According to a study conducted back in 2016, nearly 50 percent of Americans say that they wish they could travel more than they do now. But unfortunately, many of them also say there’s one simple thing holding them back: The sometimes high cost of traveling.
If the cost of traveling is something that’s keeping you grounded at the moment, you should know that there are ways to travel the world without spending a fortune. The key is to learn how to travel on a budget before you start making any traveling plans.
If you pick the right destinations and steer clear of some of the traps that travelers often fall into, you can globetrot without having to worry about the impact that it’ll have on your finances. Here are five tips for how to travel on a budget.
1. Pick the Right Times to Travel
One of the easiest ways that you can save money when you travel is by picking the right time to take a trip. You could save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on a trip simply by going away at certain times of the year.
For example, let’s say that you’re in the process of planning a family vacation to Disney World. You might be thinking about going the week that your kids have Spring Break, but in reality, that’s just about the worst time to go! Everyone goes that week, so the prices usually skyrocket around that time.
Instead, why not try to go in the second half of August? Or how about going for a week in September? Or what about at the end of January?
These might not necessarily be the most convenient times to go. But they’ll be significantly cheaper than most other times of year and will save you a whole bunch of money when you go to book your flight.
Do your research before you start mapping out a trip regardless of where you’re going to visit. Thanks to the internet, you can find the most affordable times to visit just about any state in the country or any country in the world.
2. Make Travel Plans in Advance
Last-minute trips can be a ton of fun. There’s nothing quite like sneaking away for a week when you weren’t planning on doing it. The spontaneity alone will serve to rejuvenate both your mind and your body.
But if you wait until the last minute to plan a trip, you’re going to be at the mercy of airlines, hotels, and more when it comes to making your travel plans. You’re pretty much going to have to take whatever you can get in most cases since flights and hotels will be sold out or close to sold out at the last minute.
Rather than taking this approach to travel, try to make your travel plans as far in advance as you can. It’ll give you an opportunity to keep your eyes peeled for the best possible deals. It’ll also get you all kinds of early-bird specials on everything from flights to hotel rooms.
3. Travel with Others Whenever Possible
Lots of people will tell you that traveling on your own is the best way to go when your goal is to see the world. And in a lot of ways, they’re right! When you go on a solo trip, it’ll give you an opportunity to:
- Meet more of the locals
- Take control of your spending
- Decide what you want to see and where you want to visit
- And so much more
But traveling on your own could also cost you substantially more than traveling with others would. You’ll be able to control your spending a little bit more efficiently, but you’ll also need to pony up for hotel rooms without any help from anyone else.
Whenever you can, it’s usually best to bring one or two friends along when you travel. You’ll feel more comfortable when you do it, and you’ll also get to split the costs of just about everything with others.
4. Watch What You Eat When Traveling
When people are traveling—especially when to a different country—they tend to want to eat a lot. Part of it is because they want to experience new kinds of foods, and part it is also because they work up quite an appetite seeing all the sights in a particular destination.
That’s all well and good, but you should be careful about eating too much!
Create a food budget for when you travel and stick to it. You might need to take trips to local grocery stores and skip the fancy meals to ensure that you don’t spend more money than you should eating out while you’re away.
5. Work While You Travel
When you travel, you’re going to have a decent amount of downtime. In some cases, you might have several hours to burn in between flights.
Use this downtime to your advantage by picking up remote work to fund your travels. There are all kinds of remote jobs that you can pick up in 2019 to pad your bank account as you travel.
Doing this might even allow you to take out a loan to fund your travels. You can repay a loan easily when you’re working while you travel across the country or globe. If you’re interested in trying it out, read more now to see how it works.
Knowing How to Travel on a Budget Will Pay Off
Many Americans wait until they’re retired to travel. Why wait that long to do something that you want to do?
Learn how to travel on a budget today and start traveling more than you ever could have imagined before. You’ll get to make so many amazing memories while you’re still young, and you won’t have to worry about emptying your bank account to do it.
If you’re going to be traveling with your family, read our blog for tips that will help you to make the most of your next family vacation experience.
Leave a Reply