Travel costs are unexpected, and predicting how much you are going to spend every day is virtually impossible.  When I went to Southeast Asia, I had a set budget of $35/day.  After arriving, I realized I could spend less, so I readjusted my budget to $25/day and pushed my flight back so that I could stay longer.  Big mistake.

While living on $25/day was possible in theory, actually doing it was much harder.  Things kept popping up, and maintaining my $25/day budget became impossible.  I fell for scams (there are tons of scams to fall for).  I spent money I didn’t need because I didn’t know any better.  I made an innocent mistake with my visa that cost me over $150.  The list just goes on, but that wasn’t the worst part.  The worst part was realizing I wasted over $300 before I even got on a plane.

It should be noted that I was not throwing money around left and right.  I amvery frugal, to the point that I slept on a concrete bus station floor to save $7; twice.  I also did extensive research regarding my visas, immunizations, preparation for the weather, etc.  Unfortunately, some of the advice I got from travel blogs and government websites did more damage than good.

As anyone who has traveled knows, making mistakes and wasting money is part of the process.  It is unavoidable.  I know this better than anyone, as this was my first extended trip overseas and I wasted hundreds of dollars preparing for it.  And I’m not talking about paying too much for my flight or my pack; I got the cheapest flight possible and got my pack from a discount warehouse (I really am frugal).

What really bugged me was realizing how much money I wasted halfway through my trip.  Had I known better, I would have saved that couple hundred dollars and extended my adventure an extra 10-12 days.

Southeast Asia is one of the poorest regions in the world.  Because of this some people do whatever they can to earn a living, including taking advantage of unsuspecting travelers.  I personally witnessed two scams within my first hour of arriving in Southeast Asia.  Had I fallen for both, instead of falling for just one, I would have wasted $25 or more.  And that was within ONE HOUR of arriving in Bangkok.

Luckily, the first scam I fell for only cost me $7.  There are much more dangerous scams out there though, including the ‘Jet Ski scam’ off Pattaya & Phuket.  This scam got so bad, with locals pulling guns and knives on tourists who would not pay, that the state governor and Justice Ministry got involved.  This is not a joke.  Young travelers are being scammed, sometimes for hundreds of dollars at a time, and there can be threats of violence if you try to argue with the scammers.

Because of the mistakes I made and scams I fell for, I began to run out of money early.  Being the independent person I am, I hated the idea of calling mom or dad to ask for more money.  And I refused to finance my trip on my credit cards.

This left me angry at the people who had scammed me and upset with myself for making the mistakes I made.  I also felt defeated, as I had quit a really good job to travel and my trip was going to be cut short for financial reasons that were in my control.

Upon returning home from my trip, I put together a list of all the financial mistakes I made.  By the time I was done, my Southeast Asia Savings Guide had over 35 tips that totaled hundreds of dollars in savings.  If I had had this list before leaving, I could have spent at least two more weeks in Southeast Asia (and I promise you: every day counts when you know you have to go back home).

Since completing my list and putting it into eBook format, I have dug into the Internet to learn from other travelers.  My research found that there were even more mistakes to be made and scams I didn’t know about.  With this information, I had no choice but to put together additional lists.  Now, theSoutheast Asia Savings Guide eBook comes with three additional bonuses, some of which may help you save more than the eBook itself!

Now, I understand that my guides are not perfect.  About 50% of the information contained in my guides can be found on the Internet.  Unfortunately, it would take someone dozens if not 100+ hours reading travel blogs and Internet forums to find every bit of information contained in my guide (not to mention copy/pasting it into a clean looking document and remembering to take it with you).

I know people may be skeptical that my tips will be out-of-date by the time they arrive in Southeast Asia.  Fortunately, the tips in this guide are based on scams and traps locals have been using for YEARS, and mistakes travelers make EVERY single day.  Why?  Their rip-offs and scams WORK.

There is nothing new under the sun, and with a fresh batch of travelers arriving every 2-4 days locals don’t need to bother with inventing new scams all the time; if one person knows their scam, they simply wait for the next person to come by.  It’s unfortunate but true, and for whatever reason guidebooks don’t cover this stuff, which means most travelers go into these situations blind.

Lonely Planet is the most respected and popular guidebook amongst backpackers, and their guide did very little to help me avoid the scams, traps and financial mistakes I made while traveling.  I also carried the Frommer’s Southeast Asia guide, and it was less help than my Lonely Planet.

Traditional guidebooks will cover the super-popular scams, like the “gem scam” in Bangkok, but they do not touch on the less known scams, traps and mistakes people make every day.  This is particularly true of their “Preparation” sections, which feature generic information regarding the climate of the country you’ll be going to, local customs, etc.  This is crucial as preparing for long-term travel is where travelers/backpackers waste the most money.

Last but not least, I know some people are skeptical of a $14.99 eBook when highly respected travel companies sell guidebooks for $26.99.  Fair enough, but those guidebooks don’t guarantee they will save you money (and they may be part of the reason you end up wasting money).

Let me paint a picture for you: you arrive in Bangkok to begin your Southeast Asia trip.  You get money from the ATM at the airport, walk out and find a taxi.  You negotiate the driver down to 200 bhat ($6.67) from the 350 bhat ($12.33) price he opened with.  Happy with your hard-bargaining skills, you accept and head to your hotel.  Sounds innocent enough, I mean, that’s what people do when they arrive to an airport right?  Wrong.  If you were to take the above steps, you would be wasting between $9 and $14 before arriving to your first hotel/hostel (and our tips have nothing to do with negotiating harder).  That’s $9 to $14 our guide could save you within one hour of arriving in Southeast Asia!!

Further, we’ve done the math.  If you were to use each tip in our guide just once,you could save between $300 and $450 (depending on where you live).  And that’s only if you use each tip once; many tips can be used on a day-to-day basis.  Given the savings potential here, we have no problem offering a 180 day, 100% money back guarantee.  If you do not save at least $15 using our guide, shoot us an email and we’ll refund the money no questions asked.

So, let's summarize what's being offered here:

- Country by country breakdown of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos
- 36 highly practical tips that can save you hundreds of dollars
- General Tips section that apply regardless of where you are
- Ways to save money when doing transport between highly popular locations
- Free access to further editions (many, many people go back)
- Index, for quick access to relevant tips

Three Bonuses!

Southeast Asia Packing List
- 14 tips that can help you save money and cut down on weight in your pack
- Items to pack that most people forget about
- Things that are cheaper to buy at home
- Items that are cheaper to buy overseas

Full Moon Party Savings Guide
- 5 tips that can save you $50+ over 5 days (most everyone stays 4+ nights)
- Where to find awesome parties every single month
- Why cheaper accommodations are deceiving
- How to avoid being ripped off if you rent a motorbike

Comprehensive Scams List
- Continuously updated list of scams to avoid while traveling Southeast Asia (over 30 scams listed as of this writing)
- Members get free dates for life

** 2% of profits are donated to the Our Friends Orphanage in Takeo, Cambodia. Learn more on our FAQ page.
Total: $14.99

At only $14.99, the Southeast Asia Savings Guide and three included Bonuses pay for themselves the first day you set foot in Southeast Asia. Print them and keep them with you during your travels.  You’ll want to add them to your personal collection of travel guides.

Once again, I personally guarantee that this eye-opening guide will save you money or we will promptly refund every penny.

YES, I want to purchase the Backpackers Guide to Southeast Asia. If I am not completely satisfied, I will return it within 180 days for a full refund.

P.S.  If you are like me, you probably think you can do this alone and do not need this guide.  I was the same way; I literally flew to India without a travel guide.  Big mistake, as I ended up wasting $19 in a taxi scam my second day there.  Despite the fact that I am selling this guide (so that I can travel more), I am not out to make a quick profit.  I am 100% committed to the backpacking community, and I would not put my name on this if I did not truly believe it could help you save much more than the $15 I am asking.

P. S. S. - I am so confident this guide will save you money that I made it as easy as possible for you to get a refund.  If you are not happy upon returning from you trip, simply shoot us an email or fill out our contact form and we will refund your entire payment, no questions asked!

YES, I want to purchase the Backpackers Guide to Southeast Asia. If I am not completely satisfied, I will return it within 180 days for a full refund.

“Thanks for giving us the free sample of your guide, we used the tips all the time! And we got some cute clothes at Chatuchak. xoxo” – Gerjanne, Holland

 “Your super saver tip saved me $120 before I even left!  Our guidebooks didn't cover this stuff, very helpful.” - Tom, England

“Took ur advice and worked in Vang Vieng for a week. It was the cheapeast and most fun part of my trip! ” - Shawn, Hawaii

And if that still isn't enough, you can read about the history of Backpacker Savings, our 'Immutable Laws,' and why we take this guide
so seriously on our About page.  So what are you still waiting for?!