Well hello to you my reader chums! Travelling regularly on a budget is my thing; I've been doing it for years and tried to go away and see new places as much as possible. Yes, travel can be expensive, but it's still possible to travel regularly even if you're on a small budget - it just takes more planning and restrictions. 

If you want to travel more regularly and are unsure how to begin, here are my best tips on how to travel regularly. 

Go on shorter breaks away

Going on holiday doesn't mean you need to travel for two weeks or more. The beauty of living in the UK is the accessibility to nearby locations and how you can visit them for a few days, and still enjoy the wonder of travelling, seeing somewhere new and having a break from work. To travel more regularly, book shorter trips away. This could be a long weekend, between 3-4 nights rather than a week-long trip. You'll be surprised about how much you can do in 3/4 days when away, such as exploring a new city or having a new experience. Most of my trips, especially city breaks have been for that period, ensuring I can visit more places. 

Limit the luxuries

There's always that saying 'well I'm on holiday', but to travel more regularly you'll need to make sacrifices when away. For example, you can book cheaper accommodations, eat out less when away, choose local restaurants and avoid drinking alcohol as much as possible. I'm not saying you need to restrict the entire trip, but be smart with your money and how you spend it, whilst away and when you're booking the trip.

Use comparison websites for flights

I've spoken about comparison websites for years now, such as Skyscanner but honestly, they're a game changer when looking for various flights and airlines. Google Flights also does the same thing, comparing and can make it easy to find a flight that suits you. Comparison websites link you to different sites, including the airline itself, which I generally book from. Always clear your cookies when looking for flights as this can help reduce prices slightly.

Have a travel savings account     

If you want to travel regularly, you need to consider booking trips regularly and how you're going to do just that. A dedicated travel savings account will help you move money every month into that savings account and know all the money in there is going directly towards your trips. It's down to you and your monthly wage how much you put into it, however, I'd suggest at least £100 a month or more if you can so you can book trips in advance and save as much as possible. 

Prioritise travel over other luxuries    

After your bills and expenses every month, you're left with disposable income and what you do with it can change how often you can travel. We all have luxuries we like to spend disposable income on, such as going out for dinner, concerts, theatre shows or drinking with friends. However, prioritise and almost sacrifice some of these things and put your disposable income towards your travels. This will give you a dedicated amount of money to spend on travels and put in that savings account.  

 Sign up to travel deal websites

If you're travelling regularly, travel deals are gold dust. Sign up for many travel website newsletters, such as your favourite airlines, accommodations providers and package deal sites as you'll be the first to see their offers when they appear in your inbox. Ryan Air for example, always have cheap flight deals where you can save plenty of cash.

Pack lightly 

Luggage these days with airlines costs a lot of money, especially if you want to check in a bag. Pack as light as possible only bringing hand luggage if you can as it can save you a lot of money and make you realise that you won't need as much luggage as you think. 

Lower your expectations    

We all have massive expectations of holidays and travel, such as staying in aesthetically pleasing accommodations, eating at fancy restaurants and constantly having out-of-this-world experiences. However, the beauty of travel is roaming around new places for free, trying cheap street food and only using accommodation for rest as you're too busy exploring and having fun. Lower your expectations about how 'perfect' your trip should look and instead focus on how amazing it is that you're travelling in the first place.      

                                Travel off-peak                                        

This may sound obvious but when you travel off-peak, it's significantly cheaper to peak season. If you want to travel more regularly, choose the quieter and less popular periods because you'll save a lot of money, and you can travel more often.    

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. How often do you travel?  

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to you my reader chums! Folkestone is a gorgeous seaside town in Kent which in recent years has revolutionised and become a place for endless things to do, cute cafes, beautiful beach walks and regular art and musical events. As someone who loves Folkestone a lot, especially its independent cafe, restaurant and shopping scene, I wanted to share my personal experiences of how to spend the perfect day in the pebbly beach town.

If you're new to Folkestone or looking for fun and exciting things to fill your day, here's my guide on how to have the perfect day in Folkestone.     

Start your morning with a stroll along the Leas

The Leas is a gorgeous place to begin appreciating the wonders of Folkestone because it overlooks the entire coastline and makes for a lovely nature stroll. As the Leas is pretty long, stretching your legs, chatting, and appreciating the natural beauty around you is fab. The Leas is also home to the bandstand which often has live music and hosts many fun community events. If you come along on the weekend, especially in the summer, you can expect to see bands playing, food stalls, vendors and ice cream trucks.

                                 Have breakfast in the town or harbour                               

After a stroll, the next thing on your list is to enjoy a delicious breakfast. In Folkestone, you're almost spoiled for choice of incredible food places across the town and harbour. For a quick pastry, you can head to Harbour Coffee and Steep Street and for a more indulgent breakfast, try out Marley's for a quality fry-up and delicious pancakes, Sailbox, Mocka, Brew, and Yoke. You can also walk over to Sandgate and enjoy Swedish buns at Orchard Lane or a more filling breakfast at Loaf.

Wander along the Creative Quarter's independent shop scene

After breakfast wherever you choose, it's time to appreciate the wonderful independent shop scene in the Creative Quarter. This road includes vinyl shops, an Etsy store featuring all small business items, art shops, an organic food shop, a sewing shop and clothing stores. It's a hub for independent artists to shine and purchase gorgeous independent goods. Tontine Street is next to the Creative Quarter which features the Folkestone Bookshop.  

Play mini golf 

If you head towards the harbour, you'll find the mini golf along the beach which only costs £6 each. You can enjoy a game or two and appreciate the wonderful view of the surrounding beach views.

Grab a bite of lunch at the Goods Yards

You may have worked up an appetite when you've explored the town's shopping scene and played some golf. Head over to the Goods Yard which offers an array of food vendors, from pizzas, Greek food, fish and chips, and Bao buns to burgers and mac and cheese, there's plenty to choose from, suiting every person. The Goods Yard also features many places to grab coffee, soft drinks or alcoholic beverages. 

Spend a few hours relaxing on the beach

You can't visit Folkestone without spending some time on the beach. From the Goods Yard, make your way down to the beach where you can enjoy a stroll along it or if the weather is nice, sit and appreciate the views. The Folkestone coastline goes on forever, towards Mermaid Beach and Sandgate. You can experience a beach swim, sunbathe, read your book or even grab a drink at Mermaid's Cafe. If you've got children, you can walk up the steps to the Leas Cliff Coastal Park and let them loose to enjoy the endless slides and climbing frames. 

Experience dinner at a range of independent restaurants

In the evening, you have many restaurants in Folkestone for a splendid dinner, whether you love pub grub, pizza or Vietnamese cuisine. Some of my favourite restaurants include Marley's, El Cortator, Viet Street, Lubens, Burrito Buoy, Sotirios Bar & Restaurant, The Radnor Arms, Brewing Brothers, Annapurna and The Harbour Inn.

Enjoy the pub/bar scene 

Many of those restaurants, you can also enjoy a drink at too, such as Brewing Brothers and The Radnor Arms. Other fab pubs and bars include The Beer Shop, The Pullman, Cabron, The Pilor Beach Bar, and The Potting Shed. The Docker Bar and The Ship Inn in Sandgate are also brilliant additions.

Go to the Board Room for darts and shuffleboard

To end your night, head back to the Harbour Arm to the Board Room to continue your drinks and enjoy a round of darts or shuffleboard with your friends. You may even catch the sunset on the Arm!

I hope you enjoyed this guide. What would you add?

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to you my reader chums! Ever since I've implemented a morning routine, my days have changed for the better. I love feeling productive before I begin work, starting the day on a high, rather than rolling out of bed feeling tired and starting work straight away.

Whether you're a morning or evening person, a morning routine can benefit your mental health, productivity levels and mood for the day.

Decide on a time to wake up that suits you

Everyone wakes up at different times, whether you're a 6am person or like to start your day a little later. Having a time that you get up every morning will give you a regular routine of when you wake up and help you fit everything else into the routine. Likewise, it's good to have a similar time each night when you wind down, ensuring you have a solid amount of sleep each night.

Choose an activity to start your day

Starting an activity when you wake up, can help alert your mind and wake you up. For example, I love to read when I first get up as it helps me concentrate on a novel and still experience the cosy feel of bed. You can start your day with any activity, such as journalling to get your thoughts out for the day and write down your affirmations. This is a great way to start your day with a positive mindset. 

Do some form of exercise

After some quiet time with reading, I love to get my body moving. My type of exercise varies on my energy levels, ranging from pilates and yoga to dumbbell workouts, dance routines, and even a run. For me, it's important to listen to my body in the morning to choose the type of exercise I do.

Avoid going on your phone when you get up

It's so easy to grab your phone as soon as you wake up and scroll but I find this a slippery slope. The night before, put it on 'Do Not Disturb' and try to avoid changing that until you're finished with your activity and exercise. This can help you focus on your exercise and activity, instead of distracting you with notifications. 

Make delicious and wholesome breakfast

A delicious breakfast will kickstart your day in the right way and spending time making it is part of the nourishing process. I love to have yoghurt and granola with fruit and nuts most days, and sometimes smoothie bowls, pancakes or eggs.

Shower and get ready for the day

Finish a normal routine by showering, skincare and putting an outfit on that makes you feel fab for the day. Even though you're working remotely, it doesn't mean you have to live in joggers and baggy jumpers.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What would you add?

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to you my reader chums! I'm a self-confessed people pleaser and spend way too much of my existence trying to help and please other people, rather than focus on my own needs, wants and goals. However, as I've grown older, I've gotten better at putting my needs first, and prioritising myself and what I'm doing with my life.

If you're a people pleaser and trying to focus on yourself more, here are my 5 tips on how to put yourself first.

Boundaries are essential to protect your peace and your mental health and wellbeing. Setting boundaries can have anything to do with how people make you feel, removing yourself from certain situations, not overbooking your calendar or asking for more reciprocal energy from someone. Boundaries work differently for everyone and can be challenging to implement, depending on who you're asking to set a boundary with. Find the boundaries important to you and try to communicate them to your loved ones, either when a situation arises or to prevent future circumstances. 

Learn to say no

Saying no is having love and respect for yourself as it shows you're not doing something to please someone else, but following your own heart. Nothing is easy in life but people-pleasing and following paths that aren't right for you won't make you any happier. By saying no, you can move away from circumstances that don't align or serve you, helping you put yourself first instead of plastering on a fake smile.

Stop yourself from unnecessarily apologising

I have to admit I unnecessarily apologise all of the time and that's an effect of people pleasing that honestly, I hate. There's no need for it and I'm ever so slowly getting better at not apologising for unnecessary things, however, it's not easy. When you feel about to apologise, catch yourself and remind yourself you don't need to apologise at that moment.

Practice regular affirmations

Regular affirmations are a brilliant way to reassure yourself of how great you are, building your self-esteem which defeats low self-worth and can make you feel better about yourself overall. Affirmations can be practised as often as possible, whether that's every morning or every night.

Practice self-love and reassurance

In the same breath, practising self-love is another way to reaffirm your self-worth and hyping yourself up. By loving yourself and having more respect for yourself, it makes it easier to put yourself first - and prevent yourself people pleasing.

Understand that you're not a bad person for setting boundaries

Setting boundaries doesn't make you harsh or horrible, it means you have respect and love for yourself to set them in the first place. And, when doing that, other people will have more respect and love for you as they can see you're living a life authentic and right for you.

Always stay true to yourself

Your authentic self deserves to be seen and heard and by practising that true energy, you can live a more fulfilling life and beat the woes of people pleasing.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. What would you add?

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to you my reader chums! Being in a relationship is an incredible feeling and experience. I love being in love and how love makes me feel. There's nothing more wonderful than living and doing life with my best friend, knowing I have a safe space to be at home with every day, holiday with, and enjoy life's little moments.

With relationships, life changes positively, but it also means you have a lot less time to yourself than you did when you were single because you want to spend as much time as possible with your other half. However, alone time is always beneficial, especially when you have less time because it helps you pursue your own hobbies and interests and be with your own thoughts.

If you're in a new relationship and keen to prioritise more alone time, here are my tips on how you can have more alone time in a relationship.

Communicate what alone time looks like for you

Every person has different definitions of what alone time means to them, whether that's an hour in the morning or an afternoon. As we can all differ from introverts and extroverts, alone time may be needed more regularly for some than others. Communicate to your partner what alone time looks like for you and how you can map that out in your routine weekly and monthly. This can help you plan in advance and for your partner to understand your expectations and needs. 

Likewise, you'll also want to ask what alone time means for them, as they may have more or less of a need than you. Once you both know where you stand, it can help strengthen your relationship because you'll be helping each other grow individually and together. 

Have a 'you' morning/afternoon or day each week

Communicating how often alone time is needed is the first step to pursuing alone time in your relationship. You can decide which days are suitable for you. For example, if you're a morning person, you may want to go to an early pilates class, sit in a coffee shop and read or take a beach walk. Or, if you're an afternoon person, you could go for a run, do some shopping or an activity that makes your heart soar. Whatever the timing is right for you, book this regularly once a week and spend that alone time however you wish.

Pursue hobbies and interests that are yours

Everyone has hobbies and interests they love, whether it's going to a book club or dance class, cycling, knitting, painting, baking or playing guitar. Whatever your hobbies and interests are, don't give that up when you get into a relationship, in fact, it's more important now than ever to pursue these hobbies and to give yourself time to grow in your own skills and interests. 

Take regular solo walks

I love a walk, in fact, the most time I spend alone is when I'm walking around, whether that's to run errands, walk to coworking, or because I fancied a beach stroll. Regular solo walks allow you to be with your thoughts, reflect on any emotions and feelings you're experiencing and listen to things you like, such as podcasts, audiobooks or music.

Have some friendships separate 

In a relationship, you're bound to have friendships that overlap or make new friends together and that's amazing and something to be celebrated. However, not all of your friends need to be shared. You need to have time alone to spend with your own friends as it gives you that healthy space to develop platonic friendships with others - and enjoy the friendships you had before you were in the relationship. These friendships should still be a priority in your life.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What other tips do you have?

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to you my reader chum! Travel doesn't have to be expensive, as the world is massive and there are 195 countries to see and explore, you have your pick of budget locations. As I've spent all of my twenties so far travelling the world on a budget, I've experienced the cheapest and the most expensive places, where the majority sit in the middle and you can make them cheap.

If you're new to travelling in your twenties, here's my guide on affordable destinations worldwide you can visit.

European countries

I adore everything about Europe and love how many countries I've had the pleasure of experiencing and exploring. Europe has more to it than meets the eye with a diverse range of cultures, monuments, traditions and food to explore. From the UK, Europe is incredibly accessible with cheap flights to various destinations and most locations can cater to a small budget, if you plan effectively.

Krakow, Poland

Poland is the only country I've come home to with lots of money left over, I couldn't believe how cheap it was. Krakow is Poland's most known destination, making it easy for new travellers to explore with ease and find their way around. Krakow is a gorgeous city with a quaint old town, wholesome food experiences and plenty of sights, including the salt mines, Wawel Castle and Auschwitz. Krakow also features brilliant nightlife and cute places to shop, roam and admire.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest has gained a reputation as a cheap European destination and a very young appeal, great for travellers in their twenties. It's home to the famous Szechenyi thermal baths, one of the reasons you'll find many hen-dos here. Despite the electric nightlife, Budapest is more than a booze city with plenty of sights to see and activities to fill your days, such as Gellért Hill and Buda Castle. As a backpacker-friendly place, you can find cheap accommodation, free sights and affordable eats.

Sicily, Italy

I adore Sicily, I wish I had more time there to explore as it is so incredibly gorgeous in every way, from the friendly people to delicious cuisine and endless beaches. Located in southern Italy, Sicily is very affordable overall, but specifically Palermo for a city break. Palermio is a dreamy destination because it's packed with historic sights, amazing food markets and plenty to do on a budget. It's also nearby to other destinations, such as Mondello beach which costs 1-2 euros to arrive on the bus.

Porto, Portugal

Porto is an amazing alternative to Portugal's capital, Lisbon and in my opinion is a more exciting city, and slightly less touristy. I found Porto exceptionally cheaper than Lisbon with endless gorgeous sights to keep you busy, such as Clerigos Tower, Porto Cathedral, Riberia and the Gardens of Crystal Palace. 

Bologna, Italy

I adore everywhere in Italy I've visited and had to mention another city and a favourite of mine, Bologna. As my favourite city up north, Bologna isn't as touristy as many other popular cities and has a more authentic Italian appeal. The food here is insanely delicious, from the classic ragu, tortellini, cured meats, and lasagne to gelato. Honestly, you can just eat around the city and enjoy some of the main sights, such as Piazza Maggiore, Torre Degli Asinelli and the San Luca sanctuary.

Asian countries 

Sri Lanka

I could rave about Sri Lanka all day long, the country is everything to me and one I have many amazing memories of. As I backpacked through for two weeks I fell in love with the nature, the people, the new cuisine and the endless sights. It offered me a diverse range of experiences, from an elephant safari,  UNESCO World Heritage sites, hiking opportunities and beautiful temples. Favoruite budget spots include Dambulla, Anuradhapura and Kandy. 

Vietnam

Vietnam will always be one of my favourite countries for many reasons, there's something about it that makes my heart soar. And for budget travellers, Vietnam is gold dust. The food, experiences and accommodations are exceptionally cheap, even though it's such a popular destination with backpackers. Vietnam is incredibly diverse, from the mountainous landscape, amazing food markets, beautiful pagodas, wild traffic and nature scene. Some of the best spots to visit include Hanoi, Hue, Cat Ba Island, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An.

Indonesia

Indonesia is more than only Bali and as much as I adore Bali, it's not the cheapest spot to visit in Indonesia but in many ways is worth it (and can still be done cheaply). Indonesia also includes the  Gili Islands, Komodo Island (although a tour here is on the pricier side), Malang and Yogyakarta. In Yogyakarta, you can visit some out-of-this-world temples and Malang does tours to Mount Bromo, an experience like no other.

Malaysia 

Malaysia is a country that surprised me in many ways, including its diverse culture and how cheap it was. I expected Malaysia to be more expensive as it's rather modern, compared to other south-east Asian countries. Some incredible locations include the Cameron Highlands (the best hiking experiences), Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Where would you like to visit next?

Thank you for reading <3