Travel

Tattoos and Hangovers: How to Spend a Weekend in Bucharest

Why are you here? I was asked this question multiple times on my travels through Romania.

Why not?

It’s true that Romania wasn’t a country on my radar, but then I found a flight from Greece to Bucharest for $35. Most tourists only use Bucharest as a starting point to explore the area of Transylvania to the north. I think Bucharest is worth exploring.

Take a free walking tour

I found this tour (and most of my free tours) on GuruWalk. Although my tour was rained out, and we sat in a coffee shop for 2 hours, it was still worth it. Bucharest still reflects its communist history. Although it isn’t the most aesthetically appealing, it was something I had never seen before. The history of Romania was fascinating, and it was interesting that the public opinion over communism changed depending on who we talked to.

Bucharest, Romania

Walk or Use Ride Shares (And Food Delivery)

I felt safe walking around at night in Bucharest. I was staying about 15 min outside of old town and I walked home most nights, but Ubers are plentiful and cheap. It was $4, including a tip for a ride across town. If you are hungry and lazy, they have multiple food delivery services such as Bolt and Glovo, although Glovo does not work with a US phone number. 

Save Your Money 

Romania is one of the cheapest countries in Europe. It is part of the European Union but has not met the criteria to adopt the Euro. Instead, they still use Romanian Leu. I bought enough groceries for three breakfasts and snacks for $12. This included a large bag of cashews and nice mozzarella cheese—two costly items in the US. 

Grocery Prices in Romania

Get a Tattoo

On my cruise to Greece last year, I met Christi. He was running the casino on our cruise ship. The only bar that had seating was in the casino. I have a goal of collecting tattoos throughout my travels. He wrote down a perfect quote in Romanian for me to get tattooed if I ever ended up in his country. I put it in my notes and forgot about it, thinking it would never happen.  

“I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.”

Eat at Gyros Thessalonikis

Best Gyro I have ever had. Located in Old Town.

Best Gyro at Gyros Thessalonikis

See Cărturești Carusel

Also known as the “Carousel of Light,” This is one of the most beautiful bookstores I have ever seen. It is a six-story, beautifully decorated bookstore with white columns and staircases. It is located in the old town and is worth a trip.

Cărturești Carusel is located at Strada Lipscani 15

Nurse a Hangover 

Night 1, I had a great time with new friends. Morning one, I was a little “under the weather.” My hostel (T5 Social) had a bar, and it was open mic night. No, I did not participate in the open mic part of the evening. Instead, I decided to do my part and support the bar. 

Have a Craft Cocktail

Visit the club Expirat if you like good cocktails and music. These bartenders are so excited to make unique craft cocktails with so much detail. They kept asking how they compared to the United States and were thrilled to learn I felt theirs were better. 

Cocktails at Expirat

Visit Old Town 

I met two guys on a food tour, and we decided to go out in the old town. The old town is a walking area with shopping during the day and restaurants and nightclubs after dark. We met at the Green Hours Jazz Club. It is tiny, but if you are into Jazz, it’s worth checking out. Then we went and supported the local “dancers.” I am trying to keep this family-friendly, but if you are interested in learning how “dance” clubs work in Romania, message me. 

Green Hours Jazz Cafe

Meet New Friends 

My food tour was a bust, but I met Rahottie (it’s actually Rahat, but Rahat means bullshit in Romanian). He lives in Vegas and now works remotely. He had rented an Airbnb in Brasov for a month, and we were going to explore the area before I took off on my next adventure to the Merry Cemetery at the northern border of Romania. On the train to Brasov, I was able to pursue him into keeping a car for a week and join me on my mission. (Considering I was planning to end up in Cluj-Napoca and he had met a girl on Tinder from Cluj, it wasn’t very hard.)

On our way…

Take a Road trip Around Romania… 

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6 Apps That Make You Money

Everyone loves extra cash. Either to travel or for everyday expenses. Especially at the current moment when many people are still unemployed or making little income. What if you could supplement your income doing tasks you do every day? Here is a list of apps that provide passive income.

1. Achievement

Do you have an Apple Watch or a Fitbit? Maybe, you track your food with MyFitnessPal

You can connect over 20 apps that you probably already use to the Achievement app and earn money. The app will pay you money for the number of steps you take, the amount of sleep you get, every time you weigh yourself, etc. For every 10,000 points, you get $10. 

You can also earn points by taking surveys and participating in research studies. I participated in an influenza study. Every day I answered simple questions, and then I did a five-minute survey once a month. At the end of the study, I made a total of $71. 

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2. Diet Bet

6 Apps That Make You Money

We have all dieted at some point. The ups and downs of weight loss are a vicious cycle. Personally, I need an incentive. Sometimes that beach vacation isn’t enough. With DietBet, you can join a game with other people pledging money to lose a percentage of body weight over a specific length of time. If you succeed, then you split the pot with the other winners.

I know if my own money is on the line, I am going to complete the challenge. There is also a StepBet and a RunBet that work similarly. 

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3. Rakuten

We all love to shop online. Rakuten gives cashback on stores we already shop at, including Amazon and Postmates. Connect to your favorite store through their app and start earning money. Plus, you will get $30 after spending $30 through the website if you use my referral link.

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4. Safe 2 Save

Safe 2 Save rewards you for paying attention to the road instead of your phone while driving. After downloading the app, you get points for every minute of safe driving. Safe driving is defined as not using your phone while going over 10 mph. If you touch your phone while driving over 10 mph, the app will stop adding points to your account.

Although this app does not actually reward cash, the reward points can be redeemed at local restaurants and retail stores.

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5. Receipt Hog

Do you know that insanely long receipt you get at the grocery store, even when you buy two things? 

Scan it with Receipt Hog. By scanning receipts and answering simple quizzes, you collect coins that equal cash. It’s that easy. 

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6. Paribus

Do you hate when you order something online, and then it goes on sale the next day? 

Or when you buy something on Amazon Prime for that party in 2 days and it doesn’t show up in time? 

Paribus will track items you buy from over 25 online stores. They will alert you if any price drops and contact the merchant to get a refund. 

I have an Amazon addiction. Every time Paribus notifies me of a late delivery, I contact Amazon, and they usually offer me a $5 gift card. 

The app is not available on Google Play but Android users can sign up through their website.

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Now that you have all this extra money, why not go on a roadtrip?

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6 Essential Road Trip Planning Apps of 2021

Download these apps to help plan your ultimate summer road trip.

1. GasBuddy

I want to save money wherever I can when I travel, and I love any tool that helps with this goal. Gas prices can add up quickly during a road trip. GasBuddy allows people to search for the lowest fuel prices in the area. It also helps calculate the estimated fuel charges for your road trip before you even get in the car.

Additionally, there is a free option to save up to $0.25/gallon. You need to connect your checking account, and they will mail you a card to swipe at the pump for a discount. For $9.99/month, you can save up to $0.40/gallon and get roadside assistance. Available for Android and iOS.

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2. HipCamp

I wish I knew about HipCamp years ago. The user interface resembles Airbnbs, but it is only for booking campsites, cabins, RV parks, public parks, and more. Landowners can advertise their private land as camp sites, much like homeowners can rent out their homes. HipCamp appears to be geared towards “glamping,” and many rentals are more expensive than your typical campsite, but there are cheaper options.

Since HipCamp mainly focuses on private landowners, it is a great alternative during the pandemic when many state campsites are closed. Get $10 in HipCamp credit by signing up with this link. Available for Android and iOS.

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3. My Maps (by Google Maps)

Remember having to write down directions on PAPER to drive anywhere? Sadly, I bet many of you don’t. Trust me. It was a tough time.

You can use Google Maps for more than trying to beat the estimated time of arrival when driving. My Maps gives you the ability to create a custom map with your own landmarks, routes, and even the ability to add shapes and drawings. The best part is you can share the map with other people and give them the ability to add to the map if you want.

For example, I used My Maps to plan my Route 66 road trip. I added layers for accommodations and attractions. I shared it with my boyfriend, who was able to add attractions he was interested in, too. We used this map to navigate our whole trip. For an in-depth tutorial on how to make a custom map, check out this article. (Apple does not make a specific My Maps app, but the feature is available on the Google Maps app.)

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4. Road Side America

Do you want to see the largest rocking chair or the tallest totem pole? Roadside America is a database of “Offbeat Tourist Attractions.” Anyone can add an attraction or update an existing one. The website is free to use. An app is available for iOS starting at $2.99, allowing you to download the maps to your phone. Personally, I check the website when I plan my road trip and then add the stops to my custom google map.

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5. Flush

This is probably the most important road trip app on this list. Flush will locate any restroom in your area. It also gives you information on which ones provide accessibility access, charge a fee for usage, or require a key. Did you find a bathroom not on the list? Add it to Flush’s database. Available for Android and iOS.

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6. TripIt

TripIt is my favorite road trip planning app. I hate searching through my email to find my car rental reservation number? Or the contact information for my Airbnb? TripIt helps me stay organized for any vacation. I can manually input reservations, but the best feature is TripIt will scan your emails and automatically import any travel-related information to its website. The entire trip itinerary is available in one place with minimal effort. TripIt also makes it easy to share/edit travel plans with your whole group. Available for Android and iOS.

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What should you bring on your road trip? 15 Road Trip Packing List Essentials

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