Do you want to travel more often and for longer?
Do you want financial independence?
Do you want your bank account to stop holding back your adventures?
Do you want to save MILLIONS!?!?!?
Okay, we might not be able to save you millions but if you follow these budget travel tips you will definitely cut the cost of your travels. And what does more money mean? It means you can travel more often and for longer – perfect!
These budget travel tips will help make your travels more affordable no matter where you are in the world. This doesn’t mean compromising on your experiences or enjoyment, a lot of these tips can actually make your adventures more memorable!
So what are these budget travel tips then?
Keep track of your money
Our top budget travel tip: keep track of your spendings! There are plenty of apps which do this but we think a pen and pad is good enough – we like the small spiral bound ones. It’s not always easy to check your bank balance or to know how much you’ve been spending so make a habit of writing everything down at the end of the day.
Live like a local
The locals know ALL the budget travel tips. Eat what they eat, travel how they travel and sleep where they sleep (not literally) and you’re sure to save a bunch of money.
Have a budget
Everyone’s budget is different but make sure you know your own. Plan the length of your trip and what you’ll be doing so you can work out a daily budget.
Make your bank your friend
Pick the right bank account and you can get free withdrawals and no commission. Pick the wrong one and you could be stung for even thinking about withdrawing money abroad. Here’s a good guide for travellers’ bank accounts.
Get off the beaten track
It’s a fact that tourist hotspots are more expensive. Get away from the crowds and watch your spendings drop!
Carry the right amount of money
No matter who you bank with sometimes you can’t avoid ATM charges. Take out large bundles of cash so you don’t keep having to pay the charges just make sure you keep that money safe. These travel money belts are our choice for keeping cash secure.
Get surfing
Look online for all the best budget travel tips. Local bloggers are a great source of information and you can also search for vouchers and coupons.
Staying with Airbnb? This discount code will save you £25 on your first booking!
Embrace that kitchen!
In most countries it’s much cheaper cooking in your accommodation than eating out. Kitchens are also great spots for meeting other travellers so you can make some amigos whilst saving money!
Be sceptical
It’s always good to be open minded however if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
Learn the local language
A crucial budget travel tip which can save you tons of money is learning the local language. You don’t have to become fluent but learn the numbers and enough to ask the price of things e.g ‘how much is that’, ‘that’s too expensive’. It’s also a good way to make friends with the locals as you practice the lingo!
Ask travellers for their budget travel tips
Besides the locals other travellers are great resources for budget travel tips. Look for that veteran travel who has ‘done it all’ in the country and ask for suggestions and advice.
READ MORE: Check Out These Awesome Solo Travel Destinations
Agree a price before and don’t pay upfront
Always make sure you agree a price before committing to something. Although it’s not always possible try to pay for things afterwards to make sure you’ve been happy with the service.
Read reviews
Let other travellers make the mistakes so you don’t have to. Get on TripAdvisor to look at comments and reviews to make sure a company is reliable.
Volunteering is the way to go
Along your travels you will probably come across a whole host of volunteer opportunities. Many of these will give you food and accommodation so it’s a great way to save money. Check out Woofing, Workaway and Helpx for some great experiences.
Hitchhike
A great way to get around and generally it’s free. Hitchhiking does take some time getting used to but it can be a hugely rewarding experience that will save a crazy amount over the course of your trip. Here’s an awesome hitchhiking guide with all the information you need!
Go for a carry-on
With many airlines charging to check bags in you can save a lot of money and energy just using a carry-on. Besides this it’s quite liberating travelling lightly, just make sure you pack wisely so you don’t have to buy things once you’ve left the country.
Want some budget travel inspiration?
Earn some money on the road
What better budget travel tip then actually making money on the road. Think of your skills and see if you can put them to use when you’re abroad. The opportunities are endless, from English teaching to bar work and it’s a great way to keep your travels going. I used to fire juggle with a hat out and would earn some top dollar!
Get used to haggling
In some countries the price of everything is open to debate so it’s important to never accept the first price. There’s a real trick to haggling but the best price is one that is good for all parties. Note this is more applicable in some countries than others so don’t try haggling for your tube fare in London!
Think about your accommodation and compare prices
If you’re booking accommodation online then compare the prices. Booking, Hostelworld and Agoda are good places to start.
Be wary of booking through accommodation or travel agents
Whether you’re booking more accommodation, transport or a tour, you should think twice before booking through your accommodation or travel agents. Try and book directly with whoever is providing the service and cut out the middle man. The middle men always take a cut which you will be paying extra for!
Go vegan!
We couldn’t leave this one out could we? Morals aside this is a sure way to cut down the cost of your travels because meat will always cost more than plants!
Have a smile
This budget travel tip will brighten up your day and those around you. Who could try and overcharge that nice friendly face?
With all this money saved you can travel so much more – make sure you’re travelling sustainably!
A Whole Bunch of Budget Travel Tips Pt. 2
Yes you heard right, get ready to save even more money with pt. 2 of our budget travel tips. Subscribe to our newsletter so you can know as soon as it’s online!
If you’ve got any of your own budget travel tips, please tell us in the comments below so everyone can save some wonga!
These are great travel tips! Whenever we travel, I always make sure that we stick with our budget and one of the best things I’ve learned is not to be so tourist-y. We try local and live like local.
I love this tips. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Cheers,
Jessica
Hey Jess, living as a local is for sure a more enjoyable way to travel (for us and you anyway!). Glad you liked the tips and thanks for commenting, do you have any of your own budget travel tips which you think are particularly good?
Wow great budget travel tips that’s sure to help anyone travelling save on their trip. I think the most expensive part of travel especially if you will be gone for a while tends to be accommodation so if you can compare prices way in advance you could save quite a bit.
Definitely agree, accommodation can be a nightmare. We love to camp and even paying for camping pitches can be quite expensive. Do you have any tips for finding cheap accommodation?
Great idea, but sometimes budget may fail especially when you are visiting a place for the first time.
you really need to make good research about your destination if you are visiting for the first time.
Thank you so much for this! I will show your post to my friends the next time they ask me how can I afford travellong. I always tell that if you really want you will find a way.
Ha, we’re very strict with our wallet. You’re right though doing some research before is crucial so you have some idea of the average costs. What’s the best budget destination you’ve found?
Exactly! If you want to travel you’ll always find some way to afford it, I think it’s about setting your priorities! Have you got any other budget travel tips?
My cousin wants to start accomplishing her travel bucket list this year. When I read your tip about finding a place to eat, travel, and sleep from the locals, it gave me an idea. I will help her by looking for a bed and breakfast nook where she can eat and sleep on her first destination. That way, she can save on time, money, and energy buying food from the outside.
That sounds very exciting, where does she have planned to travel? That sounds like a nice idea, it’s nice to have the first few nights accommodation organised so you don’t have to worry about finding it when you arrive and can relax into your travels! Also, nice one for helping her out 😀
Learning local language helps a lot, Especially if we became friendly with people we can get things at a reasonable price. Very helpful tips though. Thank You so much.
Having a smile makes EVERYTHING better! Glad you like the tips 🙂
I have read your blog its really good and awesome.
Traveling without crossing the budget is quite tricky. Everything that you’ve mentioned in this post is great to save some bucks. But I feel controlling one’s desire is the most important. If you keep the reins of wishes under control, you can definitely save some money. The best way is to decide what’s better or whether spending money on something is worth or not. You can even find out another option for the same thing and enjoy yourself without having to pay through the nose.
Hey Chetan, you’re so right! If you have your desires in control then you have a lot less to worry about! Although, sometimes it is hard to try and control wants and desires when you’re in a country for the first time as everything is new and exciting. Out of interest, what do you think you spend the most money on when you travel?
Great read! I will make sure to be stick with them when I plan my itinerary next time. You have provided some amazing travel tips that will help many like me for sure. Thanks again for the blog. Looking forward to reading more great content like this in the future. Peace!
I hope they can help, the cheaper you can travel the longer you can travel! We’re currently in France and really utilising these tips, it’s mighty expensive. Feel free to sign up to our mailing list, you’ll get notified with our latest articles 🙂
Have you got any trips coming up?
I love travelling and exploring world. These tips are very good and will work great.
Most of these tips are great and many of them we use already, but I would be very wary of hitchhiking. It’s creepy on both sides; whether you’re the one getting or giving the ride. Some things ARE worth paying for and to try to assure that your destination safely is one “luxury” we always budget in. Thanks for sharing some pretty cool travel tips.
Hey Vox, glad you like the tips! Ahh, We’re true pioneers of hitchhiking but I definitely think you need to take the right precautions. We actually have a whole article dedicated to this planned in the next few months.
In certain countries and regions hitching is the easiest way of getting around, besides paying for a private driver. We’ve always had good experiences but you are putting yourself in a strangers car which is likely to have more risks than say a bus, so it’s always good to do it in pairs 🙂
I actually think there’s a higher chance of you having a negative experience in a taxi – this is definitely true of our experiences in our home country: UK.
Have you had bad experiences hitchhiking?