Travel on a tight budget is one dream that we cannot even dream. Traveling and cash outflows go hand in hand, and there are no two ways about it. A globetrotter must break havoc on his bank balance is what everyone perceives.
I Would Rather Own a Little and See the World than Own the World and See a Little of It.
Every problem has solutions, and this too is no different. You need not have an enormous amount of cash to be able to travel. Travel on a budget is a reality, and you too can be a part of it. Most of us are not acquainted with the fact that there are two divisions when it comes to traveling on a budget.
Here is how we divide budget travel into two categories. It will also be the backdrop of how this article shapes up.
Travel Cheap
Travel for Free
These terms may seem the same to you, but they are like butter and margarine. The difference is subtle enough for you to notice that your bread doesn’t taste the same today. So what do these terms signify?
How to travel cheap is about trying to spend less while compromising the least on our amenities. We take local buses instead of hiring cabs, eat in a decent café than eating in the best diner in the town.
It refers to that part of the day where you either work, or help others, or do something else that will bring you some quick bucks. It will ensure that you are holidaying without spending much from your savings are you are replenishing the stock.
How to travel for free is a different ball game altogether. It’s about snatching some free offers and making the most of whatever free you can get. You walk to your destination and promise not to take the comforting Uber ride unnecessarily.
You can also try spending an hour every day doing something that will cover most of your daily expenses. How good you are at utilizing your social connections will also decide if you can travel for free or not.
At this point, you must have got some idea of how the next part of this article will shape up to be. Without disappointing you a bit, let us move to our next step. In this step, we will explain you ways in which you can achieve the ideas mentioned above easily.
How to travel on a budget by doing it cheap?
We have already covered topics like Minimalist Living and Investing with Limited Funds, and this part is also on the same lines. Here are some affable ideas to help you to travel on a budget –
Teaching any foreign language
It is one of the best and highest-paying offering that you can opt for while traveling. Generally, a human being is acquainted with at least one language that has worldwide importance. If you are from Europe and you are visiting Asia, you can opt to teach English.
English being your native language will be a cakewalk for you. Plus, those learning from you will have better exposure than by learning it via a different medium.
It doesn’t need anything more from you either. A TEFL degree would be adequate, but there are chances that you will get the nod even without it. You can choose to preach physically, or several virtual options will welcome you with arms wide open.
Getting a job
Getting a job will help you to manage your resources efficiently. Mind you; we are not asking you to work full time. You can work for a few hours every day or a day or two in a week. We learn several things as hobbies, and those will be best suited in this scenario.
You can choose to be a dive instructor, a waiter, a piano teacher, a bartender, or anything else. The pay in most of such jobs is decent and will be a significant lid off from your rising expenses.
It is one of the most refreshing and feasible methods to fund your travel extravaganzas. If you are shy, we can assure you that there is nothing to be shy here. Many travelers across the continents have been doing it without even giving it a second thought.
Learn the art of Sharing
If you learn the art of sharing, you can almost cut your travel expenses by half. Think we are kidding? Well, imagine when you are sharing your Uber rides, rooms, meals, and other stuff, how much will you save? Does this not make travel on a budget seem possible?
It will be a sweeter deal if the person on the other side is a local. Locals will have a better understanding of where to get the same thing cheaper. They also have a first-hand experience of the fanciest restaurants and if they are worth the hype or not. Conversing with them will also teach you specific nuances about how the localites operate.
With time, we see the emergence of websites that support the art of sharing. Uber offers shared rides, Airbnb offers local dwelling spots that resemble your living room rather than a four-star inn and costs less too. Several portals offer shared tourism as well.
Instead of having a pastry, you are merely buying a cake and taking a piece out on your plate. The result is the same, but the cost is significantly lower.
Using Discounts as your weapon to ensure travel on a budget
What if you are eligible for discounts on your travel or your food, but you never bothered about it? It is never too late to start, and we suggest you start today. Find if your age or your citizenship calls for some exclusive discounts in the region you are visiting. If you are a student, try to figure out student-based discounts. Always carry your ID cards and you never know when they might knock off $30 from that expensive buffet.
Cook what you eat
The billing system in the restaurant never covers just the food alone. It also includes the amenities that come along, like that expensive bar, electricity, parking, staff wages, and everything else. They have set up the business to make money which means you also pay them profits.
What if you choose to cook it all yourself or at least the major part? There are no profits to account for, and you only pay for what you get. Is there no stove for you to cook? You can get some salads and if the need is, buy the rest from the local market.
We also forgot to tell you about the most important benefit you can get, hygiene. You never know what runs behind the closed café doors, but when you are doing it yourself, you own the show. Hygiene won’t be a factor and just because you are traveling, does that call for eating out 24*7? You know the answer!
How to travel on a budget by achieving it for free?
It can be a harder nut to crack than the abovementioned option. Can anything deter you if your zeal is strong enough? Make up your mind, and these are the ways which will help you travel for free –
Find Free Flights to make travel on the budget a success
The inception of traveling on a budget is getting a free flight to board. In Europe, several companies offer Signing Up bonuses and referral bonuses. You can sign up for a new travel card, promote the product, and get some others to join using your referral. It will help you collect enough to afford a flight for your travel.
Credit card companies also give massive discounts when you book a flight using their card. Find a familiar friend who owns the most beneficial card and get his card to book for yourself. If you are shy, get a credit card for yourself and do it. Once you get a flight free, you can then plan how to get the other requisites free for yourself.
Find free accommodation
If you are traveling in a place where you lack any friends, you can opt for services like Global Freeloaders and Couchsurfing. These services operate all over the globe, and you can trust them to help you out.
Not only they offer accommodation for free, but you also get a chance to meet awesome people that are traveling the same way as you. Who knows, one of them may accompany you for the next few days, and you won’t have to wander all alone.
If you are lucky enough, you may meet some experienced travelers who will share some secrets that the internet doesn’t know. The idea of sharing is great, and it helps millions throughout the year to travel with minimum expenses.
Walk to your destination
People in the West prefer taking up a cab even for a cafe in the next lane. Why don’t you throw away that notion and start walking for nearby destinations? It will not only save you some money but has health benefits as well.
If you fear to lose your path, GPS services have changed our perceptions altogether. You can go out in an unknown land and walk like it is your locality. The locals in almost all the countries are helpful enough to guide you to your destination. Are you still worried? Why not take a leap of faith and start today?
Find relevant social connections
Common friends across oceans are great for your travel. When you visit their country, they will let you stay for free and vice-versa. They can be your friends or friends of your friends or just mutual connections who offer to help.
If you could not find anyone willing to be your savior, ask your co-workers or your neighbors and see if they can find a way out for you. This idea may look overbearing, but once you start, it will be like a walk in the park. With time and experience, you will be able to help others find the right choices as well.
I love traveling to Sydney. On my first visit in 2009, I was lucky to meet a bunch of friends who were more than happy to let me in. They even invited me to stay at one of their places. I gladly accepted the offer, and when they came to my country last year, they stayed at my home. So all of us ended up saving a chunk of money.
Help others in need to help you achieve travel on a budget
We all will agree to the fact that rentals form a major part of our travel budget specially when we are abroad. If you are from a developing country and looking forward to visiting a developed country, almost 50% of your expenses will go towards rentals.
Travel on a budget can be truth only when you cut off or eradicate rentals. You must be wondering if staying in a below-average compartment is all I am talking about, but no, I have better plans for you. Did you ever come across sites that facilitate traveling by allowing people to take care of each other’s house?
Yes, portals like Home Exchange, House Carers and many others allow users to take care of someone else’s house. In return, someone else takes care of your beloved home. You get everything that you need in a home to use, be it kitchen or washroom. You can cook your food and wash your clothes. So if you are planning lengthy vacations, these are the portals that you must sign up on to ensure cheap and worry-free accommodations throughout your visit.
Traveling and Summing Up
The trick is that which works. In this article, I have tried to cover several methods that may come handy for you to attain travel on a budget. It doesn’t mean that it is the end of the world. There are several other tricks and tips that you can use. Traveling is all about the experience that you will carry for the rest of life. How good the experience was is all that matters. So if saving that $200 can make for a bad experience, don’t save that at all. It’s not often that we get the time and tide to travel, and when we do, make the most of it.
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