Pro Tips for affordable trips
We are all very familiar with the excitement and the thrill that traveling can bring us. But while it can be a fun and life-changing experience, we cannot always afford to take off to some fantastic destination.
However, traveling doesn’t always have to be expensive. By following some tips and travel hacks, you can make your dream trip more affordable and thus more attainable. Here are a few tips on how to do just that.
Find affordable airfares
There are many tricks to save money on plane tickets, from knowing the cheapest days to travel to how to use flight search engines. Make sure you search a day or two behind and ahead of your itinerary dates, and always use comparison search sites for comparing airfare prices.
Regarding the ideal time to travel, it’s a good idea to avoid holiday and peak season periods, especially summer.
If you cannot avoid flying during these periods, the lowest flight combinations usually include outbound flights on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Sunday, and return flights on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Sunday. If you manage to avoid traveling on Friday and returning on Sunday, you can save up to 20 percent on your flight.
Travel to cheaper destinations
If you want to travel longer but need to keep to a budget, then make sure you look for cheaper countries to go to. If Paris can burn a hole in your wallet, Vietnam will let you live like a king. According to Forbes, the cheapest destinations to travel for 2017 include South Africa, Morocco, Cambodia, and Mexico.
Find affordable accommodation
Apart from the flights, accommodation can be the most significant expense when traveling abroad. While all-inclusive resorts and big name hotels can be fun for a one night splurge, they will suck up your dollars in no time.
When looking for a place to stay, you don’t have to choose between cheap and comfortable. There are plenty of places that are both nice and affordable. Also, an excellent alternative to hotels are hostels and Airbnb rental places. Hostels often have the reputation of being an enclave of young individuals who like to party, but many hostels are now known for their quality accommodation.
Stay for free
What’s better than finding affordable accommodation? Well, staying someplace for free of course. There are a number of online platforms that allow you to stay in hostels around the world in exchange for your skills. If you know your way around social media, or you’re an experienced photographer, or you’re willing to do some work supporting the staff, you will get a free bed at the hostel. Also, many places will give you a free bed in exchange for volunteer work on a local farm.
Affordable activities
Another way to save money when traveling is to do activities that won’t require a lot of cash. Do a little research and find some free walking tours or other cheap activities to enjoy. There are many apps that will give you info for such activities and events.
Earn some money
If you’re going on a two-week vacation, earning money will not be your priority, but if you’re traveling long-term, then earning some extra cash will determinate the length of your stay and broaden your possibilities for exploring the place.
There are many ways to earn money while traveling. The most popular one is to teach English abroad. Many companies will provide a living stipend for your voluntary work, and they don’t even require teaching experience or certification. Also, you can work from your computer on one of the many online platforms for freelance work. That way, you can adjust your working hours, and spend more time exploring the place.
Frugal traveling
Whether you’re enjoying a short vacation or on a long-term trip, traveling frugally can save you a lot of cash, and there are many tips that can help. Instead of ordering a taxi or Uber, take local transportation or just walk; buy from farmer’s markets, shop at grocery stores, or eat street food, instead of going in fine restaurants; use discount cards to save on museums, local attractions, and other tickets.
Save before the trip
Yes, there are plenty of ways to cut down expenses while on the road, but you need to start before the plane takes off. Start by making cuts in your everyday expenses, and save some extra money each day. Start saving a few months before the trip, and watch your travel budget grow as the departure day gets closer.
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