Traveling is a luxury not everyone can afford. From the private tour packages that cost thousands of dollars to the five-star hotels that charge you $300 a night, traveling can put a strain on your finances. Fortunately, traveling doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, there are a lot of ways to slash costs without making the experience less fun and safe. Read on further as we discuss seven ways to travel on a shoestring budget.
Book ASAP
Book your flights and lodging as early as possible. The simple fact of the matter is, prices tend to go up as you get closer to your trip. A $600 roundtrip ticket to the Carribean today could end up costing double that a month or two from now. Book train rides, car rentals, hotel rooms, and flights as soon as possible. That being said, go for hotels or airlines that allow free cancellation of your reservations. Since you have a gap between when you booked the reservation and the actual trip, you’d want some flexibility to back out without incurring charges in case your circumstances change.
Travel During Off-Peak Hours
It’s a well-known fact that traveling is a seasonal and cyclical phenomenon. While it’s good to try and be spontaneous sometimes, you should avoid making any travel plans during peak seasons, says Rusty Tweed, an experienced economist and finance expert. Boutiques will be lined with customers, hotspots engulfed by tourists and their selfie-sticks, and prices will often be higher than usual since there is a much greater demand for products/services. If you only have time to make one long trip per year, choose an off-peak month to travel. However, as Rusty Tweed warns, the off-peak months in one state or country might be different from that of another country’s, so make sure to do some diligent research on your specific travel destination’s peak seasons.
Don’t Be Picky
With a shoestring budget, you cannot afford to be picky. Although photos of you in London or New York will get a lot of views and likes on Instagram, there are many cheaper alternatives for travel destinations around the world. Your U.S. dollars will have more buying power in countries, like India, Nepal, and the Philippines. For European destinations, there is Budapest in Hungary and Prague in the Czech Republic. Of course, you don’t need to cross off pricier travel destinations. You can still manage to travel these highly popular and in-demand metropolitan cities by going for cheaper lodging and flight alternatives.
Be Friendly
Meeting new people can enrich your travel experience, not to mention save you a couple of bucks. Locals know the best places to find cheap, but good food and they know less popular hotspots that are worthwhile visiting and are usually free. Joining a group of other travelers can also let you take advantage of group discounts at hostels and restaurants. =
Consider Couching It
Renting a couch for the night might not be the most comfortable sleeping arrangement, but it sure is the cheapest. Couchsurfing is one of the newest traveling trends today. With sites, like Couchsurfing.com, it’s easy to find locals who are willing to host you for a night or two. This can be a great way to learn more about the place’s culture through the eyes of locals living in it and, of course, save from hotel expenses. Aside from Couchsurfing, you can also look for rooms to rent for the night through travel sites, like Airbnb. The units you find here tend to be much cheaper than traditional serviced rooms at hotels.
Ditch the Souvenirs
Souvenirs are overrated; it costs money and space on your luggage. And while most travelers already know this, they still choose to buy them, thinking that it’s a must to return home bearing gifts to the friends and family they have left behind. But quite frankly, the souvenirs you pick up from your travels will most likely end up in a dark corner of someone else’s house, collecting dust. Ditch the souvenirs and travel light.
Travel on Two Wheels
Rental cars can cost anywhere between $30 to $100 a day, plus gas and additional mileage. Zipcar, for instance, costs an average of $16 per hour. Go for a more budget-friendly way of traveling, according to Rusty Tweed. You can rent bikes for as low as $10 a day. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous and eccentric, go for a pair of rollerblades instead. Regardless, choosing to travel this way yields lower costs and lower carbon footprint, not to mention you can easily park it anywhere you go.
Traveling isn’t merely for the wealthy. With a dash of resourcefulness and some relevant travel advice like the ones aforementioned above, you can log more miles under your belt without breaking the bank.
