7 Budget-Friendly Tips to Travel Comfortably

With an exponential increase in globalization, travelling has become more accessible to many people. While the means of travelling are present, many people still don’t get the chance to make their dreams come true. More often than not, we talk ourselves out of the idea because we think that travelling is rather expensive. However, that is not the case, all you need to do is know how to manage your budget, and you can go anywhere you want. 

Most of us save money for a vacation and end up using it on something else because we’re not sure that it will be enough. The drive to have an outrageous amount of money on vacation makes us cancel our plans every year to the point that we get rid of the idea altogether.

If you don’t want to compromise on comfort and still travel within your budget, then you’ve come to the right place. Here mentioned below are seven budget-friendly tips to travel comfortably and enjoy your trip.

1.     Don’t Travel in the Peak Season

The first and foremost tip that you should keep in mind is that you shouldn’t travel during the peak season. While you might question my expertise and say isn’t that when it’s the most fun? Well, yeah it is, but having fun doesn’t solely rely on the time that you choose.  

Since the airline companies want to maximize their profits, they tend to charge more during vacation or gaming seasons. If you plan to travel during the off-season, you’ll get much more affordable travel packages.

2.     Research Your Destination

Once you’ve made a plan to travel to a certain destination, you should make sure you do thorough research about it. Since you’re on a budget, you need to plan everything. Know where you’re going to be staying, where you’ll be eating and what activities will you be indulging in. Once you have an outline of what you want to do, you can look for a place where you can get access to all the desired activities and still stay within budget.

3.     Find a Cheap Place to Stay

Once you find which place you’ll be going to, you now need to determine where you’re going to stay. My first preference is to always go for a youth hostel. Not only does it make it easier for me to stay in the budget, but it also provides me with an opportunity to engage with other travelers. It has often resulted in adventures I never thought I would be a part of.

You can look for places to live on Airbnb, look for people who want to exchange houses etc. While exchanging your house may seem like a breach of privacy; it can be a relatively new experience that you can benefit from. You won’t have to spend the extra money, and it will be more comfortable too.

4.     Travel with a Group of Friends

Travelling with a group of friends is also a great way to make sure you stay within a budget. If you divide the expenses between lots of people, you’ll only have to pay a small portion of it. I mostly travel with a group of three people, and since we have similar tastes in comfort and food, we only pay 25% of the total price. This leaves us with more money to spend on other things.

5.     Cook Yourself

While cooking may not be a part of your dream vacation, it can prove to be a great way to manage your budget. All you will need to do is buy a few things that you’ll need to use from the local supermarket and cook yourself whatever you like. This way you won’t have to spend money on food just to maintain your energy levels, and you’ll be able to spend money on things you really want to try.

6.     Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is also another way to save some money. If you’re carrying around equipment or you think you might get sick on the way, it’s really good to have travel insurance. It can cover any unexpected costs that you may have to face in case of an emergency. 

A few months back on my trip to New Zealand with my friends, we got into an accident, and if it wasn’t for travel insurance, I don’t know how we could’ve managed that situation. Not only were our medical expenses covered; we also had all other expenses taken care off.

While you’ll have to do your research to get your hands on a reasonable package, it will be an investment that can save you from many difficult circumstances.

7.     Save Money on Data Roaming

Last but not least, you can also save some money if you use the internet in the local dining places or your hostel. Try not to use roaming services, as they can be extremely expensive. If you’re a social media addict, and you like to upload pictures, try to upload them whenever you get access to the internet. The money you save from roaming services can be spent on something that you really like.

A great way to make sure that you don’t fall victim to your urge to post is to buy a camera and go through it once you get back home. If you want to buy a camera that can suit your travel needs, read more about usable models over here.  Try to cut back on expenses that you don’t think are utmost necessities so you can spend your budget on things that will enhance your experience. If you’re travelling with a bunch of friends, one person per group can get a roaming subscription that everyone can use and divide the expenses.

If you’ve gone through the above-mentioned tips, you now know that money isn’t the hurdle in your way of travelling, it is a misconception that you have in your mind that hold you back. Travelling and having fun isn’t about how much money you spend, it’s about how you spend the money that you have and who you travel with. 

While most of us have a cliché image of a vacation consisting of massages and five-star hotels, you can have a great deal of fun eating street food and staying at youth hostels as long as you’re with the people that you like.