Best Advices from Pros on How to Travel without Going Over Budget

While traveling is a great way to see new places and experience different cultures, it’s also a luxury. Although traveling around the world can be expensive, there are many ways you can make it more affordable.

Who better to ask about how to travel on a tight budget than bloggers? Learn from these pros.

Good plan is everything

If your entire trip is spontaneous, you can’t keep to a budget. Holly Habeck claims she is able to stick to a budget because she plans as much ahead as possible. She said that apps such as Hopper can help you negotiate the best times to travel. From there, it’s just a matter of creating an itinerary and estimating the costs before you actually go on your trip.

Establish a budget

Instead of just making up random numbers in your head, make sure you actually create a budget. Katie Zweber from Two Wandering Soles states, “We create a budget for each trip, and keep track of all our spending — big and small. This allows us to see how much we have spent relative to our budget so that we can adjust what purchases we make accordingly.”

Make sure you keep track of everything even including the single Coke can. Trail Wallet is a great app to track spending.

Avoid expensive restaurants

You can have one extravagant meal but try to keep it simple and inexpensive. Citizen of Travel’s Domenic Savaglio says that he researches a few inexpensive eats before he goes to any city. “It can be costly to eat out. My food budget is kept within a sensible range so I don’t overspend.”

Opt for cheap or free attractions

It doesn’t cost a lot to go on great tours. You can often find even more enjoyable activities for free. Half Half Half Travel’s Dan and Becca explain that they do their research to minimize entrance fees and cover charges.

Avoid the peak season

Avoid going to places during peak season if you can. It will cost noticeable more. Shawna Newman, of Active Weekender, shares that she stays on budget by traveling in the off-season. It’s also less crowded.

Apps can help you save money on your flights

If you do some research, you can find much cheaper airfare. Nadia, from Couple Travel The World, says that she uses comparison websites like Skyscanner and other tools to get the best price. To be alerted about any error fares or secret deals, we also use a flight watch.

Avoid buying unnecessary items

While souvenirs are nice, do you really have to use them? Nadeen White from The Sophisticated Life suggests that you skip buying souvenirs to save money. Your photos and videos will make a difference!

Live like a local

It can be fun to make food. Carmen Varner suggests that you go to your local grocery store and pick up basic food items like bread, eggs, and coffee to reduce your food expenditures.

Stay away from hotels

Don’t forget that expensive hotels are not your only lodging choice. GenPink’s Kelly Hunter advises looking into Airbnbs and hostels as alternatives to hotels. StayAlfred is a great option for those who want to be close to the action. It places you in amazing apartments in some of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city.