Everybody dreams of exploring exotic cultures and foreign countries. But for some reason or another, most people never do. And while there are several reasons why a person’s travel dreams are never met, the number one explanation the majority of people give is that they simply don’t have the money.
These people believe that travel is the exclusive luxury of millionaire businessmen and heiresses that have the capacity of spending thousands of dollars a day on exotic vacations. They hear stories of travellers, and they think, “that must be nice.” Still, they don’t actually believe they can attain that freedom for themselves.
This belief that you have to be rich and spend thousands of dollars a day to see the world is simply not true. According to travel blogging legend, Nomadic Matt, it is possible to travel the world for as little as $50 per day.
And while this projection of $50/day is subjective for the different regions of the world, it is definitely more than possible to see the world while travelling on a strict budget. In fact, there is an entire culture and community of people out there that have committed their lives to travel hacking their way to a lifetime of world exploration.
This post will examine the 10 best budget travel hacks and tips that I engage to maintain my budget throughout my travels. However, these are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many shoelace explorers out there with their own take on the act of budget travel.
So, take what tips you can from my experiences, but don’t stop there. The art of travel hacking is a developing lifestyle that can evolve into a lifetime of adventures.
Budget Travel Hack 1: It All Starts with the Destination
Budgeting a trip is always dependent on the traveller’s target destination. Overall, world costs vary from region to region. Therefore, the easiest way to maintain a strict budget is by choosing a destination with a lower cost of living.
For example, the strong economic nations of Western Europe all come with a high cost of living. Therefore, countries like England, France, Germany, and Italy have increased accommodations, food, and transportation costs.
On the other hand, developing countries such as those found in Central America and Southeast Asia experience a lower cost of living reflected in the prices they charge incoming tourists.
Nevertheless, there is a slight catch-22 when selecting your destination. Just because a country is considered developing doesn’t necessarily mean it will always be more budget-friendly than other destinations. After all, many Caribbean islands would be considered developing. Yet, many of these resort destinations can often cost upwards of thousands of dollars a night.
This nearly paradoxical idea of expensive destinations being found in an otherwise poor country occurs for several reasons. The first and foremost reason these increased costs arise is that people are willing to pay for them.
Many of the world’s most popular travel destinations are located in many of the world’s underdeveloped countries. As a result, tourism becomes the backbone of which they begin to grow their economy, and these premium rates develop to attract the luxury traveller.
So, getting off the beaten path is an absolute must-travel hack for those who don’t have thousands of dollars to spend.
Get away from the tourist traps and resorts. Not only will you escape inflated prices, but you will also explore the heart of the foreign cultures of the destinations you are visiting.
Budget Travel Hack 2: Travel Out of Season When Possible
One of the most accessible travel hacks you can use to maneuver your way through inflated prices is the act of travelling out of a region’s peak season. While there are exceptions, most travel destinations have obvious peak and off-seasons.
These periods of fluctuating demand are typically defined by a country’s winter and summer months, also commonly referred to as wet and dry seasons.
Naturally, most tourists typically want their vacation to fall during a region’s warm and dry portions of the year. However, this common way of thinking amongst holidaymakers often contributes to increased demand and crowding at popular accommodations and attractions.
As can be expected, these increased demands are often accompanied by inflated prices during these months. After all, if people are willing to spend premium prices, why wouldn’t you increase your nightly rates.
For this reason, one of the best travel budget tips I can give anybody is to look at a destination’s out-of-season viability. While there is typically an apparent peak season that boasts the best weather in a region, other times of the year can still be accompanied by warm pristine weathers when compared to other parts of the world.
Those willing to venture into these periods of less demand will often be rewarded with reduced nightly rates while being able to experience popular attractions with much less crowding than other more popular times of the year.
Budget Travel Hack 3: Know Your Accommodation Options
Hotels and Hostels are definitely the most popular modes of accommodation, but there is actually a massive variety of options available for travellers. Therefore, a crucial budget travel hack is researching what kind of budget accommodations are available for the target destination.
Hostels are some of the best accommodations available for budget travellers and backpackers. But they aren’t always available in specific parts of the world. While their widespread availability is present in popular backpacker spots like Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, hostels are virtually non-existent in places off the beaten path.
In these destinations, travellers need to look elsewhere for their budget accommodations. Luckily, finding a night’s stay is literally at our fingertips in our age of widespread communication and mobile apps.
From homestay apps like Airbnb, Agoda, and Booking.com, to free home sitting services and other alternatives, budget accommodations have never been easier to find.
Doing your research and distinguishing which accommodation method fits your budget and comfort levels is an essential budget travel tip for any shoestring backpacker.
Budget Travel Hack 4: Stick to Street Food
Experiencing new food is a pillar of international travel. But, while exotic cuisines should be explored, it is crucial to remember that meals at five-star restaurants can accumulate to become a considerable burden on your pocketbook.
Instead, eat local. Find the hole-in-the-wall restaurant or street food vendor and sample homemade dishes on a shoestring budget. In many countries of the world, this method of eating can be achieved for under $10 a day.
Now, I’m not saying to entirely cut fine dining restaurants out of your travels. The trick to sticking to your food budget is understanding that there are days you will go over budget, and there are days you will be under.
My personal budget travel trick when it comes to food is aiming slightly below my budget for six days of the week. By doing so, I save enough money per week to afford a night at a fine dining restaurant without going over my food budget.
Budget Travel Hack 5: Track Your Expenses
A simple budget travel hack that can really help cut unnecessary expenses is to track every cent you spend throughout your trip. By using a budget book or app, tracking your expenses can show you exactly where your money is going.
Do this for a week, and you will quickly realize that a big chunk of your budget is going towards impulse purchases that you could easily cut back on.
The more you continue this practice, the more you will become naturally conscientious of your spending habits. Do so, and you will quickly realize that you have more money to spend to continue your travels.
Unlike most things in this world, saving money by tracking your expenses is easier done than said. So, give it a try. Track each purchase and cent, and stretch your hard-earned dollars over a series of international vacations.
Budget Travel Hack 6: Take Advantage of Local Transport
Flying between destinations is definitely the most straightforward and most accessible mode of transportation. But flights can be expensive. Local transport, on the other hand, can be far more affordable.
So, before booking your next flight to a nearby country, check the local train and bus systems. Sure, they may be longer transit times, but you may just save a significant chunk of change that can be reallocated into your overall budget.
On a more local scale, public transportation maintains its budget-friendly appeal through city buses and metros. While taxi cabs are available in just about any major city of the world, they also charge significantly higher rates than shared transportation.
When travelling in a developing country, an easy budget travel hack to engage when finding transportation is thinking about how a local would reach your destination. Chances are, they have already discovered the most affordable methods.
Budget Travel Hack 7: Stick to Free Public Attractions
In popular travel destinations, everything seems to come with a charge. Even attractions to iconic landmarks can come with a hefty admission fee. In fact, a common budgeting practice is to consider how popular an attraction is. After all, the more famous a site is, the more expensive access will be.
However, no matter where you travel, every country has their hidden gems. So do your research and find those off the beaten path destinations. If you’re lucky, you may just come across a lesser-known site unregulated by a for-profit organization.
While these free public attractions may be challenging to find in the big cities, small destination towns and countrysides are typically riddled with natural beauty and a lesser-known history that comes with no additional price tag.
Budget Travel Hack 8: Use Travel Apps to Monitor Your Planning Resources
We have millions of travel apps and resources at our fingertips. It would be ridiculous not to use them to help us maintain our budgets.
Some of the best travel apps include Booking.com, Airbnb, Skyscanner, etc. With these electronic tools, travellers can track their budget, monitor accommodation deals, and book budget-friendly flights to their favourite destinations.
Use these tools to ensure you get the absolute maximum value out of any travel budget.
Budget Travel Hack 9: Apply for a Travel Credit Card
One of the most popular travel hacks amongst Canadian Backpackers is applying for one of many phenomenal travel credit cards for Canadians.
These various credit plans come with many benefits that include travel rewards and insurance policies that help maintain the integrity of any budget.
When applying for one of these cards, it is essential to consider each card’s point system and sign-on bonus for maximum efficiency as you hack your way to the top travel reward potential.
Budget Travel Hack 10: Acquire Travel Insurance
So, this one seems a little counterintuitive when it comes to saving money while travelling. After all, travel insurance typically comes with a price tag between $250 and $500.
I promise you; I’m not just boosting travel insurance to make any form of commission. In fact, at the moment, I am not affiliated with any insurance provider. So, I will not make a single cent from telling you to buy it.
Nevertheless, I am telling you that the pre-emptive down payment of $250 will save you money in the long run. I promise. Even if you don’t make a claim during your first trip, the chances are you are eventually going to need it.
After all, I did not have insurance on my first trip to Nicaragua, and despite experiencing a couple of losses, I really did not need it all that much.
But, on my second trip, I was reluctant to get insurance, but eventually, I did so through World Nomads. And thank God I did. I ended up with two hospital visits, a cancelled flight, and three claims totalling over $1000, which were returned to me shortly after returning home.
And I have made additional claims on every trip I have taken since.
So yeah! Buy travel insurance. It will save you money in the long run.
Again, I’m not affiliated with any of these policies. But if you are interested in travel insurance, check out these top providers available to Canadian travellers: