Back before telecommuting, I learned to really love solo travel. But those articles all sound like tips for how to ruin a nice solo vacation by forcing too much interaction with others. $50/night motel rooms in Redlands, Hesperia, or Fresno were great ways to ski Big Bear, Mountain High, China Peak, and Badger Pass on a budget. Otherwise pretty much just day trips when I've lived outside California.
Now that I get to telecommute, I find that I'm much more tolerant of extra socializing. But I'm enough of an introvert and have such fond memories of solo trips that I still enjoy them. I usually either won't drink or will limit myself to one when traveling solo, and that right there helps keep the costs down considerably. Another tip... bring a good book for meals and downtime.