Before you plan your next trip away, check out my 31 tips for saving money.
1. Walk
everywhere. If you have the time, walk from place to place, rather than catching public transport. It's a nicer way to discover the city you're in and see areas you wouldn't have walked through otherwise. This is something I also try to do at home to save fuel and public transport costs for future trips!
2. Check
your accommodation will have cooking facilities. Eat out for 1-2 meals per day and cook the rest.
3. Or
even better - stay somewhere that includes free breakfast or dinner. This not only saves you buying a meal each day, but helps you to meet other people which is always a great part of travelling.
4. Choose
accommodation that is walking distance from the city centre or near a public
transport stop. Choosing accommodation closer to the city centre will be more expensive, however will save transport costs. Calculate which will save you more money.
5. If
you are staying in hostels, take a travel towel and padlock. Most hostels charge you to rent these items which adds unnecessary costs to your trip. These items are all small/ light so aren't inconvenient to pack.
6. If
you are going to eat out - use food apps such as Yelp and TripAdvisor. These apps give you a money rating (from 1-4 dollar signs) depending on how expensive the food is. Cheaper doesn't necessarily mean bad food, so opt for restaurants with no more than 2 dollar signs, but ensure the overall rating is still high.
7. Always
carry snacks on you. Supermarket snacks will never go to waste - especially when you're at an airport, train station or touristy location, where cheap food is hard to come by.
8. Drink
tap water. No need to waste money on smoothies, juices and the like. Spend your money on food and get tap water for free (or for a low price if you're travelling somewhere where you can't drink the tap water).
9. Have
a big lunch. Restaurants typically have better lunch deals so eat big and then have a small dinner.
10.Use
free days. A lot of galleries and museums have free days such as the first Sunday of the month. Be sure to look these up in advance, and if possible, plan your trip around them.
11. Take
advantage of free walking tours. Most tourist destinations now have companies that run free walking tours. Be sure to research beforehand so that you go with a reputable company.
12. Only
pay for attractions that interest you. No need to go to every attraction a city has to offer. Choose activities that interest you and spend your money on those things. You can also find free/cheaper versions of activities such as lookouts. Instead of paying to go up a bell tower, look up if the city has any hills with viewpoints that you can walk up to.
13. When
travelling between cities, be flexible with transport times/ days. Travelling on trains during peak hour will cost you more. Also flying on weekends will usually be more expensive than flying mid-week. Flexibility will save you significant amounts of money.
14. Take
overnight transport to save on accommodation. While overnight buses/ trains cost more than regular ones, you still save money overall by missing a night of accommodation costs. It also saves you time so you don't waste a day sitting on a bus.
15. Opt for buses rather than trains. While cards such as Eurail allow for flexibility, booking buses is much more economical. It does however take a lot more time.
16. When
booking flights, do so in an incognito window. Due to browser cookies, if you repeatedly search flights, prices will increase. This is so that the airline can encourage you to book flights quickly, before prices continue to increase.
17. Be
careful with budget airlines. While these airline advertise ridiculously low prices, they usually don't include meals, check-in baggage, checking in to the airport etc. Be sure to purchase check-in baggage in advance (if you need it), check in online before your flight, don't have overweight bags and print your boarding pass. I've heard of people getting charged the equivalent of AUD$30 to print these at the airport.
18. Pack
only what you need. Overweight baggage costs are hefty. Ensure to pack only what you need and account for purchases along the way.
19. Borrow
don't buy. Luggage, packing cubes and other travel gear is very expensive. If you don't already own it, borrow from friends or family. Most people who own it, have it sitting in the back of their cupboard anyway.
20. Travel
during shoulder/ off seasons. Flights, transport, accommodation, attractions and food is more expensive in peak season. And not to mention queues can be extremely long!
21. Get
travel insurance. While it involves an upfront cost, it can save you a lot of money if something were to go wrong - which isn't unlikely when travelling.
22. Convert
money in the country in which you are travelling to. This will almost always give you a better exchange rate.
23. Work
out a credit/ debit card strategy so you get the best exchange rate without
additional fees. Different cards have different exchange rates and fees. Travel cards often give you terrible exchange rates but allow you to withdraw cash for free. Credit cards have a 3% fee on all transactions but a better exchange rate. Do your research and speak to your bank before travelling. Often using a combination of both cards is best.
24. Keep track of your spending. Either just do this on the notes section on your phone or download an app such as Trail Wallet - I haven't used this app but I've read good things about it.
25. Make
a budget and stick to it. They'll be reasons to spend more money each day but try your best not to. If you do splurge, try to go under your daily budget a few days before or after to account for it.
26. Be
wary of petty theft. Having your phone or wallet stolen is easily avoidable by wearing a money belt, never keeping valuables in bags or pockets and researching common methods pickpockets use, such as:
- Asking for a lighter or the time to get your hands out of your pockets and reveal where your valuables are located
- Shaking hands/ high fives also for the same reasons
27. Research
common scams. In Europe, popular ones include asking you to sign a petition (and then demanding money or pickpocketing you), street performances such as the ball and cup game (where members of the 'audience' work with the performer to cheat), people offering cheaper tickets to an attraction and many more. In Asia, be sure to pay with small bills to avoid getting change in a fake currency or not getting change at all, agree on taxi and tuk tuk prices before getting in and don't accept any free food. Be sure to do your own research as there are too many to name here!
28. Secure
valuables in your room. Use hotel safes and hostel lockers. Unfortunately you can't trust everyone and it's better to be safe than sorry.
29. Ensure
your phone is unlocked and purchase a local sim. International calls and texts are incredibly pricey. Purchase a prepaid local sim for the length of time you are travelling and message people through apps that use internet.
30. Stay
longer in less places. Transport between cities is expensive. Staying longer in a place can save you money on accommodation, transport and city cards.
31. Look
for places that have student/ youth discounts. Even if it's a few dollars, it adds up over time. Be sure to carry a student card/ ID on you when you travel.
I acknowledge that international travel is a privilege that not everyone has the time or budget for. And, yes, travel doesn't interest some people. But if it is something you're interested in doing, with careful planning and budgeting, you may be able to organise a trip sooner than you think!
How do you save money when travelling?
