Interested in traveling more, but worried about the cost? Well, I’m here to share my top tips for traveling on a budget!
I think far too often we become consumed with the thought that the only way to travel is to have thousands of dollars to spend. And that is far from the truth!
Over the last 6 years, I have been trying to figure out new ways to cut costs when traveling, so that I can travel more frequently. Now that I have done the heavy lifting, I want to share my top 3 tips with you!
Tip #1—Cheap Flights
Let me tell you this, cheap flights exist, especially when you have no airline loyalty!
When I first started traveling, I used to be queen of booking crazy flights, just to get a discount. One of the biggest hacks that I learned during that time was the power of booking one-way flights.
Now hear me out for all the sceptics. Let’s say Delta has a round trip flight for $430. Your departure flight may cost $175, but because you are returning on a Saturday, Delta is charging $255 for that return flight. BUMMER, RIGHT??
However, let’s say American Airlines has a return flight that same day for $190. By booking two one-way flights, your departure flight with Delta and your return flight with American, then you can save almost $65. Now, while $65 may not seem like a lot to some, if you are traveling as a family of 5, then that’s over $300 saved.
Another hack that I love to use for finding cheap flights is travel platforms like Google Flights, Hopper and Skyscanner. Simply input your departure and destination and they will track the cheapest times to fly for you. Hopper even allows you to set a notification, so as you go about your life, the app will notify you as the flight prices fluctuate.
Check out my article on How to Plan a Trip to learn more about these sites.
Tip #2 – Outdoor Activities
One of the best things about traveling is really challenging yourself to explore as much as you can. In the past I used go on trips and stay on the resort majority of the time; however, recently I have embraced wandering a bit more.
A way to travel on a budget is to partake in a lot of outdoor activities! Visiting National and State parks allows you to venture off into the great outdoors for a low cost. National parks are filled with different trails that can suit anyone in the family. And a bonus is that typically one pass can be used for multiple days!
Another thing that I like to do is to explore downtown areas. Now, while downtown areas are more populated with restaurants, you are also more likely to come across murals, street vendors and farmer’s markets. These are all excellent activities that will not make a huge dent in your wallet!
Tip #3 – Travel Credit Cards
Let me tell you this, travel credit cards are a game changer! If you are looking to travel more without breaking the bank, then I highly suggest acquiring a credit card that is geared toward travel credits.
Personally, I use my Chase and Delta Credit Cards to help me gain reward points to use for my trips. While yes, you can stick to one card and just cash out your rewards, I have been building loyalty with a single airline to help me secure upgrades on my flights.
One benefit of travel cards is that if you spend the initial sign on amount, then you will gain a ton of bonus points. Also, by making purchases through most credit card platforms, you can gain an upward of 10 points per $1.
Recently, my aunt cashed in on her travel credit card points to cover the entire cost of cruise fare for both her and her husband!
Now I will state, though, if you find that managing a credit card will be difficult because of spending habits, then please do not opt for this option.
While there are tons of ways to further save money on trips, these are my top three! If you have suggestions for other ways to save money, share below!
As always, happy traveling!