*How to travel and keep costs down at the same time

Tuesday, October 01, 2019
Image from Pinterest
Anyone who’s ever thought about going travelling has had the same thought – how am I going to afford this? While travelling is one of the most rewarding and insightful things you can do, there’s no denying that behind all the self-discovery and swimming with pigs, there’s always the question of money. Luckily, for the thrifty of you out there, there are loads of ways you can still travel while keeping within your budget. From last minute flights to travel reward programmes, there are loads of little ways you can make some cutbacks when it comes to spending.

Be flexible with your travel dates 
Sure, it’s a pretty big deal to just stop your whole life to travel the world for a few months. You’ll be forgiven for wanting to have everything planned down to the finest detail. However, this can actually be limiting you when it comes to upfront costs. The less flexible you are with dates, the less likely you are to get yourself a good deal on travel tickets. Instead, have a general few days in mind that you’d like to travel on. This way, when a last-minute deal pops up, you’ll be packed and ready to head off to the airport.

Decide where you’re going to stay at night
Undoubtedly, you’ll become a hostel regular while travelling and for good reason. Hotels are your cheapest option when it comes to having a bed to stay in at night. The reduced charges in comparison to a hotel are hard to ignore, just make sure you’ve properly done your research before pitching up. Alternatively, you can make use of loads of new sites that link you up with someone else in the world for a ‘house swap’. Kind of like a foreign exchange, this will give you an authentic and local experience of a new culture.

If you’re travelling with friends or a group and you’re looking for something a little more private, why not book yourself into a villa like the ones from Villa Plus? While a villa might not seem like a traditional travel experience, it will give you that much needed plush break which can be a relief after a few months of hostel hopping!

Chow down locally
When it comes to getting your daily meals, there’s no better way than hitting up the local eateries. Avoid any recognisable chains, if there are any, and instead keep an eye out for where all the locals flock. Not only will this likely save you a few pennies, but it will also give you a foodie experience like no other. After all, if the locals love it, it’s bound to be good!

Hand luggage only 
Would it even be travelling if you didn’t live out of a backpack? If you’re booking last-minute flights with different airlines, you might be in for a nasty shock. While there will be a few airlines you’re familiar with, when travelling, you could end up with a totally random brand you’ve never heard of. To avoid any of those sneaky extra charges for things like bags, stick to just hand luggage. Besides, you don’t want to be lugging a huge suitcase around with you when you’re out on a once in a lifetime adventure.

While you’ll certainly need a bit of cash to head off around the world, there are simple and clever ways to make your money go further. The key thing to take away is to plan, plan and plan again. Make sure you’ve thought of every eventuality to avoid empty pockets on your trip. All that’s left to do now is go out there and enjoy it!

Do you have any tips or advice for travelling within a budget?

*collaborative 

14 comments

  1. My biggest tip would be travelling out of peak season. My boyfriend always go away either a week before or a week after the school holidays x

    Jenny
    http://www.jennyinneverland.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. All such good tips! We always try to be flexible with our dates when booking a trip away as often one day can be so much cheaper than the next so it's always worth switching in that case. Like Jennie said we also avoid going in school holidays etc to save money xx

    Tiffany x www.foodandotherloves.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wish I had the money to travel! Haha! I tend to use price comparison websites to see whether any hotels are doing any cheaper deals! I don't think my Aspergers would be able to handle a hostel but I could do the other tips! xD

    Daisy xoxo | TheDeeWhoLived

    ReplyDelete
  4. I always like eating where the locals do, you find all the gems that way!

    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan

    ReplyDelete
  5. Being young and child-free date flexibility has definitely helped me save money because I just look out for cheap flights and we can kind of just book them whenever we fancy!

    Jasmine xx



    Jasmine Talks Beauty

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am getting much better at Hand Luggage only rather than a suitcase, but it’s the skincare that stresses me out more than the clothes with what to take x

    ReplyDelete
  7. These are some great tips!
    Love the pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hand luggage only makes such a difference plus in reality, you don't need that much anyway! Xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm so poor I don't travel at all, which sucks! :(

    Erin || MakeErinOver

    ReplyDelete
  10. So many useful points here, great post.

    https://littlemissmelanie.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've always gone for Hand Luggage when visiting family overseas — it makes you realise how little you really need x

    ReplyDelete
  12. I definitely think flexibility to travel is key so it's not within holiday times x

    ReplyDelete
  13. we always try to travel mid week & eat locally

    ReplyDelete

Please don’t leave any spam comments or links - thanks!

I’m no longer accepting any sponsored posts or freelance work at all and for the time being, I’m not accepting products to review so please don’t contact me about any of those, thank you! x