I often see people both online and in the real world traveling to lavish places, and frequently. I try not to judge and I know that everyone’s situation is different but when I hear these travelers’ occupation I often think to myself “if they can afford to do this, I can too”. I started doing some research and realized that traveling doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think. In fact, with proper planning and a little bit of research, I have found myself traveling with my wife for a very reasonable sum of money. I am certainly not a nomad, world traveller, or travel hacking expert, but I do feel as though I could share some tips and tricks that have helped me travel to a few places “on a budget”.
Let’s discuss what I define as “traveling”. I see a large difference in a vacationer and a traveler. A vacationer wants to go sit in the hot sun, at an all-inclusive resort, spend a bunch of money, and get drunk or party. A traveler wants to stay in the local area or city, experience the people, culture, food, language(s), etc. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a vacationer or a traveler; I’m just expressing my opinion of the distinct difference between the two. Please don’t take my vacationer definition as insulting or derogatory, it’s just an example to make my point. The biggest difference I see between these two types of people is the amount of money each of them will spend. One will go “all-out” on drinks, food, shows, rides, experiences, plane tickets, and more. The other will have a great time finding things to do that don’t always cost money, but may cost a little more effort of hiking or riding the bus.
Off-Season
The first tip is obvious – travel to your destination during the off season. Price hikes and gouging is unfortunately, a real thing. Popular travel destinations know when their on and off seasons are, and will adjust their prices accordingly. The off seasons is the perfect time to travel because many businesses and merchants will slightly lower their prices in order to still obtain business during the slow times. This is especially true with hotels and airlines. In fact, hotels and airlines can have price changes by the hour. Some examples of traveling during the offseason may be to travel to beach destinations in the winter, and snowy mountainous destinations in the summer. Sure, you may not be able to experience the same thing you would during peak times, but can still share the experience without spending the larger amount of money.
Fly On Holidays
This could go either way. Sometimes holidays can be priced higher than other days because the airline business knows that many people travel around the holidays to see friends and family. However, traveling around holidays and traveling on holidays can be priced completely different. I once had a 10+ hour, trans-Atlantic flight on Thanksgiving Day (USA) and the cost of 2 tickets was the same as peak season for the destination we were coming home from. This price also included extra money spent for upgraded seats. So, while I know many people would like to be home a little ahead of time for the holidays, flying home on the actual holiday itself may be a way to save some money. Hotel prices can actually be quite the opposite on holidays. Nightly rates are generally increased on holidays; so plan your flight to or from your destination on the holiday itself, not an actual hotel room. Again, research is needed here to find the best price.
Fly On Weird Schedules
Think about it. You probably normally plan your vacations from a weekend to a weekend. A Sunday to a Saturday, or a Saturday to a Saturday. Why not plan a trip from a Wednesday to a Thursday (8 days)? Studies have shown that Tuesdays and Thursdays are the cheapest days to flight commercially. You’ll still experience the same duration of a vacation, just on a shifted schedule. Also consider the time of day and layovers. I personally enjoy direct flights from A to B, but layovers could save you some money. If you are willing to endure a longer time of reaching your destination to account for added layovers, you could find yourself spending much less money. If you’re willing to get up at 3am and take 6am flights, you could save much more money than flying that ever-so-convenient 2pm flight. These are minor things to consider that allow you to trade your time for your money.
Fly Economy
This may seem obvious but I see many people catching themselves saying “it’s only 80 bucks to upgrade our seats”. You’re right, and for me, it’s worth it. But if you like to travel on a restricted financial allowance or just simply rather retain the extra cash, fly the basic economy seats. This may mean only taking 2 extra shirts instead of 3 in efforts to eliminate a checked bag, only taking a half bottle of shampoo and mixing with water once you arrive to allow more room for storage in your carry-on, but totally worth the sacrifice to save a lot of money. Each of these examples may only be a few dollars here and there, but certainly add up over time.
Eat Cheap
Do you really need that $80 steak from the local As-Seen-On-TV steakhouse? Sure it may be something you treat yourself to once while visiting, but not every night. You can find great ways to save a ton of money simply by picking off-kilter foods. In fact, many times when I travel I like to find a local market or grocery store to purchase raw foods from, and make my own meals in the AirBnb or hotel i’m staying at. I will splurge on areas of good cuisine if I’m visiting an area that is known for being the food capital of its respective flavor, but not the entire time. I am perfectly content eating a local bakery’s muffin for breakfast rather than going to a fine dining experience each morning, and it has saved me a lot of money.
Plan Ahead
This may come as secret to some, but planning ahead can save you a lot of money. Don’t wait until 1 month before your vacation to book it. In fact, many times, I will book it as far in advance as possible. If you can catch flights and hotels immediately after they are available and listed online, you can find some great deals. I also have a habit of waiting until the airlines and/or AirBnB sends me email coupons, and book my travels with those coupon codes. I know it may not be totally feasible to book 6 months in advance due to work schedules and general life events, but the earlier you can book, the better.
Stay Away From “City-Center”
Let’s use Vegas as the example for this. You will find that by staying at a hotel or AirBnB off “the strip” will be much cheaper than staying in Caesar’s Palace in the middle of the action. Again, this may not be ideal, but by choosing overnight stays away from the middle of the city or attractions, you can pocket a lot more money. While it may not be fully desired, consider staying in a 4-star hotel instead of a 5-star luxurious hotel. Of course some research will be needed to ensure your hotel is safe and clean, but 3 or 4-star hotels can be, many times, just as nice as the 5+ star locations. Put in the effort of taking a bus or walking to the attractions and spend the night a little further away. It will save you lots of money in your travels, with just a minor trade off for inconvenience.
Earn Rewards & Points
This one is delicate. Be careful. While I do recommend credit cards for travel, don’t lose control and get yourself into tons of debt. The objective is to save money, not procrastinate on spending it. With that said, travel credit cards are a beauty in that many of them give you cash back or rewards points for every dollar you spend. This doesn’t mean purposely spend money just to get the cash back, you’ll never come out ahead. What it does mean though, is that you can use a credit card on spending for things you would spend money on anyway. So, instead of using your debit card or cash, consider using a cash back/rewards credit card. I recommend a credit card for everything, not just for the sake of traveling. I believe that credit cards are, by far, the safest form of payment available to the American people. If you decide to go the credit card route, just don’t overspend, and be sure to pay off your balance at the end of each month. As far as “saving” money on credit cards, use your accrued buildup of points or cash back to help fund your next vacation!
Again, I am not a world traveler or professional travel hacker. I am simply sharing some minor tips and tricks that have helped me travel to some cool places without spending 3 months of your wages. I hope this helps!
