Yes, it sucks when you don’t have someone to go somewhere with. Yet, why let it stop you? Like most travelers, wanderers, or out-and-about people I’ve met in person or virtually, overall we don’t. Mainly, it’s all in how you perceive it.

My main argument for going solo is to avoid having what I call your “have not’s” stop you. What do I mean by that? Well, I know there can be countless reasons for letting “have not’s” hesitate or even prevent people from going alone. Probably the top one on everyone’s list is feeling weird if you’re seen there myself. True, it can be awkward when someone spots you and, for some reason, brings up that fact. Still, don’t let that make you miss out on visiting a place or going to an event.

Going back to not having someone, that’s one point I can understand. It’s hard when none of your friends can’t go, or maybe your relatives won’t, or even when you’re single at times. However, there have been some times when the opposite scenario can also make your plans a bit dicey.

With an ex-boyfriend of mine, I literally had to push him to go with me on a trip down south, even down to booking both of our plane tickets and hotel/rental car reservations on my credit card. And once we were there, he eventually seemed into it. Although our relationship ended for other reasons, I realized that it was a lot to have to push to get him to travel and that I probably would have been better of going more on my own or with my still then-single girlfriends. “Pushing” someone to go places with you can take the fun out of the experience.

And yes money can be an issue as well, yet with some advance planning and leg work, there are few ways to work with that concern. Here are some tips that to venturing out on your own a bit easier:

– Go early. Hit up festivals or museums during the day time or perhaps after they open when crowds might not be as big yet. If you’re also crowd shy, it’s a good way to get in and around your venue.

– If you haven’t heard of Meetup yet, sign up for a free account. It’s a great website where people can start groups centered on common interests by location. Many groups hold “meet ups” at events ranging from festivals to movie nights or locations such as for outdoor or culinary pursuits. With costs, they can vary depending on the group’s host.

– Group bus tours may be cheesy but if you wanted to see a certain place or area in your region at least once in your life, it’s worth giving them a try. After hearing about from friends and seeing their pictures, I booked a reasonably priced bus trip to Arthur Avenue in The Bronx, which is their version of “Little Italy.” I am not an aggressive driver, so the thought of me and my car in New York City is not really a good idea.

– Read up before going. Yes, like a trip, check out directions, location, times and special offerings since they can not only save you time but also save you money. I receive promotional emails from a theater company that give me a discount code on most Broadway productions. I also subscribe to blogs based in my region that cover the foodie scene.

– Also, consider signing up for vendor deals as now more of these companies sell discounted tickets or packages to events or day-trips. Last year, I was able to get a fair price pass to one of the New York City Food & Wine Festival activities. Yeah, I went stag but I enjoyed many chef takes on fried chicken and bumped into Whoopi Goldberg, the event’s host.

Hope you go out and do something similar. Or whatever you want!