When I left Toronto last November it was my first yearlong experiment with budget travel.

I was excited, but worried and a little anxious about all the unknowns. What would it really be like travelling cheap? Would budget hostel and guesthouses be clean? Is it safe to eat food from street vendors? What sort of people would I meet? Could I travel safely on my budget?

Five months into my trip, I’m having the time of my life. I’ve seen fabulous sites, made wonderful new friends, and stuck to my budget spending on average of under $900 a month to travel through six Asian countries.

Here are five things I worried about that aren’t true.

Myth 1: Hostels are dirty and sketchy

My biggest concern travelling alone was my safety and the security of my valuables.

To my surprise, for between $5 and $12 a night I’ve found bright, clean and safe hostel dorms and single rooms. Some even had crisp linens and fluffy white blankets. I used hostelworld.com to search for accommodations, filtering results by traveler ratings, photos and availability of security lockers and WiFi.

After five months of travel in India and Southeast Asia, I haven’t seen a bed bug or lost any valuables.

Myth 2: Street food makes you sick

My first street food experience was in India eating a samosa wrapped in a piece of newspaper, while a cow stood next to me eating food scraps off the ground.

I felt unhygienic and uncomfortable eating this way. However, I soon realized street food is quite safe and an easy way to enjoy local culture. It’s also delicious and cheaper than restaurants.

I’ve eaten street food daily in the past months, from sushi ($1 for 3-6 pieces in Thailand), roasted pigeon ($4 for the whole bird in Vietnam), smoothies in plastic bags ($1.25 in Malaysia), to fried silkworms ($1 a bag in Bangkok).

I haven’t been sick or even had indigestion. When eating street food, I follow the local crowd and avoid food that’s been sitting outside a long time.

Myth 3: Budget travelers are poor

I used to think only students or the unemployed traveled for extended periods. But just at my $5 U.S. dorm in Hanoi, Vietnam I met New Zealand lawyers, German Microsoft employees, Australian PhD students and Thai corporate marketers.

Other long-term budget travelers I’ve met include Luxemburg auditors, San Francisco investment bankers, Canadian crown prosecutors and software developers.

I’ve realized many long-term budget travelers are just “regular” people, like my friends and colleagues at home.

Myth 4: Budget travel limits your experiences

Considering the cost of tourist attractions in Toronto, like the CN Tower or the Toronto Zoo, I thought being on a budget would negatively impact my travel experiences. However, visiting World Wonders haven’t cost than a large lunch or dinner in Toronto. For example,

• Taj Mahal, India - $18 or 750 rupees

• Angkor Wat, Cambodia - $20 U.S. for a one day pass

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• Halong Bay, Vietnam - $43 U.S. for a 3 day trip

Some of the best experiences have been free, like night markets in Thailand, waterfront concerts in Singapore, or 10-day meditation courses in Malaysia.

I found these experiences through my Lonely Planet guide, talking to travellers or asking the guesthouse for recommendations.

Myth 5: Budget travel requires lots of planning

When I normally plan trips, I start weeks in advance and regularly checked travel websites for hotel deals and flight sales.

On this trip, I didn’t plan everything before I left and was concerned I’d be disadvantaged from not booking in advance.

However, it’s been cheaper in Asia to book tours and accommodations locally. Many low-cost guesthouses and tour companies I’ve used aren’t listed online. For example, my $5 guesthouse in northern Thailand isn’t listed on any travel booking website nor in Lonely Planet.

Hotel/guesthouses and tour offices have also been good sources of information, even when I didn’t end up booking with them.

Budget travel has been safer and easier than I expected. It is possible to have life-changing travel experiences, if you’re on a budget.

Also read:

How to travel on the cheap in Asia

Always buy airline tickets after midnight

Toronto resident Lily Leung has taken a year off to travel. She blogs at exploreforayear.com