Mastermind Tips To Travel on A Budget

By the looks of it, you’re probably already reading the title of this article and viewing the cover image saying, this will be another rich person’s travel guide or I’m broke as a joke, and I don’t have enough money. That’s exactly why I wrote this article. Not just for you but for me. I can pridefully admit that I’m broke and to top it off, a full-on cheap scape, but I love exploring new places around the world. Perhaps, you’re not poor at all and you have a stable income, but somewhere down the line, you feel that traveling is way beyond your means? Don’t worry this one is for you too. Whether you’re poor or somewhere in between, these tips can help save money while traveling.

Still, though, you may be wondering, how is it possible to do anything with a little bit of money and travel expenses. Well, you’d be surprised. A little can be turned into quite a lot if you appreciate it and understand what to do with your finances. I know most people believe that they have to spend thousands of dollars to travel, but that’s not necessarily true. It’s all about when and where you travel to. You simply have to play your cards right, and you’ll score the jackpot.

Keep in mind you don’t have to be filthy rich or rob the bank to travel. And to answer your question, yes, you can be poor and still have an enjoyable life, however, the adventure part is up to you. Listed are some tips that have helped me and can probably help you. I will be discussing food, stays, accommodations, transportation, activities, and additional resources that are likely to be helpful.

Google Flights tracking

Google Flights is a tool that allows you to book flights and track flight prices. You can input your information of where you want to travel, add the dates, and pick the type of plane class you would like. What I usually do is review the places I want to go to by evaluating the prices per month. Instead of checking back for prices each day, I sign up for daily updates. You will be emailed when prices are low. The lowest prices I’ve seen range from $40-$50 bucks but of course, this information can vary depending on where you are and where you’re traveling to.

Night flights are cheaper along with early morning flights, compared to any other time throughout the day. Based on the several locations I looked at in USA, you can luck up by finding cheaper flights on random days during the week and on Sunday's every so often. If you’re not in a hurry to travel during all the hype, traveling during off-peak seasons like Fall and Winter is one of the cheapest times to travel. Stays are advertised at a less expensive rate. You can weigh out your options and find the solution that is best suited for you.

Plan, save, spend wisely

The planning part is quite obvious. It’s crucial to plan ahead of time and not last minute, especially if you’re trying to travel cheap. The last thing you want to do is be stuck with extra charges and expenses. So map out where you want to go, then ask yourself how you’ll arrive at your destination, figure out what you will need, and save the money you’ll need for that trip. You can also look for activities in advance, but that part is optional.

Saving is something I highly suggest. I wasn’t the best at saving, but I eventually learned to build up my money over time through saving hacks. I had to find what worked for me. The more money you save, the more places you can travel to. I know spending money can be appealing but really think about your end goal and all the places you want to visit. Having this idea can keep the ball rolling in a good motion, but action and discipline are where everything truly begins.

Travel lightly

Traveling with several bags & suitcases can become pricy for your flight reservations. The more luggage you bring, the more fees you will have to pay. I advise taking one bag and one carry-on bag. If you bring a lot more baggage, your luggage will be divided on the plane and in the cargo department. There’s a chance of your luggage being lost or stolen.

Remember when traveling lightly, you don’t need to bring everything. You should only be packing the items you need. Not pointless things you won’t use the whole trip. A few travel items I would recommend for packing are below.

• Sleep Mask (If you’re not to fond of the light in your face and want to catch a few z’s, these masks can help.)

• Neck Pillow (Overnight trip? Well then this is another essential for sleeping while traveling. This supports your head and neck like a pillow.)

• Toiletry bags (Good to use. The clear bags make the clearance process easier when being checked at the airport. And you can fit all of your travel size products in there.)

• Electrolyte packets (Can be helpful if you need that extra boost of energy from feeling jet lagged.)

• Travel shoe bags (Most of these bags hold up to 3 shoes. Your shoes also won’t track dirt on other things.)

• Travel packing cubes (If you’re a real neat freak like me, this keeps all of your items organized in square boxes.)

• Electronic organizer (This item keeps all your chords, earphones, and phone, neat in one place.)

• Travel compression bags (Highly effective if you’re a heavy packer with clothes. It compresses your clothes down, creating more room in your suitcase)

• Travel bottle set for toiletries (Personals like cologne, perfume, lotions, hand sanitizers, and so on, have to be travel size so if you don’t want to invest in buying travel size items, use the products you have at your home and pour your stuff into these bottles.)

Large organizations like Walmart and Target have a lot of these products you can browse for in the store and online. Amazon is another good selection for online shopping, finding deals, and getting your delivery the next day.

Visit local places in your state you haven’t been to.

Another smart option if you can’t afford to travel. I know many people are still gaining their financial losses back, looking for new job opportunities, and transitioning over to side hustles after the pandemic. Visiting other parts of your state is still a form of traveling. I live in a small town in New Jersey. The state feels little, but it’s quite big to me since I haven’t visited the other areas. You never know, some of the coolest places might be located in your state. You just have to be down to try it out. Like Lizz Robinett said in the song Renai Circulation, “I’ll give it a shot, give it all that got.” Or in simple terms like Shia Lebeouf once said “JUST DO IT.”

You get the point. Let’s move on.

Share an Airbnb or rent a hostel

Airbnb fits many accommodations. I’ve seen stays as low as $20 a night. You can find a stay of your own that supports your needs. Like the flights, staying at an Airbnb is cheap during the Fall and Winter seasons. During the Spring and Summer, prices skyrocket to the top. Another strategy I found to work was negotiating prices with some of the owners. Some of them can be pretty flexible in dropping prices. Airbnb offers minimal stays and large stays that can hold a party of people. Sharing an Airbnb with people is also another way to save more money. You could split half on the stay with your friends, or you can buy the stay, and they buy the groceries for the period you’ll be there. Vice versa. The list goes on. Just make sure everyone is equally doing their part.

Hostels can be as cheap as $10 a night. Like a shared Airbnb, you are sharing a room with multiple people. I’ve seen several reviews on hostels and surprisingly most of them are great. Some offer free food throughout the day or complimentary breakfast. Hostels won’t be a luxury resort, but if you’re looking for a place to sleep at night at a low rate, hostels are your best friend. Always remember to perform your research and find 4 or 5 star reviews. You can also search for YouTubers uploading their personal experience in a hostel. This way, you can get a feel for things.

If you’re a camper and you’re looking for a stay on wheels. The website RVShare allows you to rent out RVs. There’s a huge list of pet-friendly RV’s, deliverable RV’s, Towable RV’s, and Drivable RV’s. These are very fun and can come in handy for that music singing, sightseeing, road trip. You can explore the world while having your stay packed with you.

Visit free places

This is a no brainer if you want to worry less about spending. There are places around the world that offer free activities, classes, and free food. These options can vary from festivals, yoga, stargazing, muesuems, movie screenings, charity events, zoos, etc. I usually have luck finding free events through Facebook and Google search. After all, you can’t go wrong with free. Entertainment doesn’t always have to come at a price.

Mobility

Walking is always free and all sorts of fun for good exercise, but if you don’t want to walk, there are a few websites that offer different price rates for where you want to visit. Renting a bike is a second option I suggest that goes from $10 and up. The third tip I recommend is using Turo. Turo is a car service app that lets you rent nice/luxury cars. You can find cheap cars on there to rent for however long you choose to use the car. The popular Tesla cars are available to rent from $65 and up. Although Turo is not super cheap, it may be well worth the extra coins.

Cook your own meals

Cooking your meals always saves more money than going out every day to eat. When I travel, I head over to the grocery store and buy the essential meals I'm going to eat for the duration of my stay. Plus, it is exciting to cook in a new kitchen and touch upon some new recipes.

Use discount codes and coupons

Your trip won’t be completely free so if you’re a shopper, find stores that have sales. You can visit the clearance sections in department stores and retail stores. Discounts are found everywhere whether digitally or in person. You can find them through the web, the App Store, newspapers, etc. Why pay the full price? If you can have the extra money in your pockets.

Avoid tourist traps & travel off the map

As tempting as it is to visit all the popular tourist areas, tourist places can be costly in services, food, and entertainment. Tourist attractions are meant to purposely lure you in with everything you got. There are hidden gems around the world that cost nothing. Most of the underrated places tend to be the most beautiful and rarely discovered. You’re on a getaway trip so why not venture out and discover new places to tour for fun. I usually have luck finding these kinds of places through Google search and the social media platform known as Tik Tok. I mean after all, if you don’t visit the hidden gems now, it’ll probably become another popular tourist destination later.

Seek to cherish the time you have on your vacation and make memories count. Bringing souvenirs back home is nice to remember the trip by but ask yourself what you can do to make the present moment a thrill ride. Whether you’re solo, hanging with locals, friends, or relatives. Live it up because who knows when you’ll revisit that destination.

Street food

Who says you have to dine in at a fancy restaurant to have an enjoyable meal? Street food can be cheaper compared to going to restaurants. You’ll save a lot more money while still having a nice bite to eat. Food trucks tend to offer a variety of foods to eat with several cultural cuisines. It can vary from American, Mexican, Greek, Jamaican, Indian, Chinese, etc. Some foods will be spicy, sour, and sweet. A few trucks also sell tasty treats like ice cream, smoothies, funnel cake, fried Oreos, etc. If you aren’t sure where to find these specific eateries, I suggest looking up street food places in the place you’re traveling to.

A few examples of street food are displayed like this: