become pricey very quickly, so I like to just avoid that completely as much as possible. It is very easy to go on shopping extravaganzas while on vacation, but if you're working with a budget, it is best to keep it to a minimum.

5. Research free local events going on.

If you want to make the most of your time and money while staying in a new city, do some research and find free or affordable local events to attend while you are in the area! This is one of my favorite things to do because first off, it's cheap; and secondly, it's an easy way to get the full experience of what it's like to live in the city you are visiting and meet more local people. I think it was in Colorado that I found this huge free classic muscle car show and art festival all in the same park, and it was a great experience. I got to meet so many wonderful people and look at some amazing artwork.

Road-tripping on a budget is really not impossible or even difficult. As long as you are willing to put the time and effort into doing some serious planning and research, it could be one of the best experiences of your life.