If you’re anything like the rest of the world, then you spend much more money than you planned whenever you travel. This is a normal, albeit unfortunate circumstance that isn’t easy to get around, simply because when we’re relaxed, we’re relaxed about everything, including the balance on our bank accounts. This is why it’s important to exercise moderation when on the road and for that you need guidance and of course, experience of your own, because no strategy works on everyone and you need to know what will make you stay in check.
Being frugal while traveling doesn’t mean being cheap, just knowing how to save some money in opportune moments simply by knowing little cheats and tricks. We’ll share with you some tips that will take your money efficiency to a whole new level while traveling.
When It Comes to Traveling
Adjusting your travel expenses actually starts even before you step foot out of your door. Even if you’re going on a longer trip, you should be very moderate when it comes to packing, because paying for additional bags does not come cheap, especially if you have to do it frequently because you’re traveling from one place to another. Do your best to pack all you need in one piece of baggage, the truth is that we always lug around more stuff than we need. Find a bag that isn’t too big and fill it with things you’re truly going to need to avoid all that unnecessary fees and way too much carrying around.
When it comes to booking flights, there’s a lot of ground to cover. For starters, we suggest booking round trip tickets because they’re always much cheaper than one-way tickets and if it sounds improbable to you, check and you’ll see we’re right. Even if you’re not planning on using that return flight, you still saved some money and who knows, maybe it will do you good to have a backup plan for return.
While we’re on the subject of flights, consider having connection between flights, because it will really make a difference in ticket price. Sure, it’s not an optimal situation to wait around airports for eight or more hours, but the best thing is that you don’t have to. When you’ve got long layovers, you can get out of the airport and get to know the city you’re in, it’s a great adventure. If you don’t feel like that is your cup of tea, then arm your devices with movies, music and whatever makes time pass faster. We have a word of caution if you’re using airport Wi-Fi – they can be potentially hazardous when it comes to your internet security. Make sure that you’ve got your public networks protection in check before you connect, otherwise you risk exposing your devices to malware and hackers.
When it comes to booking flights, there’s a lot of ground to cover. For starters, we suggest booking round trip tickets because they’re always much cheaper than one-way tickets and if it sounds improbable to you, check and you’ll see we’re right. Even if you’re not planning on using that return flight, you still saved some money and who knows, maybe it will do you good to have a backup plan for return.
While we’re on the subject of flights, consider having connection between flights, because it will really make a difference in ticket price. Sure, it’s not an optimal situation to wait around airports for eight or more hours, but the best thing is that you don’t have to. When you’ve got long layovers, you can get out of the airport and get to know the city you’re in, it’s a great adventure. If you don’t feel like that is your cup of tea, then arm your devices with movies, music and whatever makes time pass faster. We have a word of caution if you’re using airport Wi-Fi – they can be potentially hazardous when it comes to your internet security. Make sure that you’ve got your public networks protection in check before you connect, otherwise you risk exposing your devices to malware and hackers.
Where You Lay Your Hat
Accommodation is another aspect where a great part of your money will be spent, so be wise and keep an open mind. If you’re an adventurer and you want to have a free place to sleep, try Couchsurfing, most of the time it’s an amazing experience and you can meet some really great people.
Great advice is to consider finding lodging somewhere in the suburbs of the city you’re visiting, because it will be considerably cheaper. You might have to travel a bit longer to get to the city center but if doesn’t take up too much of your time, then consider getting a room somewhere further away from all the buzz and high prices.
Exchanging homes is another great practice that lands you a free place in a new city, but you have to be sure that you really want to do this. Most people are great, but then there are some that will not treat your house kindly. However, if you find someone who is trustworthy, then exchange away.
If you’re not travelling alone and you still need two rooms, it might be a good idea to ask for suites that have two bedrooms that are usually neatly separated by doors, which you can lock if you’re in need of privacy. Suites are generally cheaper than getting two separate bedrooms, plus it’s also more fun to have people you’re travelling with so close by.
Great advice is to consider finding lodging somewhere in the suburbs of the city you’re visiting, because it will be considerably cheaper. You might have to travel a bit longer to get to the city center but if doesn’t take up too much of your time, then consider getting a room somewhere further away from all the buzz and high prices.
Exchanging homes is another great practice that lands you a free place in a new city, but you have to be sure that you really want to do this. Most people are great, but then there are some that will not treat your house kindly. However, if you find someone who is trustworthy, then exchange away.
If you’re not travelling alone and you still need two rooms, it might be a good idea to ask for suites that have two bedrooms that are usually neatly separated by doors, which you can lock if you’re in need of privacy. Suites are generally cheaper than getting two separate bedrooms, plus it’s also more fun to have people you’re travelling with so close by.
Miscellaneous
Do your best not to spend much money at airports – everything is overpriced and you really don’t want to spend $5 on a granola bar.
If you want to save up on public transport in a new city, simply walk everywhere. It’s a great way to feel the place you’re at and familiarize with it on a deeper level. Also, we recommend going off season everywhere you can, because everything will be much less crowded and not to mention cheaper.
Be very careful with currency exchange, as most exchange offices (especially at tourist spots and airports) give lousy exchange rates and you can end up losing a lot of money in the process.
Consider traveling overnight whenever you’re going somewhere, be it by train, airplane or bus. No matter how long the travel is, you won’t mind as much because you’ll be asleep most of the time.
Being frugal when you’re traveling doesn’t have to be tedious, as long as you do it right. Save money wherever you can, but don’t let it get in the way of having fun and enjoying yourself, try and incorporate the best of two worlds together.
If you want to save up on public transport in a new city, simply walk everywhere. It’s a great way to feel the place you’re at and familiarize with it on a deeper level. Also, we recommend going off season everywhere you can, because everything will be much less crowded and not to mention cheaper.
Be very careful with currency exchange, as most exchange offices (especially at tourist spots and airports) give lousy exchange rates and you can end up losing a lot of money in the process.
Consider traveling overnight whenever you’re going somewhere, be it by train, airplane or bus. No matter how long the travel is, you won’t mind as much because you’ll be asleep most of the time.
Being frugal when you’re traveling doesn’t have to be tedious, as long as you do it right. Save money wherever you can, but don’t let it get in the way of having fun and enjoying yourself, try and incorporate the best of two worlds together.
About the author:
Adam Ferraresi loves his job in web development and it shows from his articulate and informing articles published on wefollowtech.com. He lives in Dallas, loves his job, his friends and all the food in the world. Adam is 23, but still loves to play basketball like when he was 16.
Adam Ferraresi loves his job in web development and it shows from his articulate and informing articles published on wefollowtech.com. He lives in Dallas, loves his job, his friends and all the food in the world. Adam is 23, but still loves to play basketball like when he was 16.
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