This hotel room in Santa Elena, Costa Rica was about $21/night and came with a free cooked-to-order breakfast. It had a private bathroom with hot water and it was clean and safe. In other places, you could pay $21/night and wind up with a dirty room that is unsafe and in itself a risk to your continued enjoyment of the trip.
It's great to pay $21 (or even less) for a place to sleep. But don't be so eager to return home with a great story about your hotel bargain that you fall into a situation where you bring home stories of being robbed or sharing your room with vermin. It's just not worth saving a few dollars if you're going to sacrifice safety or cleanliness.
Find ways to keep yourself safe from the pitfalls of finding a bargain.
