Money Lessons from a Frugal Traveller
#1 Opt for a Long-Term Vacation if Possible
Many people make the mistake of thinking that a short-term vacation will cost less. That's not always true, and travelers have figured out this secret. If you have the luxury, it's often cheaper to travel long-term. That's because you don't have to spend money on airfare. You are free to drive which saves money on plane tickets and car rentals. If you do choose to fly, being flexible with travel dates helps you find cheaper flights. When traveling long term, you'll also build friendships. That way you don't have to spend money on hotels and can room with new friends instead.
#2 Budget Food Costs to Save Money for Other Activities
While traveling, eating out is great every now and then. Many consider it part of the traveling experience because you get to try new restaurants, new cuisines, and have new experiences. Eating out, however, can be costly in the long run. Opt for trying a few different restaurants. Otherwise, stop at the grocery store and prep meals and snacks in your hotel room to save on cash. Sometimes, hotels even offer free snacks and breakfast. Your hotel concierge can also recommend deals and cheap restaurants.
#3 Go Where the Deals are
If you're looking to expand your traveling horizon then travelers will tell you to go where the deals are. Often times, you can simply google travel deals to find vacation packages that will fit your budget. The deals change constantly so travelers always keep an eye out to make sure that they're getting an awesome deal for a new place. Sites like Groupon also provide package deals that include hotels, airfare, and more. There's also an area of the site called deals under $99 which change constantly. It's a great way to make sure you're getting the best-priced hotel. For more ways to save money on your next vacation, here's a great resource on AllTheRooms.com.
#4 Work as you Travel
One of the smartest money lessons from a traveler is to work while you travel. If you're someone who enjoys getting out there and exploring the world, there's good news. You don't have to lose money. There are a plethora of jobs you can do while you travel to offset the costs and in some cases, make you a profit. These are jobs like teaching English in foreign countries, food service jobs such as bartending, pick fruit, travel blog, and more. The possibilities are endless once you do a little bit of researching and some networking.
#5 Volunteer and Travel
There are ways to travel for completely free. A popular way is by volunteering. Volunteering can be an eye-opening experience which takes you to new places and allows you to do something good. Many schools, churches, and other organizations recruit volunteers for different missions. These include trips like cleaning up after a hurricane or tornado, helping an impoverished country, and more. If you don't mind spending a good chunk of your time helping others, you'll get a free trip and lodging out of the deal. In most cases, all your time won't be spent volunteering and you'll still have a chance to explore the area that you are in.
#6 Create a Savings Account for Travel
If you love traveling, a great lesson to learn is the one of saving. Starting a year before your trip, save money little by little. If you transfer a few bucks to your savings account whenever you get paid, you'll have a nice cushion in no time. To resist temptation, make it so that you can't transfer money out easily. You can also utilize many different apps to automatically take out money and stash it in your savings.
#7 Use Social Media to Form Friendships
There are a plethora of groups on social media for those who love to travel. Often times, these people spend time getting to know each other online. The people who make up the group are from all over the country. It's perfect to form relationships like these because then when someone in the group travels, they can stay with their friends that reside in that region. As always, it's important to do research with these groups first to make sure they're safe. Once you find a trustworthy one, it's a great tool to use to find free places to stay while forming lifelong friendships. These travel groups also share the best deals.
#8 Use Apps to Call Home
If traveling a long distance, it can get expensive to call home all the time. Luckily technology has advanced and now there are plenty of workarounds. Instead of making expensive calls, utilize apps and websites while you're connected to wifi. Skype, Facebook, and more allow you to be able to call home without costing you nearly as much.
Conclusion: Traveling Doesn't Have to be Expensive
Did you find this list helpful? If you're a traveler, is there anything that you would add to the list. Traveling doesn't have to be expensive and it's helpful for potential travelers to know that there are easy money-saving tips available. Let us know what you thought in the comment section!
