I woke up to the cold January weather of Rishikesh caught in between wanting to stay snuggled under my blanket or start my exploration early. Half-dazed, I forced myself to saunter across the room feeling the iciness of the bathroom floor hurrying to find comfort from a hot shower. 

By this time, after making our way from Jaipur and Jodphur, the golden-colored terrain of the vast Rajasthan desert appears as common as the blue skies above. The contrast in hue reigning in this part of India made this part of our journey extra visually more astonishing. We also have developed a routine comprising of bazaar hopping, street food exploration and stepping inside centuries-old palaces and gigantic forts. Despite that, my sense of wonder and chase of the oddity lit up as we were about to approach the City Palace of Udaipur on foot. Massive in scale and rich in architectural details, I immediately felt a tinge of royal vibe as we enter the 'Badi Pol' (Great Gate) leading to the Palace's first of many courtyards.

The Facade of the City Temple looks more like a typical Rajasthan Fort

Call it the Big Apple or the city that never sleeps, to most, New York City is a place that belongs in every bucket list. I would imagine fellow travelers visiting New York and staying for weeks and even months. However, as one of the most expensive cities in the world, staying in hotels or even hostels will put a hole in your pocket. Therefore, it is recommendable for wanderers wanting to immerse in the local culture, culinary delights and art scenes of New York to stay in an apartment.

Other than spending our money wisely—which is something hard to maintain—there are other ways on how we can live a debt-free life while at the same time filling our piggy banks. After all the hours we’ve worked on our respective jobs, we deserve to plan something special at the latter years of our life. Well, good thing is, we don’t have to wait for long because if we plan our finances properly and strategize our spending and make saving a habitual thing, we can retire as early as in our 30’s and live with more time to experience all the things we love such as traveling.

Leap out from the grasp of debt