Are you a wanderlust but have not gone to as many places as you want to because you have not been travelling on a budget but have been going to places you fancy that are too expensive?
If your budget is limited and you want to travel to as many places as you want to you really ought to rein in your sending and look at ways where you can save money. This money can be spent on your next trip or it could be used to extend your trip a little bit.
Here are some tips that would help you to travel on a budget.
1. Do a lot of research and find out the cheapest and the most efficient way to travel
This requires a lot of time and patience on your part. Ticket prices keep fluctuating now and then but if you have been following the sites carefully you can find when the airlines would offer deals and when the prices would come down.
There is not set rule to when you can find a cheap ticket, but there are some patterns which would let you decide on when to get a cheap ticket. Tickets, especially air tickets take up the bulk of your budget if you are flying out of the country and the more you save on a ticket, the more you can do in a budget trip.
2. Stick to your original plan as much a possible
Try and stick to your original plan as much as possible and make changes only if you would save money with the changes. Do not get into situations where you have to change the dates of your trip or where you end up going and seeing places you did not plan initially.
The places that you have not planned but yet end up going will cost you more than you had planned and your budget will be overshot. Stick to your plans and you can stay within your budget.
3. Be prepared to bunk down in a hostel or in a shack
If you are travelling on a budget and seeing places is more important to you, you will have to sacrifice some creature comforts. You should be prepared to share a hostel room with strangers or bunk down in a hall or camp under the stars.
Know that these are experiences you will come to cherish later on in your life. You would even make new friends this way. As long as it is safe, be prepared to roughshod it when it comes to accommodations.
4. If your stomach can handle it, eat what and eat where the locals eat
If you have a strong stomach, eat what the locals eat and eat here they eat. Food will be cheaper in these places than the places where tourists go a lot. If your budget is really low, you can also try and survive on fruits and bread.
Eating on the go or packing a sandwich yourself will also help you cut down on the money you spend on food and help you stay on a budget. Console yourself with the fact that you can always come back home to your favorite foods.
5. Curtail your shopping
You would be tempted to shop a lot or buy every exotic thing you see in the new place. Buy only the few things that would remind you of the place you visited. Buying a lot will not only increase the size of your luggage but will also put a dent on your budget. Keep your purchases to the minimum.
6. Try and travel with a companion
When you travel with someone or hitch up with someone on your trip, you will see that the accommodation costs and the food costs will come down a lot. You will also feel safer. Travelling with a companion or with more than two people will also make sure that you stick to the plan and that you stay on the budget.
Travelling on a budget is not a difficult thing to do. With the right amount of planning and self-restraint, anyone can travel on a budget.