How to Increase Travel Savings Before and During Your Trip
If there’s anything that all travellers alike would be interested in, then it’s definitely making the best of one’s travel savings. Whether you’re a budget traveller or even a luxury traveller, you’ll definitely want to spend your travel savings on more experiences and things. So, without further ado, we’re going to tell you how to spend and allocate your budget wisely, in a way that increases your travel savings.
Ways to Increase Travel Savings Before Your Trip
#1 Book in advance
Booking a long time in advance will allow you to benefit from lower prices when demand is still lacking. This goes, of course, to the two biggest bulks in the cost of any trip; flights and accommodation, guaranteeing they won’t eat up your travel savings.
#2 Opt for shoulder season
Shoulder season is the period between high and low seasons of travel. Lower prices are guaranteed when the weather is still relatively good during that time. The shoulder season is usually during the spring and fall months of the destination.
#3 Be flexible with your travel dates
The more flexible you are with when you can travel, the cheaper the prices can be. In other words, instead of deciding your travel dates, let the destination’s low-price season decide them for you. That’s exactly the case with opting for shoulder season of a destination. However, great deals aren’t limited to shoulder season – there’s another great travel hack to find cheap flights.
If you’re using Skyscanner to search for flights, make sure to choose “everywhere” for your destination and “anytime” for your dates. This feature will automatically pull up the cheapest flights from your departure city. And if you've already settled on a certain destination, keep the dates set to “anytime”, and plan your trip accordingly.
#4 Subscribe to cheap flights email lists
There are email lists specialised in sending you cheap flight alerts, such as Jack’s Flight Club and Scott’s Cheap Flights. Also, if you’re subscribed to flight aggregators, they’ll often send you flight deals from time to time. These are like Skyscanner, Google Flights, and FareCompare.
#5 Book hostel stays instead of fancy hotels
Following flight tickets, accommodation is the next big share of your travel savings. So, instead of splurging on lavish hotels, stay in hostels instead. Don’t worry, it’s safe! Not all hostels are disastrous as you may think. There are so many hostels that are super clean and stylish, just like nice hotels. The main difference is that when you share a room and bathroom, splitting the costs makes a huge difference in your spending. What’s important here is to have a set of criteria to guarantee meeting your standards. This could be choosing smaller dorms, staying in female dorms, as well as choosing hostels with safes, for security reasons.
It’s also worth mentioning that some hostels offer private rooms. These are pricier, of course, but could still be much cheaper than a hotel. That being said, staying in a hostel is definitely worth it if you want to make the best out of your travel savings.
#6 Cut down on unnecessary expenses
We’re not going to tell you to cancel your gym subscription and work out at home. If exercising is a priority for you, then definitely don’t sacrifice that. However, it’s important to take a good look at your monthly spending and see what’s not really worth it and cutting down can increase your travel savings.
For instance, do you order take out a lot because you don’t have time? How about you prep your meals over the weekend and eat at home more often? It all adds up eventually and if you try doing so for a month, you’ll notice a major change in your budget.
#7 Ask yourself if you need it before buying it
Do you need that new top? Do you need that latest iPhone if yours is relatively new and working perfectly well? Ask yourself if the purchase you’re about to make is really important. If that new iPhone would be an upgrade for your photography which you need for your content creation gigs, well, then that’s an investment and totally worth it. But if it’s out of FOMO, then you need to decide which matters more, that new smartphone or your upcoming trip.
Ways to Increase Travel Savings on Your Trip
#1 Eat street food
Ditch the fancy restaurants in touristy areas – they’re overpriced and the food isn’t great anyway. Instead, opt for the restaurants hidden in the alleys, the small diners, and street food carts. The food is more authentic there and it’ll allow you to really experience the destination’s cuisine, and the bonus here is that it’s much cheaper for you. Some people would advise you to cook your own food at the hostel, but we’d honestly disagree because food is an important aspect of culture and it’s crucial to experience.
#2 Cut down alcohol
If you drink, you might not know it, but your alcohol takes up a whole budget by itself. Yes, it may seem like a cheap thing to buy, but it all adds up, especially if you’re big on partying! Plus, alcohol isn’t that cheap in all countries actually – alcoholic drinks are heavily taxed in so many destinations. Staying sober is your best bet, but if you don’t prefer to cut alcohol off completely, you can at least cut down your intake. Trust us, it’ll make a huge difference in your budget and will also help keep you safe and aware of your surroundings!
#3 Commute wisely
Opt for buses and trains over domestic flights. It doesn’t just help you better allocate your travel savings, but also allows you to take in the impeccable views between destinations. And when in the city, how about you slow down, and walk or cycle instead of taking a taxi or an Uber? It’s better for your health, your pocket, and the environment – everybody wins! And if you’re in a hurry and need to be somewhere, opt for public transportation instead. Keep the taxis and Ubers for destinations that are hard to reach or if you’re carrying luggage.
When you better allocate your travel savings, you’ll be able to enjoy the coins you worked really hard on earning by experiencing more and spending less. Let us know which of these travel hacks you like the most.
