As incredible a hobby travelling is, it can be undeniably expensive. However, it doesn’t have to be – there are plenty of useful tips for you to consider in order to cut the costs on your holidays, and here are just a few of them.
Have a daily budget
It admittedly doesn’t sound like a breakthrough idea, but you’ll be surprised at just how helpful it is to establish a daily budget for you to follow. By planning your expenses in advance you’re ensuring you won’t be left out of pocket in the future – it’ll help to plan for unexpected fees alongside the necessities, too. Goats On The Road’s guide to daily budgets in different countries is a helpful insight into how to do it.
Master the art of haggling
Being a tourist, you’re likely to stand out to opportunists in the crowd. With that being said, you might find that street vendors, taxi drivers and market stall owners try and get a bit more money out of you than usual – for instance, some vendors in Beijing’s markets will inflate their prices by up to 300%. Don’t fall victim to it, and pluck up the confidence to haggle the costs back down. Vendors will expect it and, so long as you’re kind and reasonable, they’ll respect you and negotiate.
Fly at unsociable hours
We get it – nobody likes being up too early or too late. But sometimes sacrifices have to be made, and if you want to be saving money on flights, it’s the best way to do it. Look to book the times that are least popular (usually through the night or very early in the morning), as avoiding peak times means avoiding peak costs.
You may also want to choose flying during the week as opposed to the weekend, as well as during term times and not school holidays. These little cuts to costs will go a long way.
Stay in hostels or even locals’ homes
If you’re looking to save money when travelling, you’re going to have to expect to skip the luxury hotels in favour of something less extravagant. However, you’ll find hostels are usually much more fun – you’ll be staying with like-minded people who share stories of their travels that will fascinate and inspire you.
And there’s also the opportunity to stay with locals, as many apps and websites can find you a home in your destination that is open to travellers looking for a cheap retreat.
Rely on your feet
One thing you’ll want to avoid when travelling is taxis. As previously mentioned, taxi drivers will attempt to get more money out of you than they should – as experienced by Nomadic Matt – and it’s sometimes hard to trust taxis depending on where you are in the world.
Public transport also isn’t usually as developed and reliable as you may be used to, so you’ll want to rely on your feet as much as possible when getting around. Buses are usually a safe bet, but you’ll want to do your research on them before getting on board.
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This is a collaborative post.
