I’ll be the first to admit it…I suck at budgeting.
I’ve never been very well-versed in anything relating to finances, and I can honestly say that the fact that I’ve developed any money-saving habits on the road at all is simply a result of years of travel and learning by trial and error.
But now that I’ve hammered out a few useful tactics to save money on travel, I want to pass that knowledge along in the hopes of saving at least one person from making the same costly errors I have in the past.
The Top Ways I Save Money…
On Flights
I never fly direct.
Well, almost never. Especially when flying long distances, you’ll nearly always find better prices on routes with one or more connections. You’re typically looking at adding significant travel time, but when the savings amount to hundreds of dollars, for me it makes the most sense to choose the connections every time.
I book connecting flights separately.
Once you’ve found a route that is cheaper with stopovers, take it one step further and research prices of each leg separately. Even more savings can often be eked out by flying each leg of your trip with a different carrier. The only downside here is you may have to be even more flexible with long layovers if the schedules don’t align snugly. Skyscanner is my best friend when it comes to booking flights.
I travel mid-week.
The flexibility in my schedule allows me to travel any day of the week, and I usually find Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays to be the best days to fly. Another good money-saving strategy, though I haven’t done this myself, is to fly on major holidays. No one wants to fly on Christmas Day, for example, so you’ll likely get a great deal.
I fly red-eye whenever possible.
Overnight flights are cheaper for obvious reasons, but I’m willing to take the hit on my sleep cycle in the name of frugality.
I’m not afraid to fly budget.
Budget airlines may sacrifice a lot in terms of comfort and conveniences (no free water on a 6-hr flight seems a bit inhumane, but maybe that’s just me) but if you read the fine print and know exactly what you’re getting yourself into, you can come out the other side with a flight that is significantly less than a major carrier, despite the nickel-and-diming. I’ve flown with Spirit Airlines a handful of times now, and sure, the seats don’t recline, you have to pay for your carry-on, and they did lose my luggage once…but in all honesty, I’ll probably fly them again in the future. In the name of frugality!
I never pay for upgrades.
Pay more for priority boarding? Pfffft. Pay to choose my seat ahead of time? As if. Pay for more legroom? Well, maybe if I needed more legroom I’d consider that option. Air travel is much more comfortable for us petite people. But I generally think of all those expenses in terms of what I could otherwise buy at my destination. Why would I spend $15 to avoid the middle seat when that could pay for two nights’ accommodation in South America? Oh right, I wouldn’t.
On Accommodation
I choose hostels over hotels.
I’m sure this trend won’t last forever but for now, and especially as a solo traveler, I don’t mind bunking up with strangers and sharing close quarters with people I’ll never see again. I’m not particularly modest, either, so cruising around sans-pants just feels like a typical Sunday.
Read more: Budget Accommodation in NYC
I stay with friends whenever possible.
The beautiful part of travel is meeting people from all over the world–and then crashing on their couch when you wind up in their hometown months later. But in all seriousness, I’m beyond fortunate to have generous friends around the globe who are willing to let me invade their personal space for a few days whenever I breeze through town. I never assume I’ve got a free place to stay, but I ask nicely and be the most polite house guest I possibly can, if and when I’m allowed the privilege of a free place to crash. So far I’ve stayed with friends in Phnom Penh, Singapore, Tel Aviv, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Buenos Aires and Quito, and I know all my European friends are frantically fluffing their extra pillows in anticipation of my arrival in a few months. Right, guys? Friends are always welcome on my couch, too, wherever I happen to be in the world.
I find shared apartments when staying someplace long-term.
The two places I’ve lived abroad long-term, Chiang Mai and Medellín, are both relatively inexpensive places to live. My home in Chiang Mai (a massive four-bedroom house) cost each of us a little more than $100 a month, which worked out to about half of what we would have paid to stay in a guesthouse. The same story is true in Medellín. The shared apartment I live in is nearly $100 less than what I would pay to stay in a hostel dorm. It simply doesn’t make sense to NOT rent locally when you’re in a place longer than a week or two. To find apartment shares in Colombia and beyond, I recommend this website.
I plan to start Couchsurfing.
My goal is to set up a CS profile in the next couple of months so that upon arrival in Europe, I can start to reap the benefits of this fantastic service. I really don’t know many people who’ve had negative experiences with Couchsurfing, and when traveling long-term, the amount I could potentially save on accommodation is staggering. I also love the idea of staying with locals and having someone to give you insider tips on what to do and see, and often a willing tour guide to show you around the city.
On Sightseeing
I love free stuff.
When arriving to a new city, I always look for the free activities first. Free walking tours are a good place to start (and although you’re expected to tip, the amount is up to you). I love to hit up museums that offer free entry or hang out in local parks, or hike up to a lookout point for the best views of the city. Sightseeing doesn’t always have to cost a lot of money, and often just walking around is enough to keep me amused.
Read more: The Top Attractions in Buenos Aires
I walk as much as possible.
I’ve been known to walk great distances to get from one attraction to the next, but I always see so much more when I’m not speeding through a city in a moving vehicle.
I take local buses or public transit in lieu of cabs when I can.
When walking just isn’t an option, I love navigating (or attempting to navigate) a city’s public transit system. I finally got familiar with San Francisco’s bus lines on a recent visit, and when a city has a good metro system (like Buenos Aires, or Medellín) I’ll happily hop on board instead of taking taxis, unless it’s already really late at night.
On Food
I take advantage of free hostel meals.
Sure, pancakes for breakfast day after day can get boring, but many hostels, in South America especially, go far beyond that standard and provide fruit, yogurt, juices, toast and jam, and often eggs as well. To not take advantage of that would just be silly (and I always try to slip a banana in my bag for later, too).
I alternate meals out with cooking for myself.
I refuse to give up meals out at restaurants while traveling (one of the few things I’m unwilling to negotiate) but I do sprinkle in a fair amount of grocery shopping and cooking for myself in order to save money. Food can easily be one of your largest travel expenses, so reducing that cost wherever possible can potentially save you loads of cash.
Read more: My Favorite Restaurants in Cusco, Peru
I’m not a snob.
I might act like it sometimes, but while I love, LOVE my coffee and wine, I’m not above drinking the cheap stuff to save a few bucks (because, obviously, forgoing my vices altogether is NOT an option). That might mean drinking instant coffee instead of americanos or boxed bargain wine instead of a nice bottle of Malbec. When times are tough, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
What are your best money-saving strategies on the road? What else could I be doing to save cash?
