She looked at me with perfect makeup and said, that will be $100 additional.

I looked back at her and asked, “Why?”

It was the same old answer from an airline employee who had grown use to people groaning and complaining about added cost. She was friendly, but unphased.

My luggage was over the weight limit which they just reduced this year, and I had to pay double to check my bag. I had a 32-inch computer monitor in my luggage.

That was it.

I would learn to pack everything I owned into one carryon, one backpack and perhaps one shoulder bag that I could place under my jacket.

The baggage fees were destroying my travel budget.

I get $400 airfare to travel from point A to point B, every three or six months, depending on how long I am staying in a country. Usually you can leave one country and fly to another country for under $400 one-way.

But not always.

It is difficult to get out of Brazil, and back to North America, especially if you are in Southern Brazil for under $400 including luggage. However, it is doable. And it is almost impossible to get across the pond, North America to Europe for less than $400, but it is doable if you sign up for airfare notifications.