So you want to travel the world, but your bank account is like ‘are you sure?’. Don’t worry, I used to think you had to be a rich kid to travel the world too. But that’s just not the case. The global tourism industry is estimated to contribute over 5 trillion towards the global economy. And with so many people traveling, the prices of flights, hotels, buses, trains, hostels, attractions, is becoming more and more affordable to the average person. Back in the 50’s, flying was for the super wealthy, who used to dress for the occasion, have lunch served on fine china, and lounge in spacious seats. Nowadays, you can jump on a flight from London to Poland for £6. I don’t know about you, but I spend more than that at Nando’s.
In this post, I’m going to share with you some of my top travel hacks and tips to save you money. So you can travel cheaper, happier, and more often – ier (made that one up)
Tip #1
When doing your research, always search in ‘private’ or ‘incognito’ mode. It doesn’t matter what you call it, they both mean the same thing. For the sake of the post, we’ll call it ‘private mode’. Private mode is when your browser will search in a temporary browser away from your main browser. So all of your searching will be done ‘undercover’ therefore the history will not be logged or recorded. Cookies will be deleted or blocked if a website tries to upload them to your computer. The reason this is helpful is because websites will log everything you have been looking at. For example, have you ever looked at flights one day, and then they next day they have gone up in price? Yup, that’s cookies for you! Private mode will hide the fact you are a returning potential customer, and so prices will be what they should be. To do this, simply click ‘file’ at the top of your browser, and then ‘new private window’ or ‘new incognito window’.
Tip #2
Make friends with locals. You will be surprised how much of a better experience you can have getting driven around and shown the area by a local. Most of them will enjoy showing you around, just as much as you are enjoying being showed around.
Not only can you save so much money going local compared to taxis, tour agencies, tours etc, but you will also be helping out the local people in each country you visit.
Please do this with integrity though, and always make sure your safety is your number one priority over saving yourself some money! Usually when slow travelling, natural friendships are built over time with local people and exploring the area with them happens naturally.
Tip #3
Consider work exchange/volunteering. If you follow me on my social media channels, you will have watched my first experience with volunteering abroad. Exchange a few hours of work per day for free food, drinks, and a place to sleep. This can quite literally save you thousands if you’re a slow, longterm kind of traveler. You get to know the culture and country so much more in-depth too. There are many ways to find volunteering opportunities, through companies such as Worldpackers, Workaway and hopper jobs.
I have used Worldpackers to find exchange work in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Croatia! My discount code “paigeecopeland” for will get you $10 off your annual membership. Bringing the year’s membership to only $51.47 (£39)
Tip #4
Cook your own food as often as possible, and buy your groceries from local markets. Eating out all the time can eat into your travel expenses fairly quickly. Getting into the habit of having food on the go can save you a ton. Things like protein bars/cereal bars for on the go, having fruit with you for breakfast, and keeping a packet of dried pasta in your backpack at all times can really make a big impact!
Tip #5
Which brings me to water! Carry a reusable water bottle with you whilst traveling as most hostels provide you with free drinking water, if it’s not free, it’s usually dirt cheap to fill up water bottles. Not to mention it has a positive impact on the environment too.
Tip #6
Fancy a nice meal? Or a private room in a nice hotel, but don’t want it to come out of the budget? Offer services in exchange. Offer to write a menu in English for a restaurant in exchange for a meal. Or offer content creation in exchange for a free night in a hotel. You would be surprised how often this works!
Tip #7
Book flights on Tuesday’s! Sound’s weird, but it really is the cheapest day of the week to fly. Friday’s tend to be the highest price!
Tip #8
Get accommodation all over the world for pennies. And no I’m not crazy. House & pet sitting is spreading fast in the travel community, for a cheaper and different way to travel. You become a member of a house sitting website and get full access to all of the available sits, country and worldwide. Apply for any sit that you like the look of, once accepted, you can stay in beautiful homes in exchange for looking after the home and often pets too. Think of it like an exchange. The only payment you pay is to become a member. You pay once for 12 months, and that’s it. You do not pay anything else. I’ve listed my top 3 sites, and all are different price ranges to suit everyones budget.
Tip #9
Stay in hostels. I’m sure you hear this all the time, and I say it so often I almost forgot to add it in, because it seems THAT obvious. But trust me, hostels have become LUXURIOUS in recent years. I’m talking swim up bars, infinity pools, organized trips, buffet dinners, games, enclosed spacious bunk beds, chill out areas. And for as low as £3 / £4 per night in some countries. Whilst I was in SE Asia, I would come back to my dorm room, and someone would have made my bed and folded my pajamas. I almost rang my dad and told him to forget about me, I was never coming home. Hostelworld is probably THE website to search for hostels in the world.
Tip #10
This tip is coming from a knowing, not me actually doing it. And that’s travel light! If you can pack a 40L carry on backpack, you will avoid paying for baggage every time you fly! I’m really working on this tip myself, as an over packer!
Tip #11
Buy stuff out there! If you’re heading to country where it’s typically a lot cheaper than your own country for things like clothes, toiletries, accessories, then save your money and so some shopping when you land. It’s always nice to browse in other countries anyway.
Tip #12
Tip #13
Travel by night. A huge one that saves money and time all in one. Travel at night so you don’t have to pay for accommodation. And it’s usually so much cheaper to get an overnight bus/train, than a flight. And on top of that you’re also not eating into your days, so you can spend them exploring. Winner winner chicken dinner!
Tip #14
Do your research, and talk to other travelers. When I was in Malaga I found out, from the friends I made in the hostel, that the Picasso museum was free the last 2 hours every Sunday. You can also ask the reception when you check in, what free things there are to do.
Tip #15
HAGGLE. Haggle like you’ve never haggled before! Don’t get mean or angry about it, try and have fun and haggle to a price that is reasonable. But yes unfortunately, you will be charged more than the actual price when traveling (not always!). These people are just try to earn a living, and expect people to haggle and barter on the price, so have a laugh, joke around, and have fun.
Tip #16
Eat locally! Street food is some of the best food I’ve ever ate! If you’re unsure where to go, just see the places that are busy with the locals. They tend to be the good ones. And it’s super cheap!
Tip #17
Not only should you eat locally, but also travel locally. Use the public buses and trains. Avoid taxis where possible (money traps) Sometimes in the capital cities you can get apps like UBER, or the equivalent. These are fine and done via an app which is always a fair, good price. But other than that, use the local transport.
Tip #18
Be ballsy! Staying in a cheap budget hostel that doesn’t have a pool? Ask around some of the hotels if you can use their pool. Most say yes if you don’t mind buying a drink! Me and my friend done this in Spain, we wanted to have lunch and drinks and went to this fancy hotel. It was so big no one even came and spoke to us anyway!
Tip #19
Travel during ‘low season’. Prices are significantly reduced! Even for things such as tours, souvenirs, hostels, flights! And there are still people traveling so it’s not completely empty. Plus you get so much of the beach to yourself, bonus!
Tip #20
Compare flights. It’s not always cheaper to book a return flight. You will sometimes grab a bargain, and find it cheaper to book two separate one way flights!
More on the blog!
Iceland, the land of fire and ice, is a captivating destination that offers a unique experience for solo travellers. This nordic nation
Did you know that over 40% of creators struggle to find reliable sources of income online? Making an extra income online can
Disclaimer: some links on my website are affiliate links. This means that should you wish to make a purchase through one of my affiliate links, I could earn a commission at no extra cost to you what so ever.
Great info hun….hostels all the way x
Thank you so much!! x