Our travel dreams and wanderlust desires are always getting stronger, but the economy isn’t getting any better. This doesn’t mean that you should give up travelling as there is always a way around it. If you play your cards right, plan wisely and manage well, your low budget won’t make your travel less exciting. In fact, you can even do more while keeping your budget intact. You just have to be smart about it, hence, here are 10 tips to help you!
1. Do research – You won’t believe how many people travel without doing proper research on the country of visit. Google will be your best friend and a travel guide will really be useful. Find out more about tourist scams, if any, city passes that offer discounts and promos, as well as more information about eateries, places to visit, and tips and tricks that would keep you wary at all times and spend wisely.
2. Get a rented car and go on a roadtrip – Instead of flying, taking trains or taking a bus from city to city, rent a car to move around if it is more convenient in your country of visit. If you’re travelling with a partner or with a small group, that’s even better as the cost for the car rental and gas would be split amongst a few people. Public transportation can be expensive and with your own mode of transport, you’ll also be able to stop as you go whenever it suits your fancy.
3. Get localized – To truly experience the country you’re travelling in, get localized – eat, commute, visit places and party like the locals do. Try to avoid tour groups as the tour guides usually bring clueless visitors to expensive restaurants and cut-throat shopping destinations, probably for the reason that they are getting paid a certain amount of commission whenever you spend. Get to know some of the locals and ask them about the most authentic no-frills eateries, bars, cool places only locals visit and such.
4. Go for hostels, apartment or home rentals – Instead of a hotel, opt for a dormitory-style hostel instead. There will be the basics you need – WiFi, a clean bed and a bathroom. If you don’t like sharing, you can always request for a private room with a bathroom attached. Another alternative would be to look online for apartment or home rentals, for a slightly more comfortable setting. Accommodation takes up a lot of the expenditure when travelling, so it’s best you look for ways to cut down on the costs.
5. Try couch surfing – If you’re brave enough, why not sleep at strangers’ homes while you travel? This will save you a lot of money on accommodation, and if your host makes delicious home-cooked food for you, you wouldn’t have to eat out that often! It’s a win-win, isn’t it? We understand that it might sound a little dodgy and unsafe, but there is a whole community on couch surfing online and it’s super interesting. Visit this website for more information!
6. Go to the grocery store – Instead of buying mineral water and snacks from your hotel or hostel, head to the nearest grocery store to get what you want because hotels and hostels usually jack up the prices of regular sundries you can get anywhere else for a fraction of the cost. Additionally, if you have a kitchen, do utilize it and cook meals for yourself. We get it – a huge part of travelling is experiencing the local cuisine, but this doesn’t mean that you have to eat out for all meals throughout the day.
7. Be flexible – You can plan, but make sure to stay flexible when it comes to travelling on a budget. By being spontaneous, you will also be able to save unnecessary costs that may be involved. Instead of booking and paying for everything before your travel, take it slow, get recommendations from other people, learn about how things work in your country of visit, make notes and decide as you go. This way, you can spend wisely when you’ve got yourself sorted out, feeling comfortable at your own pace.
8. Travel off-season – This is a no-brainer, but it’s always best to travel when it is the off-peak season as it is more affordable and less crowded. Accommodation and sometimes, transportation will be slightly cheaper to encourage tourism, so take advantage of this. Take note of the public holidays, changing seasons and school breaks of your country of visit. With less people strolling around hot tourist spots, you’ll feel more comfortable doing your own thing and it’s possibly even more enjoyable too.
9. Fly open-jaws – Plan your travel and save heaps of time plus moolah by getting into one city and getting out from another. Heading back to your starting point after you’ve travelled about eight hours to another city would cause stress and it is unnecessary. Consider your beginning and end points of your trip so that you can book your flight tickets accordingly. This way, you can also maximise your travel time and do more!
10. Follow after a disaster or crisis – Whenever a country has been hit by a natural disaster, political crisis or anything similar, choose to visit that place, well, unless it’s really life-threateningly dangerous. Accommodation, flight tickets and shopping will be way cheaper because of the lack of tourists during that period of time and sometimes in some ways, the government would subsidize the travel to encourage tourism. If you’re lucky, your accommodation would get upgraded for free.
Let loose, good luck and have fun! 😉
