Is there a person who doesn’t like to travel? Getting to see the world, getting to know wonderful new people, and learn about other cultures and custom firsthand is always an amazing experience. The only problem is that travelling is incredibly expensive! You’ll have to save money for travelling, accommodation, and food when you go somewhere, not to mention that perhaps you’d like to visit a cinema or a museum once you’re there. No need to despair if you’re on a tight budget – you can actually see and experience more and save money in the process.
Save money on food
Food is expensive, you’ll agree. Take airports for example: you’ll have to pay a fortune on bottled water and sandwiches which aren’t even that good. Whenever you travel, try to pack your meals the night before: make yourself some sandwiches at home, and always carry a couple of apples or bananas. Once you reach your destination, go grocery shopping: grab some bread, cheese, and some fruit for at least one meal a day. You don’t have to eat out every single meal. You might be on a vacation, but if you spend a fortune on a fancy lunch, and then again on a fancy dinner, and then on a lunch again tomorrow, you’ll go bankrupt soon enough. Treat yourself from time to time, but don’t eat your paycheck! Instead, save money for experiences.
Offer your services
When you’re on a really tight budget, you can offer your services to hostels in exchange for accommodation. Hostels worldwide need people with different skills and abilities, and they’re willing to offer you free accommodation in exchange for your skills. WorldPackers is a website that allows you to find hostels willing to collaborate with you. You can end up doing some muscle work, painting the walls, handing out flyers, bartending, or cooking, or you can improve their website. As long as you’re creative and willing to work, you can find yourself good place to stay.
Get cheaper plane tickets
There are many ways in which you can save money on your plane ticket, but you’ll need to plan ahead and be patient. First and foremost, you need to know when you want to travel, and start searching for tickets about three months before your planned leave. The cheapest flights can be found about two and a half months before the departure day. Always search for tickets in incognito or private browsing mode because some companies raise their prices every time you visit the website. Check travel websites for prices twice a day – early in the morning and in the evening (around 9:00am and after 6:00pm).
Tourist offices are gold
When you get to your destination, always make sure you visit local tourist office and get a tourism card and flyers. This way you’ll be able to find out what you can and should see while you’re staying there, and some tourist offices (for example hose in NY, London, Paris, etc.) will issue you a card for all their tours, attractions, and even some restaurants. This way, you’ll get a substantial discount or even a free entry to the attractions and tours in a city.
Make sure you’re on time
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to be on time when you’re travelling. If you’re late to check in for your flight, you won’t be able to board the plane at all, and you’ll have to buy new tickets. The same goes for trains and buses – when they leave, your only chance is travel is to lose precious time and get onto another bus or train. There are different options for you to hire a reliable chauffeur in Perth who will make sure you get to the station or the airport on time.
Try couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is wonderful in many ways – it connects you to likeminded people, allows you to connect with locals, and get accommodation for free. There are downsides, however – you might get an air mattress or an old couch to sleep on, but you won’t have to pay for it. Still, while you’re not expected to pay for your accommodation, it’s an unwritten rule that you should do something nice for your host: get them a gift, or cook them dinner as a way to thank them for helping you out.
If travelling was free, people would never stay in the same place for long. Still, it doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune every time you decide to go on a vacation. If you’re willing to change your mindset and improvise, you’ll be able to learn more about the place you visit and really get to know the people and the culture, and save some money at the same time. Making small sacrifices will take you a long way and not make you regret your vacation once the check arrives.