My traveling has slacked significantly since I moved to NYC. Along with having a terminal lack of freed up funds, it’s infinitely hard to find time off here. As if the expected 50 - 60 hour work weeks aren’t enough of a deterrent, bosses tend to often times try to dictate when you are allowed to take time off. I guess indenturing yourself to them forty-seven weeks out of the year isn’t enough.

But once you find that coveted time slot and decide on a place to visit, you’re faced with the next dilemma: how do you plan a memorable and interesting vacation without financially strapping yourself for the next six months? Here are a few ways that I have started planning trips that provide more than the crappy Holiday Inn hotel room and stale continental breakfast.