When you ask Americans why they don't travel abroad, the top reason they cite is cost.
But once you get on that plane to a cheaper part of the world — Southeast Asia, say, or Central America, or even, yes, Northern Europe — man do the prices drop. You won't realize how rich you are until you land in one of these countries where the pint you pay $6 or $8 for at home is now less than a buck, or the bottle of wine at a fine restaurant runs all of $4.
How you get to these countries near and far is up to you (though you can score cheap airfares and save money on flights in all sorts of ways).
Once you get to your destination, though, you'll find yourself having adventures, exploring beaches and jungles, and still living cheaper than you do at home.
SEE ALSO: 20 under-the-radar travel destinations to visit before they get too popular
Bosnia and Herzegovina
History and adrenaline in Europe's most diverse country.
How to roll big on the cheap: Bosnia is an amazing slice of the past in present-day Europe, a glimpse of a time before the homogenized nation-states we know today became the norm. Its eclectic mix of religions and cultures fascinates with the exotic, and then surprises with the familiar. It's cheap, too: Dorms in hostels go for $10, and a restaurant meal will set you back $5 or $10, with street food costing significantly less. Beer is about a buck, and you can get excellent local wine for similar prices. That is, if you pay at all — Bosnians are notoriously friendly and thrilled to have visitors, so don't be surprised if they try to treat you.
It's also filled with natural wonders and amazing, tragic history. Sarajevo has ruins from the 1984 Olympics that are freely explorable (just watch out for landmines — I'm not kidding) and a great river canyon for hikes. An ancient, rickety train threads its way through the mountains between Sarajevo and Bosnia's other great city, Mostar. For a terrifying early morning voyage, part history lesson, part slow-motion roller coaster, pack into dirty-windowed wooden cabins with cigarette-smoking laborers, eat your börek (basically a Bosnian sausage roll), and watch the Balkan Mountains fall away beneath you.
If you get a chance to splurge: Bosnia's mountain rivers provide some of Europe's best white water rafting, and companies run tours from most major cities. — Conor O'Rourke
Spain
In Andalusía, the best things in life are (almost) free.
How to roll big on the cheap: Life is good in Spain's sunny south, where you can go to almost any bar and fill up on cañas (half-pours of fizzy yellow beer) and carb-y tapas like croquettes and patatas bravas for less than 10 euros. In Granada, some spots still offer botanas (portions of food get larger with each round of drinks you order), so if you play your cards right, dinner is basically free. When all else fails, you can always spike a 2-liter of Coke with rum and join the local teens in a botellón (technically illegal street parties) down at the plaza.
But even highbrow culture is everywhere, and often free. Take a self-guided walking tour of historic architecture, wander into museums admission-free, or stumble on government-sponsored concerts and fairs. A hostel bed can be had for around $25/night, tickets to a bullfight run as little as 10 euros, and while you can easily pay $50 for a flamenco show in Madrid or Barcelona, the art form actually originates in the south, where you can catch some of the world's best dancers, singers, and musicians performing for tips in dimly lit underground peñas.
If you get a chance to splurge: Jamón, jamón, jamón. — Maya Kroth
Laos
Southeast Asia's only landlocked country keeps your wallet fat.
How to roll big on the cheap: If we're being honest, in a country like this, it's hard not to roll big. Prices for accommodations vary around the country, but you'll be hard-pressed to spend much more than $5 a night. Meal in a restaurant? How does one dollar sound? A beer? Another dollar, please. Unlike neighboring Cambodia, you'll need to exchange your American dollars for bundles of the local notes, kip (exchange rate: 1:8,360). You won't be able to do much with these outside the country, so make sure you spend them all before you leave. This may prove a challenge.
So what's a baller to do? In a word: relax. Go to Vang Vieng and float down the Nam Song River in an inner tube. If you get thirsty, just tie up at one of the riverside bars for a drink. If that's too slow a pace for you, rent a motorbike for $5 a day and visit the region's breathtaking cliffs and waterfalls. Or head south to Don Det and learn the true meaning of chilling in a $2-a-night bungalow overlooking the Mekong River. They don't call it the Lao PDR for nothing — Please Don't Rush.
If you get a chance to splurge: A sunrise hot air balloon ride over the hills and valleys of Vang Vieng is unforgettable. — Conor O'Rourke
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