How to travel on a budget - 10 tips to save money while traveling
Most people believe they can’t travel because they don’t have enough money. Well, we didn’t have “enough” money either. Yet, for the past 4 years, we have been traveling full-time. We traveled through Europe for MONTHS during COVID at 19 years old by simply dumping an inflatable mattress in the back of a small cargo van. It’s about making it work with what you have. Over the years, we’ve picked up a few tricks to traveling to amazing places while on a budget. Let’s get into them 👇
1. How to find cheap flights
There are a few tricks that can save you a LOT of money on flights:
1. Use the right websites
We like to use flight comparison websites like Skyscanner and Google Flights to find the best deals.
2. Price alerts
Flight prices CONSTANTLY change. So, set up price alerts on the flights you’re looking for to get notified when prices drop.
PRO TIP: If you travel often, always have a few price alerts to different countries turned on even if you don’t have plans yet to go there. You never know when the flights to Thailand suddenly drop and when they do: you know your next destination.
3. Use that flexibility
Be flexible with your travel dates and try flying mid-week when flights are often cheaper. (Maybe we are superstitious but we often try to search for flights on Tuesdays.) Instead of choosing a specific travel date, try using the “flexible dates” option. You can choose a whole month instead of a single date and that way you will be shown which month is the most affordable and a price for every date within that month so you can choose the cheapest option.
Example: This is the SAME flight, but by just going 1 day earlier, you save more than €100 👇
Also, be flexible with the airport and countries you choose. We once flew from Japan to Indonesia for about 150 EUR while every other flight was 700 EUR at least, simply because we chose a different airport of arrival in Indonesia.
4. Use a VPN
Use a VPN like Surfshark to further reduce the costs of flights. When you use a VPN, you can change your online location to appear as if you are browsing from a different country. This can sometimes help with finding lower flight prices.
Here's how it works:
Step 1) Install and set up a VPN: Download and install a VPN service like Surfshark on your phone.
Step 2) Choose a different location: Open the VPN app and select a different country to browse from. For example, you could choose a country with a weaker currency.
Step 3) Search for flights: Visit flight comparison websites and search for flights as you normally would. You might notice that the prices are different, and sometimes lower, than when searching from your original location. Remember to compare prices from several locations to find the best deal.
5. BONUS
There’s a big chance this is nothing but superstition. BUT, we always search for our flights with our browser in incognito mode, to prevent websites from collecting cookies and raising their prices accordingly. You can make the decision for yourself ;)
2. How to find affordable accommodation
Finding the right place to stay can make a big difference. These are great resources for finding accommodations that fit your needs and budget:
TrustedHousesitters
TrustedHousesitters is a platform that connects pet owners with travelers who are willing to house-sit and take care of pets in exchange for free accommodation. This helps travelers like you save money on housing costs while experiencing living in different places like a local.
Agoda
Airbnb
Couchsurfing (not introvert-friendly)
Couchsurfing is a platform where you can sleep in people’s spare room, or literally on someone’s couch. It’s absolutely free, so if you’re down for some adventure and socializing this is a great option.
and Facebook groups
We recommend booking at least one month per city as it allows you to really immerse yourself in that place and monthly stays reduce your housing costs significantly.
We have found the most affordable places by looking in Facebook groups. For example, if we are going to Ubud, Bali, we would look up “Rent Ubud” or “Housing Ubud” on Facebook and join any group that comes up.
NOTE: If you’re traveling in places where the hotel prices are very expensive (Europe, the US, etc), try vanlife. We traveled through Finland in high season in a van, and it saved us boatloads of money.
3. How to save money on food
1. The best way
The BEST way to save on food everywhere in the world is: 🙌 Eating like a local 🙌
It’s usually the cheapest, has no import costs that inflate the price, is widely available, and is the best quality food available.
Try street food and local markets for affordable and delicious meals that help you connect to the local culture.
2. Whip out those cooking skills
I’m not a big fan of cooking, but it can save you so. much. money. That’s why we always look for accommodations with a kitchen.
3. Breakfast (people-who-hate-cooking friendly)
Even in Indonesia, where going out for food is inexpensive compared to Europe, we always make our own breakfast. Why? Because it doesn’t require hours in the kitchen, pans, dishes, and 1000s of ingredients. But it still saves you money.
It also helps create a nice habit. If we switch places a lot, we hate spending every morning looking for an open restaurant that has breakfast.
PRO TIP: our go-to breakfast is overnight oats because:
- You only need a mug, a spoon & a fridge (almost all hotel rooms have these)
- Oats can be found almost everywhere
- You can change your toppings to what’s available
- It’s healthy and filling
- No cooking needed
- And almost no dishes
4. Go easy on the drinks
And we’re not just talking about alcohol (even though that’s a great way to save a lot of money). When traveling on a budget, we like to save on meals by not ordering drinks and instead just drinking water. We noticed that our drinks usually are anywhere between 30-50% of the total bill and we’re only ordering them because we feel like we should.
NOTE: You can also drink tap water where it's safe.
4. How to find affordable transportation
Here are the modes of transportation you can choose, from cheap to expensive:
Walking
Renting a bike
Public transportation
Renting a scooter
Renting a car
Taxis
(Of course, this changes per country)
Our absolute favorite way to travel is renting our own scooter because we’re able to get anywhere whenever we want without relying on public transport or the availability of taxis. Plus in countries in South-East Asia, this can be one of the most affordable modes of transport.
But if our budget is really tight or the country we’re in is expensive, we switch to walking or biking as it’s the cheapest option and you get to see a LOT more of your surroundings compared to public transportation.
When using public transport, look for passes that offer unlimited rides for a fixed period. When buying single tickets, public transport can suddenly become expensive without you realizing it.
If you do travel by taxi, try searching the local online taxi app like Uber, Bolt, Gojek, Grab, etc. When you create a new account, you usually get a lot of discounts.
5. How to find affordable things to do
Stay. Away. From. Tours. When traveling on a budget, skipping tours is one of the easiest ways to save money. You have to realize that tour companies must add a margin to the price of every activity because otherwise, they would not make any money. We recommend booking tickets to any activity by finding the activity provider and booking via them directly. If there is a middle man, there are always extra costs.
Or find your own budget-friendly list of activities. We look up “Free activities in [insert destination]” to find experiences. We do our research through blogs, and social media or we ask a local for advice.
NOTE: having your own transport usually helps a TON with saving on activities too. Most activities are so expensive because they include a transfer (of course, with a high profit margin), so if you get to the location yourself, you usually pay a lot less.
6. When is the best time to travel to save money
Traveling during the off-season can save you money on flights, accommodations, and activities. Off-season travel often means fewer tourists and a more authentic experience. Research the best times to visit your destination when prices are lower. For example, Europe can be very busy during the Christmas holidays, and countries in South-East Asia can have low season during the rainy season.
NOTE: We usually ask ChatGPT when it’s low season in our destination.
7. How to make money when traveling
Rather than trying to save on everything and relying on your savings while you travel, look for ways to make money online. We created a free guide to help you make money while you travel. Simply enter your email here and we’ll send it to you 👇
8. How to avoid banking fees
Using a travel card can help you avoid foreign transaction fees and get better exchange rates. We use Bunq and Wise for this.
9. Volunteer (not introvert-friendly)
Worldpackers is a platform that connects travelers with hosts offering volunteer opportunities in exchange for free accommodation and sometimes even meals and activities. You can save money by working a few hours a day. It doesn’t just save money but also helps to connect you with travelers and immerse you in the culture of the country you are exploring. You might meet other travelers and create some memories. Also, try WWOOF which is a similar platform.
10. Use discounts
Honey
Most websites you visit to arrange your travels have discount codes, but instead of scouring the internet to find a discount code only to find out it doesn’t work use Honey. It’s a Chrome extension you activate, and it pops up every time there are discounts for the website you’re visiting. You might save a few bucks.
Save points
You usually can get points with certain credit cards or frequent flyer programs.
With credit cards, you usually have sign-up bonuses and promotions, but most importantly you save points every time you use the credit card.
These points can then be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and other travel-related expenses.
With frequent flyer programs you simply get points every time you fly with that airline. You can later trade these points for a discount on your flight.
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