How to Travel With Out Breaking Your Bank

 

Create an overall budget

Telling yourself that you can keep track of how much you spend on things is a big, fat lie and you know it. The first step toward budgeting for your next adventure is to have an overall budget to begin with. Apps like You Need a Budget and Mint can help you see what you actually are working with budget-wise so you can plan your trip accordingly.

How much will you treat yo’ self?

Once you’ve got your overall budget figured out, you can determine how lavish or otherwise your trip will be. If your vacation budget and your desired level of luxury aren’t lining up, you have a few options: 1) put off your trip and save more money, 2) shorten your stay, or 3) look obsessively for deals.

What expenses can you get out of the way?

Some larger costs can be taken care of ahead of time like your flight and your accommodations. This will do two things for you. First, it’ll give you a clearer picture of what you can spend on your trip. Second, you’ll be able spend some time before your trip refilling the crater in your budget caused by those expenses.

Getting from Point A to Point B

Transportation while your traveling can be a major expense. To lighten your transportation costs, getting familiar with public transportation is an absolute must. You might even consider doing a little research ahead of time to identify bus, train, and metro lines that will get you to the places you want to go before your trip. Whether you do it ahead of time or on the fly, major mapping apps can help you figure out how to get to all the places you want to go.

Be flexible with your flights

For many destinations, certain times of year are more popular than others. Do a little research to see the times of year tourists tend to visit, then plan your trip outside that time. Apps like Hopper can help you identify certain times of the year when flights to your destination cost less. Others like Kayak let you search flights within a few days of your desired departure date to help you save money.

Cheap Thrills

You can still have an incredibly fulfilling adventure without eating at nice restaurants or going on expensive tours. For many destinations, particularly big cities, you can find plenty of things to do that won’t cost you a dime. Even something as simple as getting a drink at a local bar can bring you a richer cultural experience than you might expect!

Souvenir game plan

Who doesn’t like having a little keepsake to remember their adventure? Sometimes, we might go a little overboard when it comes to preserving your memories, so if you’re dead-set on getting souvenirs, consider setting some ground-rules. Maybe it’s telling yourself to stick to just fridge magnets or Christmas ornaments. Maybe it’s just setting a dollar amount for souvenirs. Maybe you’ll allow yourself one fancy souvenir. However you chose to do things, setting expectations for yourself ahead of time can help you curb your spending.

Exchanges

Converting your currency is a headache at best and a great way to watch your hard-earned money evaporate at worst. To lessen the amount of money you lose to exchange, there’s a few things you can do. Try to exchange your funds in your home country to avoid getting gouged. ATMs are good places to get local money on the fly. If you are specifically looking for a currency exchange, try to find one outside of a touristy area or an airport.

In Case of Emergency

When we plan a vacation, we tend to focus on the fun stuff, and neglect planning for things going awry. It might be unlikely that you find yourself in an emergency situation, sure, but it’s good practice to have some wiggle-room in your budget just in case. Even if you don’t get seriously sick or hurt, having a little extra funds for extra expenses or changes in plans can prevent a major freak-out on your trip.

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