As a teenager, I didn't think I was the kind of person who traveled to other countries. But when a generous teacher paid for half of a school trip to German-speaking countries, a whole new world opened up to me. I realized that I was the kind of person who traveled to other countries, and I had to figure out how to get back.

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Fast-forward to a family and a farm. I desperately wanted my daughters to grow up beyond the boundaries of our small farming village, but traveling is expensive. I didn't do so great on that trip, but I learned a lot.

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Two years later, I traveled to England with one of my daughters: 10 days in London, Leeds and Coventry. We spent less than $3,000 total, including airfare, accommodations, public transit and food.

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Two years after that, all four of us traveled to England, France and Germany. I hunted down deals on just about everything, including an overnight stay in a castle (which had been converted to a youth hostel).

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We've taken several trips since then, and I've taken careful notes each time. It's safe to say I've made buckets of mistakes along the way, but I've learned from them.

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And now you can, too.