Social media made budget travel look way easier than it actually is

I feel like TikTok and Instagram really romanticized “budget travel” to the point where it’s kind of misleading. You see people hopping between countries saying it’s cheap, but they never mention all the hidden costs or how much time it actually takes to plan everything.

Like yes, you can travel cheap, but it’s not as effortless as people make it seem. It takes time, flexibility, and honestly a lot of trial and error.

Curious if others feel the same or if I’m just doing something wrong.