Everyone knows that traveling can be expensive. It’s often thousands of dollars, particularly if you’re taking the family with you. Money-saving travel is a concept we can all appreciate!
Of course, most of us already know the tried-and-tested ways of saving money on a trip, such as booking a package deal, but it turns out there are many other ways to save. Here are a few idea you may never have thought of before:
Stay With A Family
While staying in a hotel or separate accommodation might seem like a great idea, it can actually be very expensive, particularly if you want your vacation to last for more than a week or so.
A great way to cut costs is to stay with a family. There are numerous websites that allow you to do this, offering cheap accommodation that’s a fraction of the price of formal hospitality services.
The way it works is simple. You find a family you’d like to stay with on a booking platform. The platform then takes a deposit after which it’ll tell you the address of the person you’re staying with, along with their contact details, a bit like Airbnb. Then you just pay them in cash when you arrive at your destination.
Type In A Discount Code
Most travel sites allow you to type in a discount code to get money off your flight, accommodation or daily activities. Sites, such as NetVoucherCodes.co.uk, list as many as they can get on the internet so you can find them all in the same place. Look for discounts from the providers you’re using and see whether you can save.
Cook More
Eating out is one of the luxuries of traveling, but if you want to keep costs down, try cooking. Remember, even on a short three or four-day getaway, eating out every night can get a little expensive.
Where possible, shop locally and cook with fresh, cheap ingredients. Don’t try to recreate your meals from back home as this will likely be difficult. Instead, take pantry ingredients with you and then cook fresh once you arrive.
Travel In The Off-Season
Don’t travel at Christmas time or on busy holiday weekends. It’s too expensive. Instead, book your vacation midweek and during the quieter months of the year, usually January to March, says www.theintrepidguide.com.
Stay In Hostels
Hostels might sound a little scary, but they’re a great place to stay if you’re traveling the world. What’s more, they’re an opportunity to make connections with people you wouldn’t otherwise have if you stayed in a regular hotel. You can make friends, share social experiences and even cook together if you want.
Try House Sitting
Another option is to house sit. This is where you literally stay in someone’s house abroad while they travel. You could even arrange a house swap, where you both live in each other’s accommodation for a couple of weeks, before returning home.
Don’t Go Shopping
It can sometimes be tempting to go shopping when you’re overseas. It’s your vacation time, so you want to treat yourself.
Think carefully, though, about whether it’s really worth collecting all those souvenirs. You want a memento of your experience, but do you actually have to buy one?
Instead, wait until you get home. Take pictures and let them serve as a memory of your adventures instead.
Find Free Things To Do
Another option is to find free things to do. You could go hiking, visit a free museum, or go and see historical sights, most of which don’t require you to pay a fee to stand outside.
Find Some Local Connections
Another pro tip is to find local connections in non-touristy areas. This way, you can escape the high prices that tend to dog the middle of international cities.
Buy Local Brands
While you might recognise international brands in your destination country, they’re generally much more expensive. It’s better to go local, where possible. That’s because things like taxes, customs duties, transportation and distribution costs are lower.
You might not recognize local brands, but if they occupy shelving in stores at eye-level, they’re likely the most popular local product.
Remember, foods that you take for granted might be expensive imports for your destination country. Something as simple as rice could be prohibitively expensive, making it much better to go with local grains.
Look For Places With Cheap Currency
Lastly, you’ll want to look for places to live that offer cheap currency. For instance, you might be able to travel on less than $10 per day if you find a country with a favorable exchange rate.
