Traveling on a Budget
January 24, 2017
Okay friends, in this post I am going to share with you how to travel on a budget. EWW! I know that word “budget” just sends a tingle down your spine. No one loves making a budget, let alone keeping that budget. So hopefully here are a few easy tips to help you save money while traveling but still enjoy doing so!
1. Be Flexible: This could not be more true. If you are willing and able to be flexible, you can save bundles of money. For example, when booking a flight make sure to change the date at the top of the page to be flexible for a deal. If you are able to change the date you fly based on a good deal, that is automatic savings. If you also have the flexibility of being inconvenienced in traveling you can really score some savings. There were times when we would book the cheapest flights with really long layovers in airports at 3 AM but it was so worth it! We saved a bundle and not getting sleep for a day was well worth it.
2. Take public transportation: Buses, trains and subways are the way to go. If you are able to take them, then I 100% recommend you do. Taxis are always so expensive when it comes to traveling. But if you hop on the local subway, there is no way that you can be overcharged. Prior to traveling to a new city, do research on the cheapest ways to get around so that you can be prepared ahead of time. This will save you the hassle of looking at all of the options and you will know exactly where to go!
3. Take advantage of the “free” things: Whether it be free museums or the local night markets. If it is free, then do it! You seriously have nothing to lose and will get to experience something new at no cost to you. Little word of advice, make sure you always double check a website prior to going somewhere, sometimes they post deals that you may not know about so it is always good to double check!
4. Spend more time in fewer places: Sure you want to visit all of the tiny islands off the coast of Thailand, but if you stay at one place close to the islands, it would be a lot cheaper to take day trips there. While in Taiwan, we took this advice to the extreme. Due to how Airbnb works, you get higher discounts the more you stay at one place. So instead of us booking a Airbnb for just two weeks (because that was all we needed), we booked it for three because it was cheaper! Isn’t that crazy how that works? But it does, so take full advantage of it.
NOTE: All Airbnb's have different policies, so make sure to look at the fine print of the location to see the different rates and deals prior to booking.
NOTE: All Airbnb's have different policies, so make sure to look at the fine print of the location to see the different rates and deals prior to booking.
5. Cook your own meals: Sure you want to experience all of the yumminess that the place you are visiting has to offer, but traveling on a budget also means a little bit of sacrificing. So if you have the ability to cook breakfast, grab some food from the local grocery store or pack a sack lunch, you will save a lot of money. Don’t worry you will still eat your way in treats so you won’t miss out too much!
I hope that these five simple tips are not too painful for all of you travel lovers out there! Trust me, traveling on a budget can still be just as enjoyable as having unlimited funds. Some of the best memories I made traveling was trying new ways of doing things so that I could save money. I have no regrets sticking to a budget and love the feeling of saving money while doing what I love. Budgeting ultimately will help you make the most out of your trip without the stress of finances. So start saving, get planning and grab that red eye plane ticket for a steal of a deal. Thanks for reading along. xoxo