If you’re an intrepid globe trotter, you’re probably already familiar with the tide of expenses that pop up beyond the arrivals gate; instead of budgeting your hard earned cash, you may have the tendency to save more to deal with your desire for a champagne lifestyle whilst touring cities and lush, regional locations, buying the best of everything to complement your desire for excitement. And while you’re certainly free to indulge in a few weeks of opulence if you can afford it, for those of you who can’t and watch every cent as it rolls out of your hands, life abroad is a little tighter. Don’t be discouraged though, like your high flying, big spending cousins, the thrifty traveller can easily unlock the pleasures of the globe, with prudence and aplomb. How? Read on.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Don’t Fail to Plan
Failing to plan is the best way to lose track of your money while enjoying the sights and scintillating delicacies of an international bazaar of travel destinations – one impulse buy becomes another, an impromptu coach tour leads to monuments and fee-based attractions you didn’t anticipate, let alone budget for. Before you know it, you’re a week in and your cash has dwindled to an alarming amount, demanding an emergency influx of cash and the re-organising of what were essential stops. To avoid this scenario, plan where you’re going, what you’ll see, how much it will cost and whether you need to cover transportation. If you’re a spontaneous soul, anticipate your own personality and set a few dollars aside for those extras you just HAVE to do, see, own or eat.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Be Money Smart
Keep your cash stashed in different locations on your body – though the criminal elements is near invisible in many European and Asian countries, it is hardly rare. Protecting yourself from a hard place will ensure your money stays where it belongs; as an extra precaution, be careful of using your credit card for anything or passing details on. Where possible, pay with cash and use an ATM, or pre-paid Cash Passport to ensure the best protection possible against credit theft and fraud. While this isn’t related to spending directly, it can severely affect how much cash you have to throw around.
Beach Huts by Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Avoid Hotels
While hotels are chock full of everyday comforts, they aren’t normally budget friendly. You have a few alternative here, depending on your personality and expectations for a trip away – hostels, bed and breakfasts, camping or private accommodation. While there is no right answer, researching and measuring testimonials against insider advice will ensure your safety and sanity; additionally, the above options are considerably more social and enjoyable than an isolated hotel experience. If you’re a camping fan, be mindful of weather conditions, environmental warnings, social implications and possible dangers before setting up camp – sometimes it’s best to have a solid roof over your head for the want of a few extra dollars!
Do you have any tricks of the travel trade to share? Let us know below in the comments!
I agree, hotels can be very expensive, apartment for rent or related accommodation is the cheaper way.
We travel quite a lot too especially during the summer and man it can add up and break you. We learned that whenever we go travel to the mountains, we want to rent a cabin for a few days so we have our own place where we can cook, save money from food, and don’t have to pay anyone to clean it for us the whole time we are renting. You spend less on rooms and accommodation that way.
The #1 – Don’t fail to plan. Because if you do, you plan to fail. You should really have an itinerary so you get to avoid the unnecessary expenses. Also, you have to be money smart, and prioritize what you really need to do/bring first. I think you could go for a hotel but those with reasonable prices.
Thanks for this tips, i must admit sometimes i over spend
I will keep this in mind. I think travelling for me will happen in the next few year but not this year. 🙂
Most travelers love to stay in hotels. Yet they want cheap rates. Budgeting is very keen when traveling. And for unexpected expenses, extra cash is always handy.
Great tips. There are a lot of ways on how to save money, you just got to do some research and try to apply what we have learned.
i don’t really travel much to far places but I always end up overspending even if I just go on a stroll at the mall! Haha. Thanks for these tips, maybe they’ll be useful for me in the future and for more mall strolling.
great advice! i usually spend my travel money even before the trip starts..tsk tsk..this article just reminded me that i should start saving for next year
These are great tips. Our family loves taying at hotels when we travel but as much as possible we look for the most affordable one we could find.