• My husband and I are both from hardworking families, and we both used to work a lot.
• After having our third child, our priorities changed, and we now both work 4-day workweeks.
• We have less money but more time to spend with our family, and we're happier.

I first met my husband Sam when he was 24 and I was 21. Back then, he worked six days a week. At the time, he had his own remedial massage business on the Gold Coast, in Australia, and he believed that as a young business owner, he had to put in long hours to succeed.

Sam was raised in a hardworking, middle-income Australian family. His dad worked for the government, and his mom worked in retail. They taught Sam about the importance of having a strong work ethic, budgeting, and investing wisely.

I was also raised in a family of hard workers. For as long as I can remember, my dad worked 12-hour days, five days a week, as an agricultural spare parts salesman, while my mom worked part-time in advertising to help support our family of six.

As soon as I could, I started working and got a job at the age of 14 at our local ice cream shop to earn my own money. I continued working throughout school and while I was at university. Before I'd even graduated, I'd already lined up an internship at the local newspaper.

We traveled together for years and worked full-time when we returned home

In our 20s, Sam and I traveled for several years and did odd jobs while overseas. When we returned to Australia in 2013, we were pretty broke, so we started working full-time again and trying to fill up the coffers, so to speak.

I got a job as a print journalist at a newspaper in Melbourne then started my own copywriting business, while Sam opened a remedial massage and myotherapy clinic in Melbourne (he'd closed the Gold Coast business in 2011 when we went travelling).

It was during the pandemic that our priorities really shifted. When the 2020 lockdowns began in Melbourne, Sam had to close his clinic, while I continued working from home as a copywriter. He homeschooled our kids. I took over as the main breadwinner for the family.

I was working extremely long hours, and while it was financially lucrative, deep down, I knew our family life was suffering. By that stage, we had two children, and I felt like I was missing out on quality time with them.

By late 2021, the pandemic lockdowns had stopped, and life was pretty much back to normal. Sam and I were both working full-time again. Then, I became pregnant with our third child. She was born in August 2022.

We knew something had to change and decided it was our work schedules

Around Christmastime that year, we chatted about what was important to us. We decided we'd rather have less money if it meant having more time with our three children, who were then 7, 4, and four months old.

So, in 2023, we made some big changes. When I went back to work after maternity leave, I cut my hours back to four days a week, and my husband also cut his work hours back to four days a week. Having our own businesses meant we could dictate our own rosters, so we were extremely lucky in that regard.

We're still both only working four days each week, and our system is working really well for us. My husband and I tend to tag-team with the kids. One or the other of us will take care of our youngest (who only goes to day care three days a week) in the mornings and then work in the afternoon. We also take turns doing school pick-ups, so our kids know that either mommy or daddy will always be at the school gate waiting for them at the end of the day.

Rather than paying for childcare, which is expensive, we get to be the ones to take them to extracurricular activities and birthday parties, do homework with them, and watch their swimming lessons or dance recitals. Those moments are invaluable to us.

Working four days a week means my husband and I have had to adjust our spending habits quite a lot. We've felt the cost-of-living pressures in the past couple of years and have had to learn to budget better. But we believe it's worth it.

We know we'll probably never have the flashiest house or the best cars. But what we will have are plenty of memories with our children while they're still young and want to spend time with us. For us, those memories are worth their weight in gold.

• I recently stayed at Hotel Bel-Air, one of the most legendary hotels in Los Angeles.
• The iconic pink hotel is full of Hollywood history and luxurious suites.
• I was most impressed by its new culinary vision, including a brand-new on-site bakery.

If Hotel Bel-Air's signature pink stucco walls could talk, they'd be full of Old Hollywood's secrets.

The luxury resort, located in one of Los Angeles' most exclusive neighborhoods, was beloved by the likes of Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe. Ronald Reagan's daughter said "I do" in the garden, and King Charles once said he slept better in a bed there than in any other hotel in the world.

Hotel Bel-Air's star-studded guest list is now private, but its reputation remains esteemed. It's ranked No. 35 on the World's 50 Best Hotels list — one of just four resorts from the US to make the cut.

I've always wanted to see if Hotel Bel-Air was worth the hype. And with a brand-new culinary program led by a Michelin-starred chef, I knew it'd be the perfect time to visit.

Hotel Bel-Air feels like an escape from the moment you walk in.

As I walked across the bridge connecting the valet to the lobby, I admired the hotel's massive garden. The air smelled of jasmine, and swans were gliding across the lake. A waterfall was softly burbling in the distance. It was all incredibly lush and idyllic.

After checking in, I wandered past gorgeous pink buildings on the way to my room.

Hotel Bel-Air's signature pink stucco walls have remained unchanged since the 1940s, even through the hotel's major renovations.

The playful and cheerful hue transported me to the Mediterranean, as did the Spanish archways. Palm trees swayed in every direction, their fronds framing the nearby canyons. Dozens of pink and fuchsia flowers added bright pops of color, while a koi pond filled with orange and white fish shimmered under the sunlight.

I was spending the night in Hotel Bel-Air's canyon suite.

Rooms at the Hotel Bel-Air start at $900 a night, while my suite was priced at $3,500. (Business Insider received a media rate for the one-night stay.)

As I walked into my 600-square-foot suite, I was immediately struck by the change in vibe. The bright pink and green hues that filled the hotel's exterior had been swapped for deep earthy tones like olive green and burnt sienna.

The shift in design initially took me by surprise and was more subtle than I expected. But it's clear that the canyon suite is meant to be a peaceful sanctuary.

Plus, when you're confident in your natural glamour, you can be low-key about it. Isn't that the true meaning of quiet luxury?

Christoph Moje, the hotel's general manager, told BI that the "refined interiors of the Canyon Suite are aligned with the hotel's overarching design aesthetic, which is to provide guests with a welcoming yet luxurious environment that is the perfect retreat from LA's busy scene."

"Its look and feel is contemporary and fresh while also reflective of old-world glamour and understated elegance, much like Hotel Bel-Air itself," Moje added.

The spacious suite features a bedroom, two bathrooms, and a private patio.

The bedroom's color palette was the same as the living room's, and a wood-paneled ceiling added warmth to the space.

The leather bed frame had built-in book lights, which I thought were a cute touch. The king bed was topped with one of the plushest comforters I've ever slept with.

The real stars of the suite were the stunning views and heated plunge pool on the patio.

A retractable glass wall in the living room offers a full view of the huge patio, which features sun beds, lounge chairs, and a fireplace. It was easily my favorite part of the suite.

I had lunch at Hotel Bel-Air's restaurant, which is simply called The Restaurant.

Hotel Bel-Air's culinary director, Joe Garcia, told me there were two dishes that would never be removed from The Restaurant's menu: the chopped salad inspired by Nancy Reagan and the tortilla soup.

I opted for the soup, which debuted at The Restaurant in 1980. The delicious broth is light on the tongue but rich in flavor, with just a hint of creaminess thanks to the sour cream and knobs of avocado. The roasted chicken is tender and plentiful, while the wisps of saffron add a luxurious touch.

Then, I wandered through the pink halls to check out the hotel's pool.

Hotel Bel-Air's pool was once a horse-riding ring, hence its distinct oval shape.

The water is always heated to 82 degrees, and tall palm trees provide ample shade and a postcard-perfect backdrop.

I also stopped by the hotel's brand-new lounge for a cocktail.

The Living Room is hands down my favorite part of the Hotel Bel-Air.

It's a beautifully decorated space with stylish but comfortable velvet couches and chairs. A fire is always roaring in the center of the room, while big windows offer views of the fairy lights that twinkle from the trees at night.

Chef Garcia told me The Living Room was conceptualized following requests from locals and guests who wanted a place at the hotel where they could get glammed up and enjoy cocktails. So, Garcia set out to create a playful menu that still fit the atmosphere.

"I wouldn't put chicken wings on the menu," he said. "You're sitting on a $70,000 sofa."

I returned to The Restaurant for dinner, which began with one of the best bread baskets I've ever tasted.

The Restaurant's bread and desserts are clearly in good hands with executive pastry chef Christophe Rull, a world-renowned chocolatier who helped open the hotel's patisserie, the only bakery in Bel-Air.

I quickly learned that Rull's dedication to his customers is unparalleled. When one local wanted their almond croissant baked a certain way, Rull personally went to his house to try to get the flavor just right.

Rull's croissant skills are also on display at The Restaurant, where he offers a savory garlic version with perfect flakiness. I was also a huge fan of his truffle brioche, which instantly melted in my mouth.

I was very impressed by Garcia's dinner menu.

Garcia had big shoes to fill when he became Hotel Bel-Air's culinary director in December 2023, following an 11-year stint by the legendary Wolfgang Puck.

But the chef told me he was up for the challenge, shifting The Restaurant's fusion-leaning menu to dishes that feel more seasonal and show off his classical French training.

I loved the indulgent white truffle pasta and the lamb chops served alongside an elegant ratatouille. The Michelin-caliber dinner was delicious and creative.

Hotel Bel-Air is a splurge, but even stopping by for a drink or dinner is worth it.

The five-star hotel obviously isn't in everyone's price range, but Hotel Bel-Air isn't just coasting on its reputation.

The brand-new culinary program, plus the delicious patisserie and beautiful lounge, have infused the space with vitality and turned the resort into a dining destination.

Whether you're looking for an Old Hollywood escape or just want some delicious food and cocktails, the Hotel Bel-Air should be on everyone's LA bucket list.

• Real estate investors share the strategies they're using in 2025.
• One investor is buying mobile home parks for tax incentives.
• Another is leaning into mid-term rentals, which tend to cash flow more than long-term rentals.

Prudent real estate investing can create long-term wealth, and while every investor has their own unique circumstances — from how much risk they're willing to take on to how much cash they have accessible — there are lessons to be learned from veteran investors.

Business Insider asked top real estate investors who have achieved financial independence or are on their way to doing so about their plans for 2025.

Here's a look at how they are positioning themselves as we head into a new year and what trends are driving their decisions.

Ludomir Wanot is buying mobile home parks for the tax incentives

Seattle-based investor Ludomir Wanot, who built his wealth wholesaling and buying long-term rentals, is adding mobile home parks to his portfolio.

They can be depreciated at a faster rate than other investment properties and significantly reduce an investor's taxable income, he explained: "The government actually allows you to depreciate at least up to 60% of the purchase price of the value of the asset in year one. I bought a million-dollar property in New York. I was able to depreciate up to $600,000 of that in the first year, and so that basically reduced my taxable income to zero."

It's a win-win, he added: "I'm providing housing for people that only make maybe $1,000 a month and I'm providing it to them at a significantly lower rate, around $200 a month. They get to live in a good community, I get to rebuild a community, and I get this crazy incentive from the government."

Mike Zuber is looking for motivated sellers

Mike Zuber, who built a portfolio of rentals in Fresno that allowed him to retire early, is expecting to see "more motivated sellers" in 2025.

"I think there are some people that will just have to sell — life events, death, divorce, all of that," he said. "And unless the house is perfect, no owner is going to buy it. The general public is basically out of the housing market. So if you have a house that's a little dated, a little old, a little bit too close to busy streets, you're going to eventually have to sell to an investor."

That's good news for Zuber and other property investors looking for deals. He's prepared to "write offers that make sense at a high cost of capital."

Dion McNeeley is considering selling a property and capitalizing on an IRS rule

Dion McNeeley, who spent over a decade carefully building a portfolio of rental properties throughout Washington State, has never sold a property.

"I'm the slow, boring investor: Save up a down payment, buy the next place; save up a down payment, buy the next place," he said.

That may change in 2025, partly due to an intriguing tax benefit he'll be eligible for.

McNeeley's most recent real estate project was buying and rehabbing a duplex. He lives in one unit and rents the other. In July 2025, he'll have owned and lived in the duplex for two years, which qualifies him for the Section 121 Exclusion, an IRS rule that lets taxpayers exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from the sale of the property. The main requirement is that you must use the home as your main residence for at least two of the five years preceding the sale.

"I could sell it, make a couple hundred thousand dollars in profit, and not have to pay a penny in taxes — and either go and repeat the process somewhere else or go buy something with the gains and have a bigger, nicer place," said McNeeley, who plans to make a decision in July after doing an appraisal.

Nyasia Casey is testing a strategy she might want to scale: Building tiny homes

Nyasia Casey, who lives in New York City and owns investment properties in Baltimore, is excited about a new 2025 project: building a tiny home on a plot of land that her friends own in upstate New York.

"I'm going to buy a trailer and build a tiny house. I'm going to keep it on wheels so I can transport it if I wanted to go somewhere else with it — if I buy my own land," said Casey, who is starting the build in the spring.

She'll likely experiment with listing it on a short-term rental platform like Airbnb, she said: "I like the idea of it being a more affordable option for people to go and explore instead of renting something for $300 a night. So, it's something that I'm testing out and then if it works, I will definitely consider buying land and doing a couple more."

Dana Bull is experimenting with mid-term rentals

Massachusetts-based investor Dana Bull built wealth by following a specific strategy: buying quality properties with upside in solid areas and filling them with long-term tenants.

However, with the most recent property she purchased and renovated in 2023, she decided to experiment with operating a mid-term rental, which is a lease agreement that typically lasts between three and nine months.

"It's my first experience with something other than a long-term rental. I'm kind of in uncharted waters, but it's been great," said Bull, who plans to test out the mid-term rental strategy for at least 18 months. It's more work than managing a long-term tenant, but she said she's bringing in more revenue, which is helpful since she bought when interest rates were relatively high.

Bull has already refinanced once, which shaved about $250 off of her mortgage.

"I'd love it if they dropped again and I could save another 250," she said. "At that point, I probably would transition it to a long-term rental because it would be lucrative enough and less of a headache, but right now I'm just experimenting for my own curiosity and I want to understand more about this niche."

Karina Mejia is expanding her portfolio, starting with a BRRRR

Karina Mejia, who owns investment properties in Boston, where she lives, and Augusta, Georgia, sat out 2024 in terms of acquisition but plans to expand in 2025.

"I definitely would like to continue purchasing property primarily because of the tax advantages," she said. "This year, I didn't close on anything, and so I'm really going to see the effect of that on my taxes."

She's under contract for a three-family home in Boston and plans to close at the end of January.

"I'll end up renovating and BRRRR-ing it," said Mejia, who is also an agent and jumped on this property when she saw it. "I have it under agreement for 850 and the appraisal came back already at 930 in its as-is condition. I'm projecting to put some money into it and I know that the ARV, or the after-repair value, will end up being over a million so I may even be able to get back more money when I refinance than I'm putting into it, which would be great because then I get my money back and I can invest that in another property next year."

Peter Keane Rivera is leaning into his rent-by-the-room strategy

Part-time investor Peter Keane-Rivera, who owns single-family homes in the greater Seattle area, is leaning into his rent-by-the-room strategy.

"I'm looking to expand my single-family home, room rental portfolio," he said. "My strategy will be to accelerate my purchasing of real estate while learning how to scale my room rental operations."

Finding tenants to share a space hasn't been a challenge yet for Keane-Rivera, who lists his rooms on Roomster, Roomies, and Facebook Marketplace.

"There are a lot of different subgroups looking for something more economical: people coming out of college, people getting their first job, people who just got divorced," he said. "I would say everyone that rents with me is looking to save money."

The room rental strategy produces generous positive cash flow, around $1,000 a month per property, and lowers his risk, he said: "You diversify your cash flow by having four tenants under one roof instead of one. Very rarely will you have all your tenants move out, and if you do, that's indicative of some bigger problem that you should probably go fix."

• An Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38.
• An oxygen tank exploded before the crash, Kazakhstan's transport minister said.
• The plane was likely hit by Russian air defense before the crash, BI reported Thursday.

An oxygen tank on the Azerbaijan Airlines flight exploded before the plane crash, Kazakhstan's transport minister said.

It adds a little more detail to the series of events leading to the fiery crash landing of the Embraer 190 on Christmas Day that killed 38.

The minister, Marat Karabayev, did not say definitively that the oxygen-tank explosion was a direct cause of the crash.

He also did not say why it exploded. Analysts have blamed Russia, saying it likely fired an air-defense missile at the plane by mistake.

The plane was bound for Russia from Azerbaijan — but veered off course after sustaining some kind of damage, crossing the Caspian Sea to crash-land at the airport in Aktau, Kazakhstan.

At a press briefing Thursday, Karabayev said Kazakh authorities heard of the disaster from a Russian air-traffic controller. They said an oxygen cylinder had exploded in the passenger cabin of the aircraft, and that some passengers were losing consciousness.

Karabayev said this triggered an emergency response in Aktau. Rescuers were quickly on the scene and managed to rescue 29 of the 67 passengers.

The plane departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, early Wednesday, heading for Grozny, Russia.

Business Insider reported Thursday, citing reports from Euronews and The New York Times, that Azerbaijani investigators believed Russia shot the plane down.

Those sources pointed to a Russian Pantsir-S air-defense system.

Russia has said the plane diverted after a bird strike, and denied playing a role — an explanation analysts were swift to dismiss.

Osprey Flight Solutions, an aviation security firm, said in an alert sent to its clients and shared with BI that the flight was "likely shot down by a Russian military air-defense system of unspecified type/variant over the North Caucasus Federal District."

Kazakhstan's transport ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comments.

• Movie studios have new competition — from Madison Ave.
• A slew of brands got behind films and TV shows in 2024 as they try to combat ad fatigue.
• Here's what marketers from Walmart to H&R Block say about their approach to the format.

People are increasingly tired of seeing ads, so big brands, from Walmart to Chick-fil-A, have been getting behind filmed entertainment as a way to grab their attention.

Brands' dollars and ability to promote projects have been welcomed by Hollywood, which is still hungry for programming but has less money to buy it.

"Brands, platforms, and partners, they're all open for business more than I've ever seen," said Paul Furia, head of content and creative packaging at ad agency Media by Mother. "Everyone's having conversations."

2024 brought many new iterations of the branded content trend to life.

Mattel's success with 2023's "Barbie" notwithstanding, brands' comfort zones have largely been unscripted formats like documentaries. But 2024 saw some branch out to new formats like reality TV and game shows, which are cheap to make, crowd favorites, and lend themselves to product integration. Brands have also been getting into shoppable shows, a trend that's likely to continue as brands figure out how to get people to buy things straight from their TVs.

Read: Why Brands like Ally and H&R Block are making reality TV-style shows

New players are trying to capitalize. Many Hollywood production companies are actively pitching their talents to brands, from Michael Sugar's Sugar23 to Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment (which produced "The Day Sports Stood Still" alongside Nike) and Anonymous Content. New ones like Sonic Gods Studios are going a step further, using brands to fully finance TV shows from the start.

Top talent are no longer turning up their noses at brand films (or their money). Saint Laurent, for example, paired with Pedro Almodóvar and David Cronenberg to make films.

Read: 13 production companies helping Chase, Pepsi, and more brands make Hollywood movies and TV for streamers like Netflix

Streamers are willing partners in brand films. As streamers increasingly look to ad dollars to become profitable, they're rolling out the red carpet for brands. And brands want the distribution because it legitimizes their projects and helps ensure they get seen (and in some cases, even make a profit). They're also becoming more systematic about tracking measurement and results.

Read: Netflix and Amazon are duking it out over brand partnerships as streaming ads enter a new phase

Read more about how brands and partners are jumping on filmed entertainment:

• Amazon's newest branded entertainment show wants to tie its boxes to 'spreading joy'
• Walmart is betting this holiday movie can get you to spend more

• An unticketed passenger was caught on board a Delta Air Lines plane, officials from the airline said.
• The incident reportedly occurred on Christmas Eve at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
• It comes weeks after another person tried to fly from New York to Paris without a boarding pass.

A Delta Air Lines passenger was caught trying to fly to Hawaii without a boarding pass on Christmas Eve, several media outlets reported.

An unticketed passenger was discovered as Delta flight 487 was taxiing to the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Delta said in a statement to CBS News.

The Port of Seattle told CNN the plane then returned to the terminal, where the suspect departed. Police located them in an airport restroom using video surveillance, it added.

The passenger went through the usual security screenings but bypassed ID verification and boarding status stations, the Transportation Security Administration told CBS News.

The Port of Seattle Police told the outlet that investigators determined the unticketed passenger had passed through a security checkpoint the day before.

They were arrested for criminal trespass, the Port of Seattle said, per CBS News.

The Airbus A321neo departed more than two hours later than scheduled, according to data from Flightradar24. CBS reported that the TSA carried out additional security checks and rescreened customers while the aircraft was swept by K9 dogs.

"As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended," Delta said in a statement shared with multiple outlets. "We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation."

Delta, TSA, and the Port of Seattle did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider, which were sent outside regular working hours.

After a similar incident last month, 57-year-old Svetlana Dali was charged with being a stowaway on an aircraft after sneaking onto a Delta Air Lines service to Paris. If found guilty, she faces up to five years in prison.

The complaint against Dali, which BI has seen, says she boarded a Delta flight from New York to Paris without a boarding pass or a passport.

It added that she was able to pass through security by entering a special lane for airline staff. Dali is also said to have admitted in an interview with authorities that she intentionally evaded TSA and Delta staff to board the flight.

The incident is said to have occurred in late November, during another busy holiday period when Thanksgiving travel set records.

The TSA said it expected to screen nearly 40 million people at airports from December 19 to January 2, up 6.2% from 2023.

It said the busiest days would be December 20, 27, and 30.

• A safari vacation is filled with hidden costs.
• Before leaving, travelers pay for vaccines, visas, and necessary supplies for the trip.
• Once on a safari, costs like tipping and road transfers add up.

Whether you're staying in a five-star canvas tent at the edge of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park or heading on a budget safari in South Africa's Kruger National Park, a safari vacation is dotted with hidden costs.

These fees start before you even arrive at your destination. On a two-week trip across Tanzania, I encountered eight hidden costs that added thousands of dollars to the total of my trip. Take a look.

Before embarking on a safari, travelers are hit with hidden costs. One major one is vaccines and medication.

Vaccines and medications might be required for travel, depending on the destination. Uganda and Kenya, for instance, require a yellow fever vaccine before entering.

I was overwhelmed when I pulled up the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website to figure out what vaccines I needed for Tanzania. Over a dozen vaccines were listed. While some were routine, others were diseases I had never heard of.

To be safe, I met with a travel nurse who researched where I was going and advised me on what I did and didn't need. Altogether, I spent $250 on malaria medication, a Typhoid fever vaccine, and the consultation. That, along with over-the-counter medication, sunscreen, and bug spray, put this unexpected cost closer to $300.

Visas also aren't cheap. Tanzania's tourist visa, for example, costs $100.

While plenty of destinations require a visa, the cost can vary.

In Tanzania, travelers apply for a yearlong tourist visa, which costs $100. If they're heading to Tanzania's Zanzibar Island, visitors are required to pay another $40 for mandatory travel insurance.

Altogether, I spent $140 just to be able to start my safari vacation.

Safari-goers are encouraged to wear certain clothes and colors, which might require some shopping.

Whether it's a travel agent or a TikTok video you're referencing for packing advice, the source is bound to mention bringing neutral colors for your trip.

Visitors are encouraged to wear olive, tan, brown, and khaki colors for safaris. They should avoid blues and blacks because they can attract tsetse flies, which can carry a sleeping sickness disease. Meanwhile, bold colors can scare off animals.

While you might have some athletic clothes in this color palette, chances are you'll need to do some shopping for the trip.

For example, I didn't have a neutral-colored sweater or pair of pants for the trip. By the end of my shopping spree, I had spent nearly $150 on clothes — a number I didn't factor into my original budget.

The season you travel in will also have a major impact on the cost of your trip.

Lodges across the Serengeti typically price their accommodations based on the season. Some lodges have two categories: high season and low season. Others divide prices by peak, mid, and low season.

In the Serengeti, the high season includes June through October and the end of December. During this time, guests can expect to pay more for accommodations.

Depending on the lodge, peak prices cost travelers hundreds of dollars more than low-season prices.

Once you're in the country you're traveling to, hidden costs continue. Quick bush flights and road transfers can add up.

Tanzania is home to a myriad of ecosystems and habitats. The Serengeti is a main draw for tourists, but nearby areas like the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar Island are also popular stops on a Tanzania itinerary.

While many of these areas are short drives or flights away, the costs of road transfers and bush flights can add up if you're visiting multiple areas on vacation.

For example, a flight between Arusha and Zanzibar cost me $75, and a road transfer between two Zanzibar properties was $100. Within the Serengeti, a 30-minute bush flight between two lodges costs $300.

Transfers ended up being a major part of my safari budget, and I hadn't realized they would be so costly when I started planning the trip.

The rates for lodges often don't include conservation and park fees.

When researching the cost of a lodge or safari accommodation, travelers often see a sticker price for a night at the lodge.

While this price might include game drives, meals, and laundry services, it often doesn't include government levies, taxes, park fees, or conservation fees.

Those fees can add up. For example, I paid $283 in park and camping fees for a two-night stay within the Serengeti. At another lodge, the national park and concession fees were $271 for two nights.

Depending on the length of the trip, an extra $130 a night can quickly add up.

Some activities, like guided walks and community visits, might not be included in the stay.

As safari owners and travel agents have previously told Business Insider, these additional activities are worth it.

A guided walk in the bush, for instance, will give travelers a whole new perspective on the ecosystem. They'll see insects, birds, and plants that can't be spotted from a safari vehicle.

Similarly, community visits to learn about the history and culture of the Indigenous populations living in Tanzania offer new perspectives and global connections the average traveler doesn't get every day.

These activities were some of the highlights of my two-week Tanzania trip. While they had payoffs, they also cost extra. For example, I paid $100 for a community visit one day and $60 the next for a guided walk.

Tipping is another major cost to factor into your budget.

Tipping is customary across most of Africa; who you tip and how much you tip can quickly add up.

Meg van Niekerk, a safari planner for Go2Africa, explained that these tips support lodge staff, who often have spouses, parents, and children back home to support as well.

"It's like a blessing," van Niekerk said.

Fortunately, these costs are standardized, so it's something you can budget for ahead of time.

For example, Go2Africa recommends tipping $20 a day for your safari guide, $20 for general hotel staff, $15 for a butler, and $15 for your safari tracker.

There's also bound to be a few more people you didn't factor in — like the driver for a road transfer or a guide for a community visit. I found $100 to be a fair amount to budget per day for tips during my safari.

Van Niekerk added that this is "just a guideline," and travelers can tip more or less depending on their budget and the service they receive.

Research and talking to a travel agent before a trip can help you plan for hidden costs.

Sure, I knew a few bush flights and tips would impact the overall cost of my first safari, but I didn't know by how much.

Thankfully, conversations with travel agents helped me better understand just how much I could expect to pay for a safari vacation.

While the unexpected costs of a safari felt overwhelming at times, the experience was all worth it.

Van Niekerk put it best when she told me, "It starts with it being a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but you will come back."

Regardless of hidden fees, I don't doubt van Niekerk, and I'm sure I'll be back.

• At first, my financial habits clashed with my husbands. He prioritized saving over spending.
• He was able to retired at 40 by making smart choices and enjoying a modest lifestyle.
• Now that he's gone, I'm teaching our sons his financial strategies so they can live comfortable lives.

One of the first disagreements my husband and I ever had was over a pair of boots. They were creamy cocoa, knee-high suede, with a slender heel. I told him they were half-off the original $700.

"You spent three hundred and fifty dollars on a pair of shoes?" he asked, aghast.

It spiraled into a tedious argument, and I said what you should never say in any financial quarrel: "I spent my own money."

"That's not the point," my husband retorted. "When we have kids, we must be united on what we prioritize."

He was the saver, I was the spender.

After decades in sales, my husband was able to retire at 40, several years before we met. People assumed he'd had some stroke of fortune and that he now spent his time playing golf or buying art. But there was nothing glamorous about his choice. Long ago he'd calculated the passive income needed to support a modest lifestyle and stopped working once he hit that number. It was enough for a single man with limited expenses. Once I entered the picture, I kept working.

He was set in his ways

Over the years, I slowly absorbed his frugal habits. He scrutinized every credit card bill and regularly renegotiated cable and insurance rates. He drove the same car for 18 years. He only owned two pairs of shoes at any time. He bought his clothes at Goodwill — and he did that only on Tuesdays when seniors got 10% off. He railed against consumerism, fast-forwarding through commercials and firmly believing that most people need only a fraction of what corporate America tries to sell them.

Adjusting to his mindset wasn't easy. I'd been a fashion editor, where a designer wardrobe was part of the job. I loved luxury hotels, roomy airline seats, and instant solutions — like buying a new dining set when a chair broke. (My husband would simply pull a spare chair from the garage, unconcerned that it didn't match.)

He wanted to teach our kids to be savers

After our sons were born, my husband opened custodial accounts, bought them piggy banks, and read them illustrated books about saving.

While thrifty, he was never cheap — especially when it came to his family. He bought organic berries and antibiotic-free chicken. When our older son showed promise on the piano, my husband enrolled him in $200-an-hour master classes. (Now 23, that son is a professional pianist and composer with millions of TikTok views.) When our younger son became fascinated with aviation, my husband booked discovery flights and invested in remote-controlled airplanes. (At 19, he's now a flight instructor.) Fundamentally, my husband believed money should support a sterling interior life — physical well-being, emotional wholeness, a refined intellect — not "flash and fripperies," as he'd say.

Now I'm carrying on his lessons

My husband passed away from a heart attack during COVID. In the lockdown, my career as a freelance writer languished. The boys were entering periods in their lives when we had to think about college, cars, and the hellish landscape that is auto insurance for young drivers. My husband had always believed in saving for a rainy day and in his passing, we were in the middle of a downpour.

Luckily, our sons have their father's mindset. They shop on eBay, and live at home to "stack cash." I opened brokerage accounts for them. They have yet to embrace a long-term view, rolling their eyes when I explain compound interest and what they could save by 40. "We'll probably be living in a post-apocalyptic world anyway," they say.

"Be that as it may," I reply, "just stash a few dollars a day and see what happens. It's what your dad did."

For me now, saving is the new spending. When I recently needed a winter coat, I drove past the alluring store windows, and straight to Goodwill. And, in my husband's honor, I waited till Tuesday.