13 Budget travel hacks to save money for travel
One big question on most people’s minds is how do you travel more for less? These budget travel hacks will shed some light on how to actually travel more without breaking the bank.
Well nowadays, almost everything is possible if you just know-how.
As a solo traveller, it’s often harder to keep your costs low because you’re on your own and have yourself to rely on.
You can often find yourself spending a little more as a solo traveller because paying for costs like accommodation and transport can be more expensive alone.
Budget travel hacks
As a budget traveller, I’m always thinking of ways to cut my costs and over the years have come up with some budget travel hacks!
So…here they are!
1. Travel carry on only
By taking carry on luggage only, you’ll cut costs by avoiding taking check-in bags. And let’s be real, do you really need check-in bags?
I fit everything I need into one carry on unless I can get a free check-in bag, then I may as well make the most of that!
Taking less STUFF will save you money and ensure that you’re not taking any unnecessary items, only essentials!
And think about it…you won’t have to wait around at the airport for your bag, you can just head straight off!
Related posts: 23 Winning travel essentials for women carry on
2. Have a realistic travel budget you can stick to
Now in plenty of my posts I talk about having a realistic travel budget that you can stick to.
And you know what, this is all part of budget travel and a brilliant budget travel hack if you can pull it off.
I’d highly recommend checking out my post on coming up with your realistic travel budget if you’re looking for some guidance on this!
Related posts: How to come up with a realistic travel budget
I’d also suggest having a travel budget tracker so that you can keep up with your costs and make sure you’re sticking to your budget.
I have a FREE budget tracker for you…
3. Find accommodation you can cook in
I always stay in hostels when I’m travelling around the world, it’s a great budget hack, especially for solo travellers.
Not only do I love hostels for the cheap prices, but also because in most hostels there are kitchens or cooking facilities!
A big way I save money (which I always go on about) is by cooking meals whilst I’m away.
Don’t get me wrong, I do eat out at restaurants to make sure I’m experiencing the local cuisine but eating out every day is pricey!
4. Find cheap accommodation
I always recommend hostels for cheap accommodation or looking at Airbnb.
For me, the best website is Hostelworld!
I find that sometimes Airbnb can be a little pricey in some places, but you can get some great accommodation around the world using this platform!
As a solo traveller, hostels are perfect and not only the cheapest way of travelling, but the best!
A genius way of saving money and being able to travel more is by house sitting.
How it works is, you look for house sitting jobs on a house sitting platform (I use Trusted Housesitters) which is where people need others to look after their pets, plants or house whilst they are on holiday.
You are able to stay in their house for free and in return, you must feed their pets or keep their house in order while they are away.
5. Scour your address book
A great way to travel more without spending loads of money is by speaking to your friends and family and asking them if they wouldn’t mind letting you stay with them. Or if they know people who wouldn’t mind letting you stay with them.
I’ve met so many people around the world who I have offered to stay with me if they ever visit England and it’s crazy the number of people who return the favour!
If you’re welcoming and friendly to others, they will want to repay that kindness.
6. Travel locally
A good way to travel more for less is by going on staycations!
Visit places in your own country, get to know your local gems!
You can do day trips or stay with family and friends and still be travelling and exploring!
I have written a post about how staycations can help grow your bank balance.
7. Avoid souvenirs
Souvenirs can sting your travel budget!
But I know the temptation, you want to get presents for everyone you know while you’re away and you want some keep-sakes to remember your trip.
Well, I used to buy souvenirs from every place I visited and then I realised that I just didn’t need the things I was buying and they ended up being clutter in my house.
I feel like I can never throw away things that I bought abroad in case I never go back to those places, so I do have random clutter around my home.
So I started collecting postcards instead of souvenirs, which are better momentos than ornaments or snow globes. I also take tonnes of pictures when I’m away and started writing travel journals, which I think are MUCH BETTER ways of remembering trips.
By not buying as many souvenirs, I save a lot of money!
8. Discover free stuff
Remember, when you visit a destination, there will always be free things to do. You don’t always have to spend money on activities!
You can do free walking tours, visit monuments, parks or find free activities.
Related posts:
20 Free things to do in Hong Kong
22 Best things to do in Sheffield when you’re broke
9. Consider working abroad
Living and working abroad is an awesome experience and definitely one way of travelling more.
If you live somewhere, you get to know the place really well and have a much better insight into what you can do there and find out about those hidden gems that no tourists will know about.
This is a much better way of travelling and a great budget travel hack as you can earn money while living elsewhere!
You can travel on the weekends and discover what that place has to offer. It’s a win win.
If you don’t want to get a job abroad, you could become a digital nomad and travel the world by living location free.
Related post: Never become a digital nomad?
10. Find the cheapest transport
If you want to save money before you have even left your front door, a great way is by looking for the cheapest form of transport to get you to your destination.
Now this may not always be possible because you may have time constraints!
But don’t rule out certain options, look at how long it will take you to drive, catch a train, a bus or plane.
And if you’re catching a flight, make sure you’re catching the cheapest you can. A good way of doing this is by checking Skyscanner and also TravelZoo.
Travelling off-peak or off-season is also another way of nabbing a cheap flight.
11. Pack tactically
One of those good budget travel hacks which will save you some money is by packing tactically.
What do I mean by this?
Make sure you take essential items which will save you money when you’re travelling.
By taking things like a small bottle of washing detergent so that you can wash your clothes whilst away without having to pay for laundry services and a padlock so that you don’t need to pay to rent one if you’re staying in a hostel will help cut costs.
Take coffee sachets or tea bags and a travel kettle so that you don’t have to go out and buy drinks every day.
You should pack in a way which means you’re not having to spend load whilst you’re away.
Check out my post on the exact travel essentials that I take away with me.
Related posts: 23 Winning travel essentials for women carry on
12. Travel for free
It’s easier said than done to just say…travel for free!
But it is possible and one of the great budget travel hacks of all time!
A good way of travelling for free is by accruing air miles.
What are air miles?
These are basically like points you can get for spending money on your everyday things and you can use those points for buying flights.
If you find a great credit card or travel card which has this points based system, you can use your card for buying groceries and other daily items and get air points for free.
I can’t think of an easier way of winning points and getting free air tickets!
Related posts: How to travel on a low income
13. Go for longer?
This might sound a bit backwards…I can totally see why this doesn’t seem like a budget travel hack!
But…
I have found that when I travel to some places for a longer period, I spend less than some people do for a short period.
How does this work you say?
Well, it’s all psychological!
If you go for a weekend break somewhere, let’s say Paris. And you’re thinking you’re only there for a few days, therefore, you can splash out a bit, go for a more expensive hotel because you’re only there for a couple of nights, have meals out in lovely restaurants because you may as well, go for a bit of luxury shopping etc…
The costs start mounting up because you’re thinking, it’s just a short weekend trip, it doesn’t matter if I spend a bit more because I’m not here for long.
Well that short trip could cost you more than a few weeks somewhere else.
When I went interrailing, I went for 5 weeks and I spend less than £1000 which is probably the amount that someone would spend on a luxury weekend break or a week break away.
If you want to travel more for less, you need to still live below your means and still live like you would at home.
That’s the way to look at it.
You’re probably thinking, well I want to enjoy my holidays and splash out a bit, but if you truly want to travel the world on a budget then you can’t splash out unless you have thousands to blow on trips!
If you travel for a longer period, you’re likely to be more inclined to budget better, spend less and be more frugal with your money because you need your dollar to last the trip.
As I say, it’s psychological!
Related post: 10 unusual tips for frugal living in the UK
To conclude…
These 13 budget travel hacks are ideal if you’re travelling on a budget.
Budget travel is something I do because I love to travel loads but I don’t have the disposable income or time to actually travel as much as I’d like.
So I’ve had to learn how to travel on a budget so that I can travel as frequently as I want.
As a result…I’ve picked up these budget travel hacks along the way!
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