“I’d love to travel, but I just can’t afford it.” If I had a donkey for every time I’ve heard this, I’d be a world-famous donkey farmer. I get it; travel can be really expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.

I recently returned from a month and a half long trip to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Why? Because I wanted to. There were a few tricks I picked up along the way to spend less and enjoy more.

There are three things that make the costs of travel rack up.

1. Transportation
2. Lodging
3. Meals

For big shoppers, I’ll include souvenirs, but not buying those is worthy of its own article. For now, I’ll simply advise to think minimalistically.

As for the bigger beasts, here are a few tricks I picked up along the way:

Worldpackers

For one month, I lived on a secluded island in Malaysia with a few other travelers and locals. We spent our days doing coral propagation, keeping the nature center running and hanging out on the beach. All of my meals, dive equipment and lodging were provided.

All I had to do was a few hours of volunteer work every day, as well as with this particular trip, pay an additional fee of $15 a day. A hotel room is usually worth at least twice that.

This was perfect for me, and presumably many of you, because I wasn’t just sitting in a resort, I was learning new skills, meeting new people and having epic adventures I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

There were a few unanticipated costs traveling to and from the island that I wasn’t aware of beforehand. Be careful of this and plan it into your budget. Be sure to ask hosts about these costs before traveling.

Google Flights

There are so many places you can look at for cheap flights, but the one I used was Google Flights.

I tend to be flexible and spontaneous with my trips, so if you aren’t tied to a specific location or time, this allows you to find the cheapest times and places to travel, drastically dropping the overall costs of the trip.

Grocery stores and local markets

There are definitely must-try restaurants or foods in every place you go. Enjoy them! However, like at home, it’s a lot cheaper to get food from local markets or grocery stores and eat out less.

Plus, eating foreign foods too much for too long often makes you sick, and you’ll miss the foods you’re familiar with. After a couple of weeks in Malaysia, all I wanted was a salad and a good burger. So eating this way can help your stomach, soul and bank account.

Just do it

At the end of the day, I can give you all the advice and resources in the world. None of it matters, though, if you’re not willing to make it happen.

Despite these cheap tricks, the reality is that in order to get to Thailand, I had to work four jobs. I worked from 9 a.m.—3 a.m. for several weeks. I had to sacrifice social activities and sports that I loved. It was worth it because it was something I had dreamed of for so long.

Allow me to be cheesy and share one of my favorite quotes from my all-time favorite TV show (the live-action One Piece): “If the path to what you want seems too easy, then you’re on the wrong path.”

If it’s something you really want to do, something that lights up your soul, you can make it happen.