Traveling can be very expensive. But in a recent video, travel and sustainability TikToker Delilah Isabel (@delilah_isabel) shared some helpful tips that can both cut down on your spending and make your trip much more environmentally friendly.  

The scoop

Isabel has three big tips to offer. Number one: "Instead of buying travel-size shampoo and conditioner," she says, "you can just use old empty pill bottles or any bottles you have and fill it up with a product you already have at home." Couldn't be easier!

@delilah_isabel saving money, feeling like you're on your sh!t, & being a respectful traveler? nothing better 😌 #sustainablelifestyle #ecofriendly #ecotok #sustainabletravel #fyp ♬ Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show

Her second tip: "More and more markets, especially abroad, are charging to use takeout bags. Instead, just throw a tote in your luggage. They take up basically no space and you can use it if you end up getting groceries."

And the third tip: "It feels so good supporting restaurants that source locally and use sustainable materials." 

In order to help you meet that goal, Isabel recommends three different apps — FairFoodForager, vanilla bean, and TooGoodToGo — that can help you locate the most environmentally friendly restaurants in a new city. In addition, she shares a link to this web tool that allows you to find ocean-friendly restaurants all over the world.

How it's helping

All of Isabel's tips are relatively small things, but anytime you get the opportunity to do something that both saves money and helps the environment, it's a win-win. Cutting down on single-use plastics that you buy (like travel shampoo) and packing reusable tote bags in your luggage are simple and easy changes that might not occur to the average traveler when packing. 

Eating at locally sourced restaurants is great for the environment as it removes the need for the massive amounts of planet-warming gases involved in the mass transportation of food. 

In addition, food grown locally and not by industrial agricultural giants tends to be more flavorful and nutritious, and it uses less packaging. Sure, the restaurants may be a bit more expensive, but hey, you're already on vacation, and you just saved all that money by not buying travel shampoo.

What everyone's saying

The commenters on Isabel's TikTok post mostly loved her suggestions. 

"Yes!" wrote one commenter. "We make reusable ziploc bags that are perfect for making packing your toiletries more eco-friendly!"

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