Written by: Clare Nicolas
Posted: January 19, 2023
When I tell you anyone can travel no matter the budget, I mean it! I have been living in Thailand for 4 months now, and spend on average about $18 USD per day, and that includes my accommodation, visas, food, and transportation! It is all just a matter of shifting your perspective and figuring out what is TRULY a need, and what is a want.
I have been traveling abroad consistently for 5 years now, and have been a full-time solo traveler for about a year and a half now. I started traveling while I was in University, so you know I was dealing with a super tight budget! I just realized how much money I was spending on things that were nowhere near a necessity, so I made some lifestyle changes and then also did tons of research on the best ways to travel cheap.
I have implemented these 6 simple ways into my every day life to save money while traveling while still having the most incredible experiences in new countries! I hope you find these tips helpful so that you too can see that travel is possible, no matter the budget!
I book all my flights through skyscanner. They are super reliable and I have found the cheapest flight options while booking through this company. Skyscanner searches hundreds of airlines to find the best possible prices on flights to your destination. If you are not sure where you want to go yet, they have a great explore feature which allows you to easily see the cheapest places to travel to from your home airport during a specific time.
Booking through Skyscanner is safe and reliable, although there are a few things to look out for. Sometimes if you have more than one flight to arrive to your destination, it may be operated by two separate airlines. If this is the case, you may have to go through immigration during your layover to collect your checked bag, then check it back in for your next flight.
Stay tuned for my YouTube video on the ins and outs of booking through Skyscanner so you can be sure you are getting the best deal on your flight, but are not setting yourself up for a future headache.
Click here to visit Skyscanner’s website and start exploring or download their app.
What does it mean to travel during a shoulder season? Basically, it means that you should plan to travel to a place either right before the country’s high season starts, or right as it is ending. The prices of flights and accommodation will typically reduce drastically outside of their high season time period. For instance, if a country’s peak season is May-September, you should plan to either go the end of April or the beginning of October. This way things are cheaper, there are less tourists, and the weather is still nice.
This is a big one if you are planning to go on an extended backpacking trip. I have found one of the biggest costs of traveling is the cost of checking my bags on flights. I once booked a ticket to Turkey for $110 USD, but the cost to check my bag was $120. So as you can see, if you are able to avoid checking a bag all together it will save so much money and time at the airport, and is also much easier to transport from place to place.
Tip: when packing for a trip, lay out everything you think you may possibly want to wear on the trip. Then put away half of it, and that is typically all you will really need! I know this can be hard, but so worth it when you realize how much money you can be saving by not checking a bag!
Hostels are my FAVORITE! They for some reason have a bad name and many people think of them as dirty places where you have to share a room with strange people. With a little bit of research, I promise you, you could have the trip of a lifetime staying in a hostel!
Many hostels have the option to share a room with other travelers, OR to book a private room. Booking a private room will most times still be cheaper than booking a hotel, but so much of the fun of staying in a hostel is meeting people from all around the world with similar interests to you!
Hostels were created for solo travelers, so they know that many travelers are looking for activities to do, and people to do them with! Because of this, many hostels offer free walking tours of the area, and also offer local excursions at a discounted rate. Due to so many solo travelers staying in hostels, they are able to create groups of people wanting to do the same activities which in turn makes it cheaper the more people that want to join!
Stay tuned for my YouTube video all about why I exclusively stay in hostels while traveling. And click here to visit HostelWorld’s website to start exploring or download their app.
Eating the local food is a big way to save money on you trip, and is also a great way to really immerse yourself in the culture! The local food that you find on the streets is often times the tastiest food you will find! If it is hot food, your chances of becoming ill from the food are low, so be a little adventurous! Many times if you want food that is not local cuisine, it will be more expensive because the ingredients must all be imported, so my recommendation is to wait until you are back home to get your comfort food, and really step out of your comfort zone to experience the local foods!
The cost of ATM withdrawals and also using a regular credit card abroad is a sure fire way to rack up the cost of your trip. They acquire small fees that added up could equal the cost of a nice dinner or a day excursion! Because not only does the ATM charge a fee for cash withdrawals, your bank will also charge you an additional fee for having to convert your money to a different currency. So it is a possibility that you will get charged anywhere between $10-$15 USD for every ATM withdrawal. The same thing applies when using a regular non-travel credit card. Every time you swipe the card, the credit card company will charge you a small amount because the transaction was completed in a different currency.
If you are going to a country where cards are the most common method of payment, I would highly recommend using the Capital One Venture card. There is no annual fee, and you can earn points that you can later use to redeem towards flights or accommodations! This travel card does not charge you for the currency conversion, so it is as if you are using the card like normal in your home country. There are many other travel cards out there that are similar, so do your research and see which one is the best for you!
If you are going to a place where cash is the most common method of payment, I would recommend withdrawing cash before you leave, then wait to exchange it to the local currency once you arrive. Avoid exchanging all your cash in the airport, as the currency conversion will not be as good. Wait until you arrive to your accommodation, and then ask where the nearest currency exchange booth is.
