What NOT to do during a weekend getaway

Monday has finally come, marking the end of another weekend getaway. I spent the last few days on the Andalucian coast in Marbella, a place as gorgeous as its name suggests. Imagine white sand beaches, crystal-clear water, and beautiful Spaniards making you rethink your attire. Spanish culture was alive everywhere, from the food, music, dance, and architecture.
 

There were a few standout moments that made this trip special: an intimate Flamenco show at Tablao Flamenco, exploring the historic Alcazaba in Málaga, and swimming in refreshing, crisp ocean water. It may seem like it was a fantastic weekend. However, for every high, there was a low, most of which were entirely self-inflicted. My friends and I made a few big mistakes that made our days difficult and costly. I’ll share them here in hopes that you can learn from what I got wrong.

 

Spending
To begin, I’ll note that saving money while studying abroad can be one of the most challenging aspects of the trip. In all honesty, my spending habits through three weeks in Spain could be described as troubling and unsustainable. So, as I left for Marbella on Friday with my transportation and accommodation already paid for, I had decided to finally get smart with my money. The issue was that my version of being money-conscious meant cheaping out in the wrong places.  
 

On Friday night, we skipped out on a €20 club ticket that felt like a big win – until we ended up bouncing from bar to bar and spent double on overpriced drinks. I was pleased myself when dinner was only €8, but when it ended up being six measly croquets, I ended up spending much more later to appease my starving stomach. Even at the beach, refusing to buy a towel or bottle of water turned the whole outing into an odd, uncomfortable waste of time. In the end, the small expense I avoided snowballed into bigger costs, and in some cases, a ruined experience.
 

The lesson here is clear: don’t confuse penny-pinching with saving. Passing up on small, worthwhile expenses can often result in spending more money on less desirable activities. Instead, focus on what will make your trip truly memorable and create a budget for those. For us, it was the Flamenco show: we paid for it upfront, and that single experience made the whole weekend feel worth it.

 

Planning
Another big mistake was thinking that since I had booked a train ticket and a place to sleep, I was “ready” for the trip. The truth is, if you show up with no plan, you spend half your time wandering around and usually overspend just to fill the gaps. I don’t mean to say that you need to have every minute planned out, but having at least one main activity per day, along with a restaurant, view, or store you want to check out, goes a long way in making sure your days are full. In all likelihood, you will only travel to each place one time, so it’s important to make the most out of your time there. 
 

Even if your trip’s goal is to relax on the beach, take  10 minutes of extra research to find out which has the best views, food, and people. We didn’t, and were left staying in Old Town Marbella when the nicer beach was 4 km away in Puerto Banús. The lesson in this case is realizing that not having a plan isn’t flexibility or adventure; it simply means inefficiency. You can still leave room for on-the-fly changes, but having options already planned out in accordance with your budget makes it easier to adapt when something goes awry.

 

 

A weekend trip can be one of the best experiences of your trip abroad, but they are also easy to mess up if you don’t take substantial care to prepare yourself. This past weekend, I may have learned the hard way, but that means that you don’t. Plan ahead and put your money in the right places, and your trip will be a success.