Do you want to travel right now but cannot travel due to money? If yes then you are in the right place. We will be uncovering top 5 hacks to travel on budget. 

Everyone dreams of travelling the world but not all succeed in the endeavour. There are a range of factors that determine whether a person is able to take on the journey to all his dream locations or not. One of the key fundamental factors is money. Most of us do not have a lot of extra cash to spend on travels.

Travelling on budget is an art that is perfected over time. It’s not hard but takes time and patience to perfect the art. It involves a few things like; Working on savings, looking for cheap countries, choosing the right time to travel, using public transport instead of private transport and figuring out cheap flights and accommodations. Please read this piece till the end to learn the art of travelling on budget. 

To make things clear, travelling on a budget is not only for those who don’t have a lot of extra cash. It’s for everyone who doesn’t want to overspend on their travels. 

“You Don’t Have To Be Rich To Travel Well.” – Eugene Fodor

Work on Savings

Savings are a huge part of our day to day life. Our parents often advise us to save money. Their advice is priceless. We have a lot to learn from them. So, take all their advice seriously and see for yourself how they add extra value to your life. The idea of savings is extremely powerful. We all go through ups and downs in life. If you have some savings they prove to be a life saving tool in a worst case scenario. 

Besides it being so beneficial in life in general, it will come across a game changer for your next trip. When you have some extra cash in your bank then that adds a little freedom to your plans. You can book tickets and go on a trip right away. 

I know what you are probably thinking….how to work on savings? Don’t worry, I have fantastic practical tips for you to work on that will change the way you save money. 

I am going to share a life-changing rule to save money, the method is known as the 50-30-20 rule. Let’s dig down deeper into the rules. You receive a certain amount as salary every month. Divide the money into three parts (50%, 30% and 20%). Spend 50% of the amount for essentials like rent, mortgage, groceries etc. Use 30% of the total amount on yourself to look better. Put the remaining 20% money into your savings account. In this way you can save a significant amount of money that you can use to travel and fulfil your dreams. 

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

Choose Cheap Countries

The second hack to travel on budget is to travel to countries that are not expensive. Some people misunderstand the idea of travelling to cheap countries. They say it’s not safe to go to these places and there are a lot of scammers too. That’s not 100% right, it’s not good to paint all with the same brush. There could be some places that are not safe but they could even be in expensive countries as well. 

It’s advised to do due diligence before you go to any new place, whether it be in an expensive or cheap country. Read news articles and travel blogs about the region you are going to. They are of great help and serve as a determining factor in choosing a country to travel. 

If you don’t want to travel to cheap countries then you need to plan it out. It takes more planning and research to travel on budget to expensive countries than the cheaper ones. Think about the things that you can save money on because there are a few things that are fully under your control and it’s up to you how much you are willing to spend. Food, accommodation and transportation are areas for you to think about. (read this article till the end to know more on this). 

“No place is ever as bad as they tell you it’s going to be.” – Chuck Thompson

PICK RIGHT TRAVEL SEASON

The third hack to focus on when you are on budget is the right travel season. Either you are planning to go to an expensive country or a cheap country. You have to look out for the right time to go there. 

Sometimes it may cost you more than what you thought even in a cheap country if you don’t go there at the right time. Every country in the world where tourists go has its peak seasons. During a peak season you will end up paying the high prices. This is because the place will be crowded to a great extent. On the flip side, if you visit the same place during the non-peak season, you will pay less and save a good few bucks.

 “If you’re twenty-plus, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. sleep on floors if you have to. find out how other people live and eat and cook. learn from them – wherever you go.” – Anthony Bourdain

Use Public Transport

Transport is also an area of travel that gives you a range of options to choose from. You may explore a city on private transport like a taxi or public transport like buses and trains. The choice is yours. Travelling on budget means you have to spend less money on transportation. In this case you should choose public transport. 

Public transport costs you less than taxis. You can travel the same distance with a fraction of the amount of money in public transport than a taxi. It doesn’t just help you save money but also offers you an opportunity to interact more with locals. You get to learn and understand society better as it provides you ample time to observe the locals and talk to them and understand what they feel about their lives in that particular city. It gives you another perspective of a particular city. You can experience what the locals go through everyday, from home to work and back to home. In simple terms, travelling in public transport gives you an authentic vibe and experience of travelling as locals. 

If you want to avoid crowds and want a private taxi then you should explore the option for a shared ride on taxis. A few mobile taxi companies offer their customers to book a certain seat instead of the entire taxi. This is a great way to travel on taxis even if you are on a budget. 

“Public transportation is like a magnifying glass that shows you civilization up close.” – Chris Gethard

BOOK CHEAP FLIGHTS & ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodation and flights’ cost are a big chunk of the whole trip’s budget. You have to look for ways to book them at a cheaper price. There are a few ways to book cheaper accommodations and flights. 

Keep these tips in mind while making your flight bookings:

1. Check multiple websites before making a booking
2. Use incognito mode to book flights
3. Making bookings in afternoon because generally businesses look to book in the mornings
4. Use a website that scans all other flight booking site like Skyscanner.net
5. Watch out for promo codes  

Similarly use a few steps to book cheaper accommodations as well:

1. Look for accommodations outside the city center.
2. Explore hostel options instead of hotels. 
3. Use a website that scans all other accommodation booking websites
4. Go incognito 
5. Make calls to the hotels directly to negotiate a price or visit their official website to check whether they are offering cheap or have any promotions. 

Watch out for promo codes

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes 

Conclusion

There are many ways to travel on a budget but these 5 hacks are practical. You can implement these hacks in your life to travel on budget. You never should hold yourself back from exploring this beautiful world and always discover a new reason to love yourself and love the world. Don’t let your mind ever think that you can’t travel if you don’t have extra cash in your bank account, look for ways to travel with what you already have. 

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