Sample Student Feature Story

Alex Ceravolo, a senior at Rutger’s University, has managed to travel all around the world, despite being on a tight budget.

This past year, Alex has traveled to Iceland, Thailand, Mexico, California, and across many States in the U.S. on a cross-country road trip.

She shares insight on apps, websites, strategies, and best kept secrets that she uses personally in order to have the opportunity to travel, despite being a full-time student and a part-time employee.

Alex is fond of the childhood memories that she has of driving to nearby getaways on the East Coast with her family; however, she used to dream of having the opportunity to take a plane to an exotic, international destination.

Alex’s first leap of faith was not internationally bound, but it was bold nonetheless. At the budding age of 18, she bought a ticket to the Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well 50th Anniversary Concert, and she arrived with only her ticket, a small bag, and $13.72 in her bank account.

Luckily, when she arrived on Lot, Alex found vendors who were willing to have her work for them before each of the three shows that were being played that July 4th weekend.

“My experience with traveling initially began with the music scenes that I was listening to because I found that through networking, I was able to find various vendors that would employ me,” Alex stated, “And those opportunities were my stepping stones.”

Four years later, Alex has come a long way since her trip to Chicago.

She no longer solely relies on the music scene as her means for traveling.

“I save 50-75% of every paycheck I get, which I receive every two weeks. Cooking at home rather than ordering take out is an easy start to increasing your savings each week.”

However, Ceravolo doesn’t afford travel by simply increasing her savings. She also uses a variety of apps, such as GroupOn, to find discounted trips and flights.

Vacations don’t have to put a hole in your pocket. Yesterday I received an email from Scott’s Cheap Flights alerting me that there were round-trip plane tickets to Paris from New York City available for only $260! That is usually a $900 flight.

Current events around the world also have a significant impact on travel plans.

Alex takes the time to read World News each week because a nation’s economic, political, and social issues significantly influence the cost of flights, attractions, and general tourism in that destination or specified area of interest.

When a nation’s economy is doing poorly, the government will often subsidize airports and drastically lower the prices of flights in order to stimulate tourism, and ultimately boost the economy.

Traveling to a nation that offers these travel discounts is a great opportunity to experience another culture, spend a minimal amount of money, and contribute to the community’s economy by supporting local businesses.

She went on to add, “most flights overbook in order to save money in case people miss their flight, and if you volunteer to take a delayed flight, they will often credit you with points to fly somewhere else for free.”

In the midst of taking a flight to California back in early 2017, Alex volunteered to take a later flight when her plane was overbooked, and she was credited an $800 flight to Cabo, Mexico, which she found the time to use during her Spring Break from school later that year.

“Traveling on a tight budget is not for everybody,” Alex stated.

“It takes vigilance because you have to be hyper aware of the opportunities available, and enjoy living frugally, as well as be willing to lose a little sleep some nights. I am a full-time student, doing an unpaid internship, while also working 30 hours a week…”

Some people prefer a simple life, but this is what works for me

Many of Alex’s closest friends are people that she met in her travels. We met each other at a show in Scranton back in 2015, and then traveled together in Northern California in 2016.

I’ve stayed with friends who I have only met for an hour, and Hell, I’ve stayed with friends of friends, who allowed me to crash on their couch, even though we have never personally met.

“There are also services and websites, like GoCambio, that connect people from around the world who are interested in offering services, such as teaching conversational English or nannying, in exchange for a home stay with a host family.”

When she was unable to find a couch to crash on, Alex has accommodated her trips by staying in camper vans, tents, hostels, and AirBnB’s, which are all much cheaper than staying in a hotel.

“Regardless of what accommodations a person plans to use, it is always smart to bring another person along, if possible. This tends to cut accommodation costs in half because you can split it with your travel partner.”

Largely, Alex and I reconnected back in 2016 because we both needed partners in order to make our way to California without going broke in the process.

Our trip included four others, all of whom still travel, and are currently spread out all over the country.

Anthony Miuccio, photographed above, is also a frequent traveler on a very tight budget; however, his methods of cheap travel usually involve finding free and remote destinations around the United States in his camper van.

Anthony bought his home on wheels back in 2015 after taking a trip to California in his friend’s van.

Once he arrived in Los Angeles, he rented his own ride for the next couple of weeks and traveled along the coast with fellow van lifers.

When he got back to the East Coast about a month later, he surfed the internet until he found Blue Beauty on Craigslist.

Accommodation is much cheaper when you are traveling in a van because there are many options that are free of cost.

Anthony explained, “I’ve spent many nights on Public Lands, and in Walmart and casino parking lots because they are all free of charge, and it is legal for people to park and sleep there, too.”

These days, Miuccio is interested in traveling to remote areas, particularly in the United States.

He explained, “I travel to escape the city most of the time. I’ll usually only spend a couple of days in a major city, and then I’ll spend a majority of my time away from society.”

Traveling is relevant to the individual who is traveling. Personally, I spend enough time in the city, I work in the city, and for me, travel is often my escape from society.

Similar to Alex, Anthony does not stop at searching for free accommodation when it comes to saving money.

He also makes updates to his van throughout the year in order to make his travels easier, and therefore cheaper.

Some updates and additions that he was able to make over the last year and a half were solar panels, outlets, and a water pump.

“I slowly added each of these updates over time, and they have increased my ability to go as remote as possible and still be able to depend on myself,” Miuccio explained.

“If I am en route to a new destination, I can pull over and find something in the fridge to cook on my propane grill instead of buying fast food or eating an entire bag of chips for dinner. This saves a lot of money.”

Since Anthony does not need an electric hookup in order to have access to a freezer, heater, water, or outlets, he can solely rely on himself no matter where he is located.

When the weather is poor, Miuccio will opt for showering at truck stops or campgrounds for a standard five dollar fee, rather than using the water pump that extends from his trunk.

Occasionally, he’ll even stop for a drink somewhere if a particular town peaks his interest or he knows he can remain parked where he is for the night without any trouble.

Anthony has found that getting to know the locals is enriching if one is able to follow their instincts and common sense, and avoid dangerous or uncomfortable situations.

Sometimes being social can lead to cool opportunities. It is an easy way to learn about an area and how to live like a local.

“That was my experience when I stayed in a small town in Kanab, Utah, which was on the boarder of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona,” Miuccio explained.

“People were really friendly and proud out there, and a group of guys that I met at a bar took me on a long, 2-day hike during my stay to see a sacred and historical Indian ruin on the Reservation. The entire experience was surreal,” Anthony reflected.

The ruins were way off the beaten path…and what was so special about them was that they couldn’t be found by doing a search on Google. I just ran into the right people at the right time. It is always beneficial to befriend a local.

Miuccio related further, “And the best part is that I don’t think I spent more than $80 that entire week! I spend more money than that when I am living my day to day life in New York.”

Travel is a privilege, but it doesn’t have to be a luxury.

Alex Ceravolo and Anthony Miuccio are both living, breathing examples of how it is possible to travel the world, despite living on a tight budget.

By constituting travel as a major aspect of both Anthony and Alex’s lives, they have developed each of their own personalized systems, which allow them to explore the world affordably.

Both travelers use a variety of coupon apps, discount websites, and email subscriptions, in addition to personal savings and entrepreneurial techniques, in order to fund their frequent excursions; and ultimately, Alex and Anthony have managed to find methods that allow them to adventure the world, while still working toward getting a degree and having a steady job.