Tips for Traveling on a Budget 

By Julissa Orsini

If you are like me, whether traveling for business or for leisure you always try to find the best deals and stretch your budget as far as you can. You dream of spending those extra dollars on a unique dish from whatever new city you’re visiting or seeing the sites while taking in a new culture. Traveling can be exciting and offer a plethora of fantastic new experiences and insights but sticking to a budget can sometimes put a damper on things. Here are some tips to help you stay within your budget while trying to take the dream trip you have been working so hard towards.

One of the first things to consider is buying your tickets, where you’re going and on what day can make a huge difference in price. Flexibility could save hundreds of dollars. For instance, if you are booking a flight to a popular destination check out the price difference for the next city over that isn’t as high in tourist and watch the price go down considerably. This also applies to visiting new destinations during peak season. For example, summer is the most popular time to travel, but if you can tough out during fall or winter, the price will drop due to less tourism. Flights also fluctuate by day; the best times know for traveling are typically Tuesday’s and Wednesday, as these are off-peak times for people to typically be traveling and most are at school or work. There is also some truth to the so-called myth that tickets are cheaper on Tuesdays, airlines usually have deals that go on Monday night and into Tuesday, making this the ideal day of the week to purchase flights.

The next thing to consider is where you will be staying during your trip. Now, more than ever, people have been moving away from regular hotels, and have been using hostels, Airbnb’s, couch surfing, and house sitting/swapping. These alternatives tend to be much cheaper than your average hotel and take you deeper into the culture as well help you meet new people. If you’re willing to give up staying at a regular hotel, these options can all save you significant time as far as housing goes during your trip. Other alternatives to consider once you’ve arrived at your destination are transportation if where you are visiting has good local transit opt for taking a train, or bus instead or renting a car, or if you can get around by bike rent bicycles for the day and take in the sites that way.

Who doesn’t love to travel? However, at the end of the day, it is our budget which dictates the place we travel to, how long and where we jet off to.  No matter the destination, don’t forget to have fun, and make memories!