Money is the one of the biggest reasons people don’t go traveling. People will often ask me how I afford to go on holiday so much when I’m a student. I on the other hand wonder why I haven’t bought new clothes in six months or had my hair cut. Different people have different priorities in life. I’ve written before about ways to save money for travel, particularly if it is for a big trip and I’ve read plenty of other tips about saving before a trip. But, it’s come to my attention that saving beforehand isn’t the only way to save on travel. What about keeping the costs down once you are on holiday?
So many people have the mentality ‘I’m on holiday so I can treat myself and buy whatever’ but do you really need to be like that? The treat should be being on holiday not drinking bottles of expensive wine and buying clothes you’ll probably never wear again. I’m as frugal on holiday as I am at home, I keep track of spendings and have a strict budget because I wouldn’t be able to afford to travel as much otherwise. By bringing the core cost of your holiday down you will be able to travel more.
Here are 29 ways to save money travelling
1. Shop around – it might be cheaper elsewhere
2. Use sites like SkyScanner to check flight prices or use the ‘everywhere’ destination to find a cheap deal
3. Search hotel options on sites like Expedia or Booking as well as checking direct with the hotel to find the cheapest price
4. Search hostel prices on sites like Hostel World or Hostel Bookers as well as checking direct with the hostel to see who has the best deal
5. Choose cheaper accommodation – Airbnb could be cheaper than a hotel and hostels are always cheap if you are prepared to sleep in a dorm room
6. Take advantage of discounts – big hotels especially in capital cities will offer % discounts for booking in advance
7. Take advantage of sales – for example each year in January flight companies and often train companies have a big sale
8. Travel outside of high season – accommodation and flight prices will be cheaper
9. Book using a debit card – to save on those pesky fees flight companies and others charge for using a credit card
10. Be flexible with dates – traveling a few days before or after your ‘ideal’ holiday dates could be the difference of £££
11. Order your currency in bulk – the more you order the better the rate
12. Take food on the plane with you and save on expensive airport/plane food
13. Don’t go mad in duty free
14. Travel with hang luggage only and save on baggage fees
15. Take advantage of last minute deals or book early deals
16. Find free things to do at your destination
17. Are you a student? Make use of your discount in the EU or purchase an international student card
18. Take public transport instead of a taxi – especially from the airport to your accommodation.
19. Walk instead of taking public transport if the distance is short
20. If you are using public transport make use of multi-ticket buys
21. Accommodation have free breakfast? Make the most of it and then only have a light lunch
22. When eating out be fussy – don’t just eat at the fancy looking place or first one that shows you the menu, look around then choose a place which offers the best value for money (or cheapest beer)
23. Don’t over indulge on food and drink just because you are on holiday
24. Don’t buy something expensive when you would never dream of spending that much on it at home
25. Make use of offers or discounts at your destination – many museums/monuments have free days or certain times where it’s free
26. Travel early, return late and forgo a nights stay
27. In cultures when it’s customary to barter, then do
28. Make use of free travel insurance from your bank (popular in the UK at the moment) if not then use compare the market to find the cheapest for your needs
29. Prior research on the destination to ensure you choose the cheapest options for accommodation, transport, food and activities
Do you have any other ways to save money while travelling? Do you have a favorite from my suggestions above?
Tags: Budget Money Saving