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Lying in your dorm bed scrolling through short videos, watching others check in at the scenic spots along the Greater Sichuan Western Loop, don't you also want to go on a spontaneous trip? But when you think about your empty wallet, you have to put that idea on hold. However, today I'm going to tell you that with proper planning, you can explore the Greater Sichuan Western Loop with just $10,000!

Last year, my road trip along the Greater Sichuan Western Loop with three roommates was absolutely amazing! Although we were all newly employed workers with modest salaries, through careful budgeting, four of us spent only $40,000 in total. Ten days of travel, averaging $10,000 per person, we stayed in unique guesthouses, tried all the local delicacies, and took tons of social media-worthy photos. Now I'm sharing these money-saving secrets with everyone!

Calculate Your Income

First, let's calculate our income situation. As fresh graduates, our take-home pay is only six to seven thousand, after deducting insurance and housing fund, plus rent and utilities, there isn't much disposable income. Take me for example, monthly take-home pay is 6,000, shared room rent 1,500, daily expenses 2,000, leaving 2,500 which isn't much but isn't little either.

But with advance planning, saving 1,000 each month means 3,000 in three months. Add in red packets and weekend side gigs, saving a 10,000 budget is totally doable. Plus now there's Huabei and Jiebei, you can enjoy first and pay later (though it's recommended to spend within your means).

We started saving three months in advance, each person saving 10,000. Though it doesn't seem much, we managed to have an enviable high-quality trip that everyone on social media admired.

Focus on the Big Expenses

Secure Flights and Accommodation First

Flights and accommodation are definitely the biggest expenses, requiring advance planning. We flew from Beijing to Chengdu, snagging special price tickets two months in advance. We caught an airline's anniversary sale, round-trip tickets were only 1,200, what a steal!

Accommodation needs advance planning too. We found many guesthouse owners' WeChat through Xianyu and Xiaohongshu, negotiating prices directly. The guesthouses we found weren't Instagram-famous, but they were clean and tidy, importantly they were cheap, averaging only 200 per night! Plus they all had private bathrooms and twin rooms, and we could drink highland barley wine while stargazing in the courtyard at night, how romantic!

Calculate Local Transportation Carefully

Car rental is another major expense. We found a used seven-seater SUV on a rental platform, though it was a bit old, it was well-maintained. When negotiating the price, we said we were students (though we had graduated), and the owner gave us a student discount. Ten days of car rental plus gas and toll fees totaled 4,000, averaging just 1,000 per person.

Keep in mind that joining a tour would cost two to three thousand just for transportation, plus being forced to visit shopping spots with the guide. Self-driving not only saves money, but crucially provides freedom to go wherever you want, stop whenever you want, and take photos at any beautiful scenery along the way.

Daily Expenses

Be Smart About Food

Food is a significant expense, but there are many money-saving tricks. In scenic areas like Daocheng Yading, many restaurants specifically target tourists, charging 50-60 for a bowl of yak meat noodles. But if you're willing to walk a few more steps, you can find authentic Tibetan family restaurants in the alleys.

I remember once in Yading Village, we found a small shop run by a Tibetan mama, serving yak meat noodles for just 20 yuan with generous portions! I still can't forget the taste of that soup. Mama even gave each of us a cup of butter tea to warm us up in the highlands. You can't get this experience in those tourist-oriented restaurants.

We would also go to local farmers' markets to buy vegetables and fruits, cooking meals in our guesthouse. This not only saved money but also created joyful moments cooking and eating together with roommates, simply perfect!

Be Flexible with Activities

Regarding attraction tickets, there's also much to learn. For example, Daocheng Yading's entrance fee plus sightseeing bus costs 280, but with a student ID (even an expired one works, just need to be bold and careful), you can save at least 80 yuan.

Transportation within scenic areas, like electric cars and horse teams, can be saved through carpooling or walking. We hiked up the mountain in Yading, though it was tiring, the scenery along the way was worth every penny! When tired, we could share horse rides with fellow travelers, saving quite a bit of money.

Smart Financial Management

Better Value with Advance Preparation

Booking flights and accommodation requires advance research. All major platforms now have promotional activities, which need regular monitoring. We found special price tickets on Fliggy, about 2000 cheaper than other platforms.

For accommodation, booking a month in advance often gets you 30% off at many guesthouses. We also joined some Sichuan Western travel mutual aid groups, often receiving special offers from guesthouse owners. These are all great money-saving opportunities!

Sometimes with good luck, you might encounter hidden benefits. Like when we stayed at one guesthouse, it happened to be the owner's wife's birthday, and she treated us to authentic Tibetan hot pot and taught us to dance Guozhuang, couldn't be happier!

Tools to Help You Save

Various accounting Apps are very user-friendly now. We used a certain accounting software's multi-person accounting feature, which could track everyone's expenses in real-time. This way, we could monitor budget usage at any time and avoid awkward moments when settling bills.

We also used navigation software to plan routes, choosing paths with minimal fuel consumption. Although sometimes it meant taking a few extra kilometers, the saved fuel costs were considerable.

Summary and Sharing

A perfect trip isn't about how much you spend, but about who you meet and what you experience along the way. Through reasonable planning, 10,000 yuan can create a high-quality travel experience.

I remember that night camping at Cuoka Lake, the four of us around the campfire, drinking highland barley wine from thermoses, talking about our dreams under a sky full of stars. At that moment, I felt the 10,000 yuan was totally worth it! This feeling can't be experienced in any luxury hotel.

We encountered many interesting things along the way. Like meeting a cycling couple at Haizi Mountain who rode from Lhasa to Chengdu; meeting Tibetan children in Xinduqiao who taught us Tibetan; meeting a shop owner in Daocheng who spoke three dialects and told us about the changes in the highlands over the years. These are experiences money can't buy.

So don't give up on travel just because of a limited budget. With careful planning, 10,000 yuan can create priceless memories. After you try it yourself, remember to share your money-saving tips with me!

Finally, while budget planning is important, don't be too penny-wise. Sometimes it's worth spending a bit more for an unforgettable experience. After all, the most important part of travel is the unforgettable experiences and beautiful memories collected along the way, don't you agree?