I’ve found over the years that I can have just as much fun traveling cheaply as if I were staying in a ritzy hotel. Tiny guesthouses have amusing owners and funny pets. Cab drivers show me hidden places I’d never find if I rented a car. Local restaurants are full of locals, not other tourists.
But there are certain things I’m willing to spend money on when I travel, and here they are.
1. An airport pickup: When I arrive in a foreign city, jet-lagged and exhausted, I do not want to negotiate the inevitable chaos of would-be porters, shouting taxi drivers and touts to figure out how to get to my destination.
10 things worth buying on a frugal trip
