Clever Ways to Save Money While Travelling Abroad

Traveling abroad is a fulfilling moment and a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in a different cultural setting. But your dream travel might turn into a nightmare if the trip wasn’t well planned out before and during the trip. So how can you effectively plan so you can make the most out of your trip? Here are clever and creative ways to save time and money while having that out-of-country trips.

Set up a travel fund

Before preparing anything else on your travel to-do list, you should first create a savings plan. In creating a savings plan, make sure that you have already set your emergency fund before having a travel fund and assess if your financial situation can accommodate your dream vacation. Be honest. Assess yourself. Once you already have an idea on how much you can set aside for your vacation, make it a habit to save up and track down your spending and reduce some unnecessary expenses. You should determine your needs vs your wants so you’ll be able to know on where to cut down your spending. Continue to track down your expenses and save up until you get the hang of it until you have set-up your travel fund.

Once you’re done setting up your travel fund, do some planning and estimate the total cost of your vacation. From there, you will have a good idea on how much do you really need and how much time you need to save up for your dream destination.

Prefer low season trips or shoulder periods

Consider travelling during shoulder seasons if your travel dates are flexible. Shoulder seasons are somewhere between peak and off-peak seasons. Low seasons trips may depend on your destination. For instance, in South East Asia countries, the shoulder season is around March to May as these are the hottest time of the year.

Travelling during shoulder periods have several benefits like the flights will be cheaper as well as the accommodations as there is a lesser tourists compared to peak seasons. Also, as there are less travellers during this season, the crowd is much smaller so if you’re the type of traveller who doesn’t like crowded places, then this is a perfect time for you to travel.

Consider travel insurance

Emergencies and unfortunate events might happened during your travel. Of course, we don’t want something bad to happened during your dream vacation but it’s still better to be safe than to be sorry. Travel insurance can be of great help during your travel. It can cover your medical expenses, baggage loss or delay, death, departures, disablement and repatriation of remains upon death.  There are a number of players in the market that provide different insurance plans so make sure to do your research and check which of the different insurance policies meet your budget and needs.

Consider packing light

Bringing heavy luggage might be a hassle and might put a strain on your wallet due to excess charges. Make sure to pack light and ensure that your bags met the size and weight requirement of your airline before you go to the airport. If bringing a lot of things cannot be avoided, consider buying baggage allowance through your airline the day before your flight as this is much cheaper compared to buying it in the airport itself.

Bring a refillable water bottle

Reusable water bottles are good in saving the environment and your wallet. Some water bottles in foreign countries costs a fortune and you’ll save a decent amount of money by having it refilled in airport, hotel, hostel or anywhere with clean water. It costs less and it’s healthier, too.

Get an unlocked phone

Getting an unlocked phone that accepts SIM cards on different countries might help you to save money and stay connected rather than availing roaming plans on your local network. Most of foreign countries offer tourist SIM cards that includes data, call, text and international calls outside the country destination. The prices of SIM cards may vary depending on their packages so make sure to compare and check the prices and buy the one that suits your needs.

Book your flight on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Airfares are normally cheaper on Wednesday and Thursday as less people are flying during these days so take advantage of booking your flight on the cheapest days to fly and save hundreds on round trip flights.

Rent a place

There are several reasons on why renting a vacation home is better than staying in a hotel room. First, it saves you money especially when you are traveling with your friends or family members and it also accommodates the entire group. Vacation rentals are also available in more places than hotels and there are plenty of spaces for group travelers. Another benefit of a vacation home is that it makes you feel that you’re at home — you can cook your own food (which can also save money, by the way), do your own laundry, and you can live like the locals do. Websites such as AirBnb advertises vacation rentals from its thousands of users so try to check the site to find the place most suitable for your travel needs.

Pack plenty of snacks

Preparing snacks prior to your trip might take a while but it is a surefire way of saving money while you’re on your travel as food prices doubles once you pass through the security checkpoint in the airport. Plus, preparing your own meals are healthier and safer than processed food.

Travel as what the locals do

Crowded buses, trains, minivans, Tuk-tuk…there are a lot of unique transportations around the globe that can bring you from point A to point B. Commuting like a local not only help you to save money but it also gives you an opportunity to experience the day to day living of the locals. Doing what the locals do is the best way to see the country and experience their culture.

Take overnight trains and buses

If you are traveling on a shoestring budget, taking overnight trains or buses during your travel will be of great help as you save money on lodging and move around smartly by leaving at night and reaching your destination when the sun rises.

Eat where the locals eat

One way of exploring your country destination is through your tastebuds. Observe where the locals eat and where they flock in. Most of the time, locals eat street foods and go to small single-dish restaurants as the food is cheaper and tastier. Plus, you’ve got the food’s original taste as it is prepared by a local, too.

Arrange your own excursions

Joining paid travel tours might cost you more and limit your time in touring around rather than traveling at your own pace. In doing your own itinerary, do your research on the famous tourist spots on your country destination and make a short list of the places you wanted to go. Also, try to check the distance of each of your itinerary through Google Maps. In this way, you will know where to go first and where to go next and so on.

Walk

Some of the popular cities in the world are compact and each known destination are close to each other. Plan your tour and check if it’s possible for you to explore on foot instead of taking bus, train or taxis. Google Maps comes handy in terms of planning your trip geographically.