Is Your Grocery Problem Wrecking Your Travel Budget?
Published 16 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, ✉️ Monday Momentum #29
Heya Fit Travel Tribe, This week’s theme came to me while standing in a grocery store, staring at a giant head of cabbage.
Because here’s the truth about “budget travel advice” no one talks about:
😖 Buy big… only if you stay still 😖
Whether we are slow traveling or city hopping, we all have different styles and paces. And we have to eat every day!
So...
QUESTION: Is it worth buying food in bulk to save money if it doesn't fit your travel plans?
Because when you’re hopping cities, Couchsurfing and changing accommodations, or making last-minute border exits… that math gets messy fast.
So today I'm giving you:
✅ Grocery store math — when bulk buying saves you, and when it doesn’t ✅ Smart travel investments — city learning and wandering 📍 Current country safety rundown — find out where I am right now! (spoiler: it might make you nervous) Let’s get into it 👇
🌟Notes from the Fit Travel Trail
Buna ziua ("hello") from Moldova 🇲🇩 (Told ya in my last edition, I had NO CLUE where I'd be in two weeks 😅😅)
This might be my most impulsive border crossing yet!
⏱️ Decision → flight booked in under 5 minutes. I needed to exit the Schengen zone, saw a cheap option, and clicked buy.
Budget travel gets HARD when you're:
👉Booking last minute 👉AND using exact dates (ex: Dec 14th-23rd) It's exponentially less likely you'll find a CHEAP flight
Thankfully this round trip to Chișinău, Moldova with Wizz Air fit PERFECTLY! Hence the zero overthinking!
The downside? 💔 I saw my partner for under 48 hours before leaving again. (Saving days to spend the holidays with my partner's family) 😵💫 Mild jet lag.
The upside? 🌍 I landed in Chișinău, one of Europe’s most underrated (and affordable) capitals. Did you know they are FAMOUS for wine?
Every time I'm home in NJ, I love being able to visit my two cats.
Though my cat Rutgers (above) gets a little mad at me...I'm sure he's just confused/sad why mom isn't around anymore
Just 40 hours with my special someone in Sofia before heading back to to the airport
What was in my checked bag??
Packed 54 lbs of Les Mills Smartweights in my luggage.
United staff looked baffled when I said it was full of “dumbbells.”
Moving them across the Atlantic 1 free checked bag at a time!
I’m now in Moldova for ~10 days, bouncing between Chișinău and a couple other cities. Between Couchsurfing and hostel stays, this mean doing math at grocery stores.
Which brings us to today’s lesson…
🎉Featured Expedition
(No full post, so here's the TLDR version) 😋Bulk Buying vs. Moving Fast: The Budget Reality Check
We love the idea of:
Buying food in bulk
Cooking every meal
Saving money effortlessly
But that only works if you’re stationary. If you change accommodations every 1-3 nights, then you don't want to lug extra groceries with you.
Here’s how I think about it now: 🥬 When Bulk Buying Does Make Sense
You’re in one accommodation/city 3–5+ nights
You have fridge + storage space
You’ll actually eat the food (important!!!)
This is when I’ll buy:
Big veggies (cabbage, carrots, sweet potatoes)
Family-size yogurt
Eggs, oats, frozen items
Cheaper per meal. Healthier. Less decision fatigue.
🧳 When Bulk Buying Backfires
No clue what the next kitchen looks like
Carrying food in your backpack like a raccoon on a long bus ride
👉Food waste = hidden travel cost👈
In these cases, I switch to:
Smaller quantities
Simple repeat meals
Ingredients that travel well for a day or two
Sometimes spending €1–2 more saves money overall.
🏠Couchsurfing/Hostel perk: If your accommodation already has basics (olive oil, pasta, spices) no need to buy your own
✈️💪Where Travel & Fitness Converge
📍Moldova’s Quiet, Unexpected Outdoor Side
Moldova isn’t flashy—but that’s part of the magic. If you want movement without crowds, this country delivers.
Easy ways to stay active here:
🚶♀️ Chișinău city walking
Massive parks
Tree-lined boulevards
Flat, walkable, low stress
🍇 Vineyard walks Yes, Moldova is one of the birthplaces of wine. Many wineries are walkable once you arrive—and the countryside is peaceful and green.
Cricova Winery tour
First morning in Moldova: wine tour by mini train through a 120 km underground limestone tunnel. Weekday 10 am tours are half-price - so yes, sparkling wine at 10:30am happened.
Cricova Winery: Short 30 minute public bus ride from the city center!
Speaking of taking walks through the city or vineyards…👣
Try this budget hack for your city walks: Replace expensive guided tours with VoiceMap audio guides. At $6-20 (compared to $30-50 for group tours), you'll get the same local insights without the hefty price tag.
Did you know this is also a travel investment?
🎧 Audio walking tours 🎧
Why?
You pay once
You keep it forever
You can re-listen later—even after you leave
It’s the opposite of:
Group tours
Daily tickets
One-and-done expenses
If you want a budget-friendly way to explore cities deeply without committing to schedules or tipping culture, this is it.
👉 Learn more about AUDIO tours: CLICK HERE (Perfect if you’re traveling slowly, revisiting cities, or just love learning on your own terms.)
So far, I'm proud to offer audio tours in 4 cities:
Always on my mind: More money for more travel! It's often worth a little homework for those savings 💸
⚡Biweekly Boost: Quote of the Week
Three flights from NJ to Sofia last week (44,000 points + $35 on United)
“
Cheap doesn't always mean affordable - especially if it creates waste.
🙏A Friendly Favor...
A friendly favor (tiny ask): If this helped, share with one friend and use my links when you buy gear/cards. It costs you nothing - it just keeps my content free. Thank you ❤️
