Traveling can be expensive. No doubt about it. Depending on where you want to go, what you want to do, and where you want to stay, your budget can seem to be blown in an instant. But you still need to get out there and see the world! Here are some easy to follow tips for those traveling on a budget.
Know Before you Go
Before you decide on any travel plans, you need to know what your budget is. How much are you willing to drop on your vacation? The reasoning is obvious. If you only have $1,000 to spend on a week-long trip, there are certain places you can strike from your list before you start planning. Traveling on a budget is hard if you don’t know what your budget is!
Be Flexible
Certain times of the year are more expensive than others. Certain days of the week are cheaper to fly than others. If you are flexible with your travel dates, you are more likely to find a deal, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars.
Try scheduling your vacation on the fringe of the busy dates for a location. Think about an extremely popular destination, Disney World. Disney is beyond crowded during the Christmas Season. Going between Christmas and New Years is asking for long lines and wait times. Is it still magical? Of course it is! But also crazy. If you want to experience that same magic, go the first week or two of December. The prices will be cheaper, the crowds will be less and you will still get to experience the special holiday decorations and atmosphere! That’s a win-win!
Picking Where You Stay is Key
The place you stay can make or break your entire vacation. Sleep on a mattress that hurts your back every night will turn your vacation into a nightmare. So you want to make sure you get the best place possible. That does not mean it has to be super expensive. There are plenty of websites you can use to find the best deal possible. I have had great luck with Hotels.com when planning our vacations.
Something else to consider when picking your hotel: Breakfast Options. A hotel that includes a free continental breakfast, or coupons for a local breakfast not far from the hotel each morning is a dream for those traveling on a budget! You can save right around $10 per person, per day with that option! Huge money saver right off the bat.
Hit Up The Local Grocery Store
When my wife and I travel, we like to only go to a restaurant for dinner. Not only do you spend a lot of time in restaurants, which means less hiking for us, but they can be expensive! So how do we avoid it? We go to the grocery store on our first day! We pick up a bunch of snacks and other items we can use to make ourselves lunches and breakfasts if they aren’t included with the hotel. Usually, we get things that do not need to be refrigerated to avoid that hassle.
Things like nuts, apples, bananas, peanut butter, and bread will keep us full during those long hikes during the day and keep your energy high! Best of all, that stuff is delicious! We can spend $20 at a grocery store or well over $100 eating out for lunch. The choice is easy!
Will a Credit Card Help?
Now this is not to say credit cards are your savior, but when planning for a trip, they can save you big bucks. How? Points! I love the points I get on my credit card and cannot wait to use them to save on flights to our next destination. We used them to save hundreds of dollars on flights to California to visit the National Parks there. Unfortunately, that trip had to be cancelled due to the global pandemic but the point remains! Use those points to reduce your expenses immensely! As long as you keep that credit card paid off that is.
Make Shopping Off Limits
Do you know what can add up? Picking up little chachkies from every place you travel. Especially if you buy things for each member of your family. Do you know what these things will do in your house? Collect dust. You may be happy you bought them in the moment but that happiness will probably fade away until you forget all about the item.
Do you know what won’t fade? The memories you make on your trip. The experiences you have with the people you love. Those will be remembered for your entire life. So do yourself a favor and skip the shopping. Save some money and create memories. You will be glad you did. An easy and inexpensive way to remind you of those experiences is to buy a post card you can keep as a remembrance.
Tuesday Travel Time
Flights on Tuesdays are almost always cheaper than the other days of the week. There is less demand on Tuesdays which lowers the cost. Try traveling out and back on Tuesdays to save some cash.
Get Your Walk On
Going to a big city? Skip the public transportation. Don’t call any overpriced taxis. Get a comfortable pair of shoes and get walking! This will allow you to explore all the nooks and crannies of the city you are in while saving money in the process. You will also burn more of those pesky calories from the big dinner you had the night before! We love walking and exploring, seeing everything a place has to offer.
Traveling on a Budget
Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive. We have all heard stories of people backpacking around the world with barely any money to their names. What do they have that you don’t? They aren’t worried about the money. They know the tricks of the trade to get to where they want to go on the cheap. Using some of the tips and tricks above will let you start feeling the same way! Now get out there and start exploring the world! Create those memories that will last a lifetime!