10 Simple Tips For Traveling on a Budget in 2023
I've been traveling on a shoestring budget for decades. Here are some things you can try and get two trips for the price of one! Less is indeed more!
I’ve never had a lot of money on a consistent basis, and with my love for travel, that meant I had to get creative. You can have the same adventure for 1,000 USD or 5,000 USD, depending on how much you are willing to compromise. It’s not always a negative compromise, though.
Here are some ideas to get you started. I organized this list in no particular order. Using these approaches, I often travel for two to six weeks for the same price most spend on a week-long local vacation. I go farther, for longer, and experience a proper adventure on a budget.
1. Plan the trip yourself; don’t use agencies.
It’s simple. In most cases, but not all, you can plan and execute your trip a lot cheaper if you do it yourself. Agencies employ people, and they need to make a profit. They should as they offer a service. It is true that on some destinations, they have offers that trump anything you can get yourself, but those are rare and usually pertain to the most popular destinations.
Still, if you’re a beginner, don’t know the language, or are afraid of the destination, the price might be worth it. I prefer to travel independently and create my own schedule. Plus, I don’t like to do “touristy things,” so I seldom use agencies.
2. Wait until the last minute to book accommodation and transport.
That may seem somewhat counterintuitive and isn’t always true. However, in my experience, taking the risk of booking accommodation using internet booking sites at the very last minute has often yielded impressive results (not walk-ins). But there is a risk here—the risk of either overpaying or sleeping on the street (not really).
I don’t book in advance unless I have a specific reason because I like to be on the move and never really know where the adventure will take me. I usually wait until the afternoon, when my girlfriend and I sit down for lunch somewhere, before booking the night's stay. I had a vague idea of where I would drive, but I tend to keep my schedule open to changes.
Anyway, the prices often went down 50% if booking only a few hours before nightfall. Talk about last minute, hey? I know. It’s not for everyone. If it’s any comfort, I’ve never had to sleep on the street, and something was always available within an hour's drive at the worst.
Either book last minute or way ahead of time.
3. Travel in groups of 2-4 people
There are many situations when traveling alone is the more expansive way to travel. You book the same rooms, rent the same cars, and use the same amount of fuel, whether you’re alone or with passengers.
Imagine that the cost of the above-mentioned things for your trip amounts to 1,000 USD. If you’re alone, that’s all coming out of your pocket. If there are two of you, it’s already 50% cheaper. If you can split those bills among four people, you’ll barely know you spent any money.
4. Camp when you can.
A tent is usually cheaper than renting accommodations. Wild camping, where allowed, will naturally be the cheapest way to travel, but they’re not for everyone. I rarely camp in the wild myself, especially as I am usually accompanied by a gentler partner who needs a bit more TLC on her travels. Having said that, I do wish it were more openly allowed where I live, but that’s just not the case.
Camping, especially for campervans or families, has gotten a lot more expensive these last couple of years. Here’s the simple math. When traveling alone, camping in a tent will always be cheaper than renting. But when we’re talking about more people, there will be instances when renting will make more sense and cost about the same.
Two more things to consider regarding the camping vs renting debate:
You can and probably will prep your meals yourself when camping. That will make the expense of eating and drinking on your trip a hell of a lot cheaper. It adds up in the end.
It’s not all about money. Some of us prefer the experience of camping, being in the open air, and the connection with nature more than sleeping in hotels. At other times, especially in bad weather, there is nothing better than a warm, cozy place to sleep with your own bathroom.
5. Buy food from shops and don’t eat out.
The difference between a home-cooked meal and a restaurant lunch amounts to much more than one would imagine. Especially if you stick to simple “trip cuisine.” For a two-week vacation and a family of three, for example, I’ve calculated I could save about two-thirds of the cost.
If eating and drinking out all the time would amount to somewhere around 100 USD per day (for three people, coffee, juices, and two to three meals), buying those ingredients and making them yourself would be less than 50 USD. Of course, the differences in eating habits and destinations here will be immense, so we can’t be exact in our calculation. I travel mainly in Europe, and we always save at least 50 EUR per day if we don’t eat or drink outside. In a 21-day trip, that is a saving of roughly 1,000 USD.
Still, trying out local cuisine, and enjoying a good cup of coffee, listening in on the locals in random towns and villages around the world is sometimes worth the price. But we’re talking about saving money here, so this is one simple and impactful way to extend your trip on the same budget. In cheaper countries, it doesn’t make sense to cheap out of food, but in Western ones, that might mean the difference between “I can afford this trip” and “I have to stay home.”
6. Stay in one place.
That is by no means travel advice, as I have the exact opposite approach when traveling. I mostly road trip. Usually, with my motorcycle, and if not, I rent cars. I like to move and explore countries on my own and dislike public transportation (apart from large cities).
However, moving around costs money. Fuel, car or bike rent, and public transportation tickets all add up. Vehicles get worn out. You need to service them, buy tires, and insure them. There are plenty of additional expenses and dangers when road-tripping or venturing out into the world. It’s worth it, though.
7. Rent for a longer period and hunt for monthly renting options.
This advice won’t be for everyone, as it pertains to those lucky souls who can afford to travel for more extended periods. But if you can, as digital nomads or retirees perhaps, it’s by far the cheapest way to travel. Slow and steady wins the day.
You can often rent equivalent apartments for a whole month for the same price you usually pay for a week. The most expensive rent is daily. Avoid it at all costs. With the explosion of Airbnb, things got complicated. Everyone wants to make the most money possible these days.
Still, you can find deals, and if you have the time, strive to get the quote for monthly rent, not daily. Just e-mail the owner and ask for an offer. It may take a bit more time, but you’re getting three weeks for free.
8. Pack light.
You might think this doesn’t matter, but it does. In Europe, you usually get one carry-on bag included in the price of the plane ticket. When traveling on a budget, you’ll want to save money on every step. I have often paid from 20 to 150 EUR per airplane ticket, and if I added luggage, that expense would double or triple in some cases.
Then there’s the inconvenience of transporting all this baggage when moving from one place to another. If traveling by motorcycle or walking, any additional weight will complicate things. Less is so more when traveling.
With four people, each carrying two suitcases, you won’t even be able to rent cheap small cars, and will be forced to rent more expensive options. The same goes for taxis and so on. It’s not as big a deal as the previously mentioned things, but keep it in mind.
I also dislike traveling with anything more than a carry-on bag, as I’ve heard way too many horror stories of people’s luggage getting lost in transport and the annoyance of the aftermath. Simple is best.
9. Don’t be a tourist. Act like a local.
There are many reasons for this, most pertaining to safety, but it is also a different mindset. Do you really have to see all the same tourist attractions everyone does? How many monuments, ruins, museums, and caves must you see before they all start looking alike? All those tickets add up quickly!
We like to spend time in the city centers or the most famous locations. But here’s the thing: they’re not only crowded, they’re by far the most expensive places to eat or drink!
Drink your coffee and eat lunch when you see the locals hanging out. The food will be better, and the prices incomparable. Touristy places carry a double price and a halving of quality in most cases. Avoid at all costs.
Fewer attraction tickets and a wiser choice in coffee shops and restaurants can mean a substantial amount at the end of the trip. My girlfriend and I often debated seeing yet another ancient ruin in Greece, for example, or eating outside. Guess what usually won out? Have I mentioned how much I love Greek food?
10. Travel outside of the main tourist season.
That is one of the most significant factors when traveling. I almost never (not if I can help it) travel during peak tourist season for any place I visit.
It’s too crowded for my taste.
Everything is more expensive.
I dislike the heat, and since I like to move around, not lay on the beach all day, I prefer slightly colder temperatures.
Visiting any more expensive place will be about 30-50% cheaper outside the main tourist season. I know some people can only get time away from work amid the worst possible time, but for those of us who have a choice, it’s a no-brainer.
So there you go. Ten things that, when implemented, will make your traveling a lot more affordable. I usually travel on a shoestring budget, so I’m forced to make some compromises. Some I like (camping), others less so (skipping on restaurants). Such is life. We all have to make do with what we have.
In the end, I probably string together two to three trips for the price of one when the person doesn’t follow any of the above guidelines. Would I do all of them were I rich? Hell no. But I’m not, and the only way for me to travel is on the tightest of budgets, and it beats staying at home watching other people explore the world on YouTube!
Even if you’re not rich, you can still travel. Pick your destinations wisely and decide upfront on the compromises you’re willing to accept in return. A price will always be paid. Make sure you’re ready to pay it.
Happy adventuring, friends.
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