The Loner’s guide: Mad Money on Trips

Hello Groovy People,

In this post I will explain why everyone needs to have mad money when visiting others, or when traveling with others. 

The first thing I want to do is explain what Mad Money means. If you do a google search it states: Mad money is discretionary money set aside for an emergency or for personal use.

I first heard of the term mad money from an older woman. This was after telling her about a tough time I had visiting someone. She said that you should always have mad money because you never know when things go south. If they do, you can always have a way to take care of yourself. 

Mad Money is something useful when you visit others, whether they are friends or family. When traveling, before traveling solo, I would visit others a lot. When visiting, I was strap for cash and would depend on staying in someone else’s home. Now this isn’t a bad thing. After all, you save money by not getting a hotel and you get to spend time with others. A win win right??? Well…this is not always the case. When you are a guest in someone’s home you must play by their rules. I am pretty laid back and a people pleaser. However, when dealing with different personalities and sometimes bad moods, you are bound to encounter issues from time to time. 

I won’t detail any specifics here, but from the stories I’ve heard, sometimes hosts can be a bit persnickety. They mean well, but some people are truly controlling. When you are on a trip, trying to relax and enjoy time away from home, the last thing you want is to butt heads with your host. You can either deal with it, or have mad money on the side. 

I can personally attest to the fact that although I try my best to people please, sometimes I am brought to my limit. This is the main reason why I now choose to never stay with anyone when I travel. An hour or so visit is great, but being in anyone’s home, whether that be a friend or family member is no longer a reasonable option for myself. I like the freedom of being in my own personal space, while still being able to socialize. This is of course, on my terms. 

Maybe this isn’t you. Maybe you like staying with others. However, having mad money doesn’t mean you don’t like your hosts or that you expect a problem. If anything it means insurance. A “just in case” fund. 

Mad money isn’t just for getting a hotel when you have issues with your host. It can also be for other things that may be pertinent to you whenever you see fit. 

This blog post is also a podcast. Please share and remember, you only live once, so explore!

Until then…