‘How can you afford all this?’
‘Isn’t travelling really expensive? Don’t you run out of money after a week?’
‘Going on trips is one thing, but all the activities you do must cost a lot.’
These are the questions I often get, and I understand why people are curious. Travel CAN be costly. If you choose, I’ve discovered that travelling on a budget can actually make the experience more interesting and add value to everyday life at home.
Many people think they can’t afford to travel, but you can.
If you start with nothing, the first thing you need is determination. You have to really want it, which usually means making some sacrifices.
You can’t spend £5 on coffee every morning, get takeaways constantly, or go out for drinks every weekend. Always keep a balance and I advocate for this, but trim it down to maximise savings. You know you’re going to be heading to new countries soon so that hard work would have paid off. Work hard play hard. The first step is to save, save, save.
Take care of the small expenses, and the bigger ones will take care of themselves.
It’s always a money = time and a time = money situation. If you have more time, I recommend taking cheaper flights that take longer or at more obscure hours. Skyscanner is great for this. If you have more money than time, I recommend spending extra on flights, trains, buses and accommodation that is more central to make the most out of it.
One thing that helped me stay afloat was not eating out every single night. we’d go to the supermarket and buy fresh ingredients like fruits, baguettes and about anything you could put in a sandwich and sit in the park and eat. This is arguably healthier in the long run too. The weather is usually warm enough to do this, or simply take it back to the hostel. You’ve just spent £3 on dinner instead of £30. Hostels usually offer free breakfast too which really helps. This obviously varies from country to continent on prices, but if you keep this system you can’t go too wrong. The same applies to drinks, if you do like to go out, try and avoid excessive spending in bars.
Be vigilant and don’t overspend on unnecessary stuff. Always shop around and know when you’re getting shafted.
Tourist traps are everywhere, in every single country. If an employee approaches you and asks to go into their shop, their restaurant, or any facility, for that matter. Stay away. It’s overpriced and 9/10 a bad move.
I love hostels and they are absolutely fantastic. Though it needs to be said, not all, but some hostels have deals with bars that get them commission, thus, overcharging you for drinks. This does NOT take away from the experience, as pub crawls are such a good way to meet people and be part of the hostel, but you can end up anxiety checking your bank the next morning. The local shops are your best friend when you’re away and on a budget. Most countries have their own 7/11-type shop. They are a great way to drink and save some money before heading out to buy a few at the bar.
Search around for priced activities, too, hostels can be quite expensive for local tours, and instead of getting a guide, ask around if people want to do it. For example, the hiking tour in Albania from the hostel would have cost $250 each. We found the same activity online, for the same days, for $150. Never choose the first option you see; always look around.
Planning
This isn’t how everyone does it, but writing down your deposit costs, the place, and where you’re going can help you see how much you need to save. Hostel World lets you pay a deposit and settle the full amount when you arrive at the property.
To find your daily budget, take your total savings and divide it by the number of days you’ll be traveling.
This is just an example, but £133 a day is more than sufficient. If you stay for less than 4 weeks, you will have extra. With a larger budget, you can spend more each day. if you’re mindful of your spending at the start, it will filter to the rest of your trip. It’s easy to get giddy right at the start and suddenly realise you’ve spent a quarter of your budget. I’ve been there.
10 Tips on The Road
1. Always have backup. Know your bank details, log-ins, and Emergency contacts. If possible, losing or breaking your phone on the road is not a fun experience, and buying or fixing your phone on the road can be very costly.
2. Only bring a handful of expensive items if you can. You will lose things along the way it happens to all of us. It also helps with locals and blending in not being too flashy, which also depends on where you are.
3. Free breakfast and dinner from hostels, a great way of saving some cash, particularly in an expensive country.
4. Europe hostels will get booked up, fast. Plan ahead if you’re travelling here.
5. Book your transport at least 1-2 days in advance. Depending on where you are, things can be booked up fast in high season. Be sure to check local information boards as some dont appear online.
5. NEVER exchange currency in an airport. The exchange rates are shocking, in some cases, you end up losing money. Take a fee-free withdrawal card or in most cases take at least £200-400 of each currency to hand.
6. Pack your bags, then half the quantity. You do not need as much as you think you do.
7. Never book the first activity/transport that appears. Locals may target you to inflate prices, especially for taxis. If you’re shy, it can be hard to refuse. Check online or ask others for a rough idea of prices for activities and transport.
10 Best Apps To Use
i am in no way endorsed by these apps or companys. However, They have been hugely helpful when travelling and can save you alot of time and hassle and they are a must on the road for a more seamless experience.
1. Revoult (subject to country). Great for airline points and hotel savings. Check for deals on your Bank account provider, and recurring points per £10 spent on Revoult is a great way to get airline points and points off hotels.
2. Hostel World. The number 1 app for booking hostels
3. XE. A currency exchange app that shows, how much for example £100 is in Vietnamese dong.
4. Grab. This applies to SE Asia and is like Uber for their part of the world.
5. GetYourGuide. Great for booking all things tours, day’s out and finding out what’s going on in the area you’re in.
6. Skyscanner. Great for looking at cheap flights and comparing with other airlines, it also highlights the most expensive dates and weeks.
7. Eurail/Interrail. If you’re travelling in Europe, this pass lets you use trains for as many days as you’re travelling. If you’re under 27, you can get it for an even lower price. A 30-day pass costs about £250, allowing unlimited train use on those days. It’s a great way to save money in a continent with excellent train connections.
8. Booking.com. This app allows you to book and search for hotels in whatever area you are in. If you use it consistently you can get some great deals by being part of their genius rewards.
9. Couchsurfing. If you’re looking to really stretch the budget or simply meet new people, Couchsurfing offers you the chance to host/or stay at local houses for free. This is a great way to get intertwined with local culture and save your money on the trip.
10. Omni. Omni is an app to book anything from buses, trains and flights quickly and easily.
Solo. Together. Anywhere. 