I'm not exaggerating when I say that if you follow the strategies I share in the 36 articles that comprise "100 Dollars A Day" you could save thousands in travel.
Think of this as a self-paced course in budget travel — 36 deep dives that will change how you plan, spend and move through the world. In 5-6 hours, you'll learn how to make smarter decisions and stretch your budget, without sacrificing the experiences that actually matter to you.
I cover every travel topic: credit cards, flights, transportation, accommodation, and more. I share from my actual experience of being able to use this system to travel across four continents for only $100 a day, while still experiencing:
- safaris, including witnessing The Great Migration and trekking to see wild mountain gorillas
- hot air balloon ride over the African savannah
- multi-day hikes, such as Kilimanjaro
- touring around Namibia and seeing the Sossusvlei Dunes
- exploring various regions of Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Byron Bay, and Tasmania
- sailing the fiords in New Zealand
If you’ve ever felt like long-term travel is only for people with trust funds, remote tech jobs, or influencer income, this will prove to you that you can do it too.
Now, you can buy lifetime access to the entire archive for a one-time payment of $100 here.
Preview the full archive – and read some of the free posts – below.
The trip of a lifetime is one step away.
Join our community of Travelers and you'll be booking your budget-friendly journey around the world in no time.
UpgradeMost travel blogs make money through affiliate links — which means the recommendations are often shaped by what’s easiest to sell.
After traveling long term, I found that there were a lot of recommendations online that I don't actually think are good ones.
So what I did was tied my income to helping you, instead of pretending to help you while actually trying to sell you something that might not be right for you.
Every piece of advice in 100 Dollars A Day comes from real-world experience: what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d actually do again if I were starting from scratch.
Most importantly: I teach you how to think about each purchase (like travel insurance) so that you're equipped to make the best decision for you.
Packing Lists & Gear
Clara Ritger
Two packing lists I swear by, for backpackers and suitcase travelers. This post is free.
Clara Ritger
The actual gear I used, no affiliate links, so you can trust the recommendations.
Clara Ritger
A VPN discount code and an analysis of why a VPN is essential for any traveler.
Money
Clara Ritger
Follow these general rules of thumb for how to handle money when traveling abroad, and you won't get caught overspending.
Clara Ritger
Managing money while traveling can cost you more than it has to. Here's how I get around paying unnecessary fees while abroad.
Credit Cards
Clara Ritger
The number of flights I haven't paid for is shocking. Here's how you can get free flights too.
Clara Ritger
As premium travel credit cards continue to raise their annual fees, here's a road-tested analysis of what's worth it, and where you're spending more than you're getting back in value.
Clara Ritger
I honestly feel like I have an endless well of points from following these strategies.
Clara Ritger
I used to hoard my points until I realized that they're losing value every day. Here's how to balance saving and spending so that you make the most of them.
Cell Service & Data
Clara Ritger
With the rise of "travel pass" at $10/day, I think it's important that you know you have significantly cheaper options. If you follow the advice I give in this article alone, you'll have received back in value the cost of buying access to 100 Dollars A Day.
Clara Ritger
There's beauty in disconnecting from the digital world to connect to the real one. Here's my thoughts on when and how to choose when to go without cell service.
Long-Term Travel
Clara Ritger
Whether you're taking an adult gap year, or planning long-term travel, here's a step-by-step process to get life at home tidied up before you go. This post is free.
Clara Ritger
Once I was abroad, I realized there were a few things I could have done at home to make life easier while traveling long-term.
Health & Travel Insurance
Clara Ritger
Most travel blogs have a favorite affiliate link they want you to use for travel insurance. Instead I break down how to shop, and what to know to make the decision that's right for you.
Clara Ritger
There's a lot of different expat health insurance that will cover you in any country around the world. But there's also a lot of spending caps, waiting periods and exclusions. I break down each provider and give an honest analysis of why I chose the insurer I did, and who I'm hoping to switch to in the future.
Budgeting
Clara Ritger
Anyone can travel long-term if you get creative. I outline every strategy that I either used or heard of other people using to make the travel life work.
Clara Ritger
This is a really fun, interactive quiz that will help you understand what you value while vacationing, so that you can spend smarter.
Clara Ritger
My capstone piece on the series, a reframe about the value of budget travel beyond the obvious: saving money.
Flying
Clara Ritger
With a little bit of work, you can save hundreds on your next flight — domestic or international.
Clara Ritger
Everything is bigger in the U.S. 😭 Don't make the mistakes I did and pay extra to meet stricter weight requirements abroad.
Clara Ritger
I'll save you the click and paywall and say no. But I also think it's worth reading the analysis why, so that you understand exactly what the flight deal alerts are doing and whether paying for a subscription to that is valuable to you.
Clara Ritger
Optimizing for the cheapest flight ticket might mean making some sacrifices that wind up bloating your total spend. Here's what to watch out for so that you make the smartest decision.
Transportation & Rental Cars
Clara Ritger
I've rented cars on five continents. I know a thing or two about what you need to know before driving in a new country.
Clara Ritger
When traveling, you can rent a car, take a flight, use public transportation, hire a driver. So which one is the right balance of price and ease? Here's my breakdown after traveling 35+ countries.
Accommodation
Clara Ritger
Learn how I live in new places for weeks at a time for free, and get a discount code to sign up for your own Trusted House Sitters account.
Clara Ritger
The top part of this is free, because it's a companion to my Solo Retreat Guide resource. Volunteering in exchange for free accommodation is a rewarding experience — for you and your wallet.
Clara Ritger
If you're willing to embrace the discomfort of uncertainty, there's real savings to be had by booking accommodation while you travel. But there's times where it's better to book ahead, and in this article I break down how to play it safe while leaving room to score savings.
Clara Ritger
God bless the countries that allow you to pitch your tent for the night in nature without paying for it. Here's what you need to know about freedom camping.
Clara Ritger
Am I the biggest fan of hostels? No. Are hostels a useful tool as a solo traveler? Yes. And that's why I made a survival guide for the 30+ crowd.
Tours
Clara Ritger
I break down how to know whether you need to book a tour or whether you can go it alone.
Clara Ritger
There's always that one person on the tour who everyone side eyes. Follow this tour group etiquette, and don't be that person.
Itinerary & Planning
Clara Ritger
The influencer (me) will tell you to do the sunrise hot air balloon (guilty). But following every recommendation might break your budget. So here's how you can build a financially savvy itinerary that feels like ease, not stress.
Clara Ritger
I'm a big fan of both planning my trips and winging it. I think each serves its purpose, and balancing both is a travel art form.
Clara Ritger
I put on my investigative journalist hat to figure out why so many itineraries on the internet look the same. The ethics of what I learned made me question the entire industry of travel blogging, and subsequently has changed the way I plan travel. Informed consumers need to know what I uncovered in this article.
Clara Ritger
The itinerary for Bali that you won't find anywhere else on the internet.
FAQs
Clara Ritger
This post is free for everyone to read. If you have more FAQs, reach out, I'm happy to add to the post. 🫶
