5 Money Saving Tips for Travel on a Budget
Traveling is an amazing way to experience new cultures and destinations all around the world. Traveling also helps us learn more about ourselves, which can lead to great growth and personal development. And after global isolation what better time to spread our wings and see more of this beautiful planet? However, with the cost of flights rising every year, it can be difficult to travel on a budget. That's where I come in! As a full-time traveler on a budget I’ve learned some great ways to save money whilst traveling along the way. Here are some of my top tips on how you can save money while traveling:
1. Travel with free accommodation
Accommodation makes up a huge percentage of travel costs but if the price of hotels is too high and the comfort of hostels is too low, you do have other options! Finding alternative accommodation is easier than you might think, there are plenty of options out there that might work for you. Here are a few of them…
housesitting – discover free & unique homestays around the world in exchange for caring for homes and animals.
workaway – contribute a pre-agreed amount of time per day in exchange for lodging and food.
woofing – participate in the daily life of your host, help on the farm and learn about sustainability to receive free room and board during your stay.
2. extend your trip
If you’re paying for your accommodation then booking a long-term rental means you can save up to 80% of the price compared to booking shorter stays and it also means you’ll be saving money on flights or trains in between locations which can add up to a hefty amount. Slow travel is a big money saver for accommodation and transport for full or part-time travellers.
3. Ditch the hire car
When booking your destination choose somewhere you know you’ll be able to get around on foot or with public transport. City breaks are always a safe bet but I’ve also stayed in rural mountain villages this way and been able to walk, hike, and hitch rides with locals when I needed to. It totally depends what you’re up for, but if you’re not into walking so much then booking a city break is a great way to save money… plus walking means you’ll often stumble across more secret locations and interesting side-streets.
4. Talk with the locals
Often the recommended places online are around tourist traps and high streets which means they’ll also have tourist and highstreet prices. I like to ask locals in person or by using local Facebook groups what the best places are to eat, do and see things in the area. This is not only where you’re going to see more authentic culture and find hidden gems but you’re also going to side-step the hiked up prices.
5. Combine work and play
If you have a job that you take take on the road then working while you travel is as sustainable as it gets! During the pandemic a lot of people realised that their job could be done from home and managers discovered they didn’t need to pay for offices and could reduce their overheads by allowing people to work remotely so there are now an increasing number of remote jobs. If you can work from anywhere, why not work from everyehere?
Saving money on travel isn't hard, it just takes a little creativity, flexibility and thinking outside of the box.
