How to Travel on a Budget

For many people, vacations mean splurging on anything from spa treatments to bucket-list dining. Creating and maintaining a budget can allow you to treat yourself without emptying your wallet. Your total budget may depend on many factors, including your airfare and accommodations, but also how much you plan to charge to your credit card when you’re there, and how much cash you’ll bring. These budget travel tips can help you learn to travel on a budget.

How much to spend on vacation

The actual amount you spend on vacation is less important than sticking to the budget you’ve chosen. When you plan your trip, pricing each component in advance can help you be sure you’ll be able to pay the credit card bills that arrive when your vacation is over.

Budget travel tips

Save money by skipping the hotel

One way to avoid hotel up-charges is to avoid the hotel altogether. Companies and apps make renting vacation homes a breeze, providing you all the comforts of home. Making your own breakfast alone can bring big savings to your budget.

Use credit card rewards

Redeeming credit card rewards is a great way to save money on vacation travel. Once you’ve decided how much you’re able to spend on vacation, see if you can supplement your budget by redeeming cash back rewards or miles. Once you check how much you’ve accumulated in credit card rewards, you may find that they make the difference between staying on budget and overspending.

Choose the cheapest airfares

If you’re not sure where you want to go, look for locations that are less popular and may cost less. If you know exactly where you want to be but aren’t on a schedule, set up alerts on airline websites to find the cheapest airfares.

Travel by car

Sometimes road-tripping is a convenient way to extend your vacation and see some of the sights a country has to offer. Just be sure to calculate the price of gas, any maintenance you’d be better off performing before you leave, and for extended trips, lodging along the route to see if you’re not better off flying in the first place.

Seek discounts at your destination

Travelers can often find discounts on everything from meals to live music. Choosing restaurants, cafes, museums, and attractions that offer deals can make a dent in how much you spend on vacation. You can search online for discounts offered at your destination or find deals as you walk around. On top of that, walking is a free and easy way to explore every nook and cranny a city has to offer, extending your travel budget even more.

Go all-inclusive

Those that have a hard time sticking to a budget may want to opt for an all-inclusive vacation, where meals and lodging are typically included in the price. Though this option is traditionally more expensive upfront, you can very easily create and stick to a budget, so you know about how much you’ll spend on your trip before you even leave home.

Ride the currency coaster

Though this tip takes a lot of patience and a little luck, global currencies are in a constant state of flux. In plain English, this means that sometimes it’s cheaper to travel to places based off the spending power your nation’s currency has in that country.

For example, where a trip to Australia may see the American dollar reduce by a third of its price, the dollar is traditionally strong in places like Southeast Asia. Depending on where you are in the world, world affairs, and your travel destination of choice, doing just a little bit of research can prove why you should set off to a faraway place, as opposed to a more popular tourist destination.

Staying on course with budget travel tips

While it may not be the easiest thing to do, staying within budget while getting out to explore the world is feasible. With a disciplined saving mentality and research, you can go out and explore the world comfortably, knowing that you’re not breaking the bank to do so.