Most people want to travel.
It offers the chance to get away from your regular life and travel comes with the possibility of experiencing new places and meeting new people.
Even as attractive as travel is, so many people fail to go on the trips they desire because they believe they can’t afford it.
While travel does come with some costs, it does not have to be as expensive as you may think it is. You can even get free vacations with house sitting.
There are several ways that a person can cut the cost of travel, and when it is done right, it is something that almost any person can afford.
In this post, we are going to cover nine simple tips that can help you stretch your travel budget.
Table of Contents
How To Make Your Travel Money Go Further
Have A Plan – And Stick To It!
You need to have a plan if you are going to travel on a budget. Hitting the road spontaneously and winging it are for people that have money to burn.
You don’t necessarily have to plan out every detail down to the minutia, but you should take the time to plan out most of your stops.
How long you are going to stay at different places and a budget for things like food and entertainment.
The more you plan, the less you leave to chance, and that reduces the possibility of unexpected expenses.If you want to keep topping up your money, you can try making money while traveling. This is how we house sat and traveled the world for 4 years.
Book Flights As Early As You Can
Airline tickets are available many months in advance, and it is generally true that tickets are cheaper when you book them as early as possible.
Trying to travel with just a week or two before departure is going to make the trip more expensive in a number of ways, but the increased cost of airfare is where you are going to see the most notable difference.
If you are going to fly, try to plan the trip as far in advance as you can.
Be Savvy With Your Accommodation
Accommodation can be one of the most expensive parts of a trip, but if you do it right, it can you get free or cheap accommodation and get some huge savings.
To save money on lodging, the first thing you want to do is forget about the big hotels. They are nice, and they do offer a lot of additional services, but the cost makes them a bad choice for people traveling on a budget.
In many countries, they have smaller independent hotels that are much more affordable. If you are looking to save more, you could also consider staying in a hostel or a cheaper alternative to a hostel is house sitting.
The modern digital age has also brought us some affordable travel options like Airbnb, HomeAway and Couchsurfing.
Fly At The Right Time
For many people, flying on the weekends seems like the logical choice. However, weekend flights tend to be more expensive.
If your schedule is flexible, you should try to fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday. You will be able to fly for less, and as an added benefit, the airports are usually less crowded during the week.
Use Cheap Transport
Once you arrive at your destination, you are going to need to be able to get around. As a person that is traveling in a budget, renting a car is out of the question, and if you can, you want to avoid paying for taxis.
If you want to save a little money, you should use public transportation as much as possible. You might need to hire a taxi for some trips, but buses and trains will be cheaper if they can get you where you are going.
Create and Stick To A Food Budget
Food is one of the most important parts of budgeting for a trip. If you just eat at the restaurants that are in tourist areas, the cost is going to add up.
If you can get away from the tourist spots, you can save money by eating in the same places locals do. If you are staying in a place with a kitchen, you could save even more by buying food at the market and cooking it yourself.
Travel In The Off Season
The peak travel seasons are the most expensive times to take a vacation. If you want to cut the cost of your trip, traveling off-season is one of the best options.
This means avoiding travel during the summer or during any school holidays. Along with saving you money, this has the added benefit of being a time when there will be fewer people in the tourist destinations.
This not only means cheaper flights and accommodations, but it also means less of a crowd at the local attractions.
Try A Working Holiday
Most people travel to get away from work, but some travel trends have people taking holidays that involve work.
You could potentially find a job in a foreign destination and there are also organisations that arrange volunteer travel.
You will have to do some work, but it can be a great way to spend months or even a few years experiencing another country and learning about its culture.
How About House Sitting Your Way Around The World?
