There is a multitude of ways to save money here and there while traveling! If you’re able to save money on one thing, you’ll have more money to spend on something of better value to you. Use these tips to help you stay on a budget while traveling!
Don’t Eat Out Everyday
You’ll save a bunch of money if you cut down on eating out on a trip. One of my biggest suggestions would be to take advantage of bakeries if your trip happens to be in Europe. Bakeries are super cheap so you can buy a lot of tasty food for a very low price while experiencing local treats at the same time. If you’re not taking a trip to Europe, I suggest buying snacks at a local store and snacking throughout the day.
Buy Groceries and Cook In
Going along with my first point, buying groceries will help you save money. If you’re a budget traveler staying at a hostel or Airbnb, buy groceries and use the kitchen to prepare your meal. If you’re somewhere with local markets, I highly recommend you buy food products from there! It’ll give you the chance to try products of the area and support local businesses! When I visited Italy, my friend and I bought fresh pasta from a local market to make back at our hostel. It was so fresh and delicious. All while getting to experience one of the foods Italy is known for!
If you’re staying somewhere without a kitchen to prepare food in, there are still food options at grocery stores that don’t require you to use a kitchen to prepare it. Look for those items!
Buy What You Need
It’s tempting to want to buy everything you see on a trip! It’s all about a balance between buying a few items you want and saving your money to spend on the items you need. Prioritize the type of items you think you’ll want and that’ll help you figure out how much money to set aside.
Take Public Transportation
If you’re visiting somewhere with great public transportation, use it! Buses and metros will always be cheaper than paying for a taxi. Take advantage of transportation passes that are offered. Most places offer different types of passes to choose from. Depending on the length of your trip and how much you plan to use public transportation, the passes can help you save a ton of money.
Write Down What You’re Spending
It’s always good to stay organized! Write down what you spend money on if you’re on a tight budget. This will help you keep a good balance on your spending throughout the trip. If you’re not wanting to empty your bank account, it’s all about prioritizing what you want to spend money on. For example, you might hold off on buying a piece of clothing if you’d rather spend the money to buy a museum ticket. The experience you have at the museum could be far more valuable to you than a piece of clothing.
Pack Your Own Food for Your Flights
Anything you buy at an airport is going to be more expensive than if you were to buy it anywhere else. You can save money by packing your own food for the flight. Check security guidelines before you leave to make sure what you pack to eat is acceptable!
Wrapping it Up
You don’t have to deprive yourself to have a good time. It’s all about balance and staying organized! If you implement these suggestions into your trip, you’ll have a better chance of staying on a budget!
Thanks for the great tips! Another money saver we found when traveling through Europe was to purchase train tickets in the city themselves (as opposed to purchasing them all from the US). You may spend some time in a line, and you may have to be a little more flexible, but we saved a lot of money this way. (If you need one of the big train tickets—like from England to France—and it has to be on a specific day, then you may want to purchase that one ticket in the US.)
Can‘t wait to read more!
Heard of this blog from a few of my friends. Great advice, I recently went on a big trip to Spain and would have loved to have had your expertise along the way! Thanks for the tips, will definitely use in the future!
Some handy hints here. We usually eat in as with a family of 4, one meal can set you back £100 (or each in Iceland). Public transportation can be more fun anyway I say - this is where you get the travel stories!
Great tips. We use all these tips, except for the pack your own food for the flights.