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Travel Lesson Learned: Saving a Dollar is Not Worth an Hour of Travel

Being a wise traveler means knowing when to pay an extra buck.

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I’ve turned a corner in my career as a traveler. I know that inconveniencing myself to save a dollar is meaningless. It’s not fun anymore. There are no longer bragging rights to be won. What I gain in saving a buck I lose in time trying to save it.

When I inquired about a way to get from Manila to Baguio the Victoria Liner bus service was immediately mentioned, and I found no reason to look for an alternative. For US$11.50 I could take the higher class service, have A/C and WIFI over the seven or eight hours from point A to B. That’s hardly a buck fifty per seat hour. Globally speaking, that’s a good deal, and travel experience has taught me that even if I could find a cheaper service it couldn’t be that much cheaper. Maybe I could save a dollar.

This is a lesson that took me many years on the road to learn: saving $1 is not worth an hour of travel. Pay the buck, sit back, and enjoy that hour you’re not spending being a miser.

Filed under: Budget Travel, Philippines, Travel Tips

About the Author:

I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 91 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. has written 3694 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

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VBJ is currently in: New York City

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