Budget travel is an effective way to see the world without breaking the bank. Although it may seem daunting at first, budget travel is actually quite manageable and doesn’t need to break your savings!
Just plan and track expenses closely while using credit card points to save on hotels and flights – the more you do this, the more money you’ll save!
1. Plan in advance
No matter if it’s for saving for a big trip or making travel more cost-effective, setting a budget is essential to enjoying travel more affordably and successfully! A budget will help to avoid overspending while making sure that each experience remains memorable!
As soon as you begin planning for your trip, the better chance you have of finding great flight and hotel deals. Travel prices tend to increase closer to dates.
Set up a separate account and automatically transfer funds each month towards it – when your desired vacation amount (say $222) starts building in there, it may help motivate you to put it toward travel!
If budgeting travel expenses is challenging for you, try applying the 50/30/20 rule: that means 50% of your income goes toward fixed costs like mortgage, food, utilities and childcare; 30% goes toward discretionary spending; and 20% can be saved for rainy day needs.
2. Travel on a Tuesday or a Thursday
Once upon a time, booking flights on Tuesday was often seen as the way to save money when booking them; but now, being flexible about when you book is increasingly important in saving money on travel.
Finding inexpensive fares on Mondays and Tuesdays still exists, though you must be flexible about your dates. Airlines generally release their schedule 11 weeks in advance, which means they may add or delete flights according to demand.
For maximum flexibility and cost efficiency, try booking your trip for Tuesday or Thursday; these days are significantly less crowded at airports, making flights on these days cheaper to book.
3. Travel locally
One of the best ways to save money when traveling on a tight budget is traveling locally. Locals will likely be happy to show you around and show you any cool sights or activities we tourists wouldn’t otherwise discover.
Traveling locally also can help you sidestep some of the more hazardous elements associated with big city travel, like getting lost, being stuck in traffic jams or having your passport stolen or worse still lost.
There are various apps and websites to assist you with getting around, while providing accommodation ranging from hotels to luxury tented lodges. When combined together they make traveling much less stressful; finding the ones which meet your needs and budget and then exploiting their full potential is the key!
4. Travel on a budget
Travel can be an amazing life-altering experience and dream come true, without breaking the bank in the process. By planning ahead and being creative with your budgeting strategies, an amazing trip awaits.
One key aspect of budget travel is being prepared and making plans ahead. Doing this will save money in the long run while helping avoid unexpected charges that might arise last minute.
Consider traveling during off-peak seasons if possible – this will save money on both flights and accommodations!
Travel during high season can be costly, particularly to more popular tourist spots. Instead, try visiting lesser-known locations or smaller cities that might not offer as many tourist attractions but may still provide authentic experiences at lower costs and without as many tourist traps.
