Conferencing on a tight budget

The lovely botanical garden next to the harbour in Sydney which does not charge an entrance fee.

Today I want to share with you a few more tips for conferencing on a tight budget as this is always the case when we travel – there is no extra money. So, over the years we discovered a few things that make it easier to enjoy as much as possible without having to spend too much money.

One of the most important things that saves me money and also add wonderful experiences to our travelling is to shop where the locals shop. Local supermarkets provide a great variety of local foods at a fraction of the price that you have to pay for hotel food. We normally book bed and breakfast and rely on our own supply of food from home (rusks, cookies, dried fruit and nuts if the country allows these in; cup-a-soup and instant noodles), and small purchases at supermarkets if needed to get us through the day. Often the conference organisers provide lunch and tea so we do not need much more.

Supermarkets usually also stock local speciality products at a much lower price than the airport shops and the souvenir shop. Recently, in Canada, the supermarket around the corner from the hotel sold exactly the same little bottles of maple syrup as the souvenir shop at a lower price. In Mauritius the supermarket provided a large variety of souvenirs and, to our amusement and shock, also magic mushrooms! No, we did not buy the mushrooms, only a beautiful seashell.

Another great way to keep money in your pocket and still enjoy authentic experiences while travelling is to do research before you travel and to note all the things you can do and places you can visit for free. Most travel web sites list these activities and it often includes unexpected delights such as the free rides on the white and red boats in Brisbane which my husband calls 'floating coke-bottles'. We enjoyed riding on these boats daily during our stay there to explore the city and to enjoy the view from the river – for free.