Traveling the world is a goal on everyone’s bucket list. However, far too many people hesitate to pack their bags and go. They believe traveling requires breaking the bank, living above your means, or being rich. I am here to show you that you do not have to be rich to travel. You also do not have to compromise your travel experience while traveling on a budget!
If you have been dreaming of traveling the world but, have been hesitating because you believe you can’t afford it. Keep reading, I am going to give you 6 steps to start traveling on a budget without compromising your experience.
What is Budget Travel
Before we go any further, we need to have a similar definition of budget travel. Most hear the word budget and immediately think, cheap and restrictive. Some even picture themselves at a questionable motel. This is not what I mean.
Budget travel for the purpose of this blog is, setting up a financial plan for a specific travel goal or destination, that is within your financial means, AKA your budget. Once your financial plan is set, you will curate a travel experience that meets your expectations, while working with your modest budget.
Now that we have that out the way, Let’s get you set up on your new path to becoming a globetrotter!
Step 1- Adapting a Budget Traveler’s Mindset
To truly take advantage of budget travel you have to adopt the mindset of a budget-savvy traveler. Budget traveling isn’t just about setting a dollar amount. It is also about developing a strategy for travel.
This strategy includes learning how to save for travel, finding travel deals, using travel tools to research before booking travel, and a host of other strategies. I can’t cover it all in one blog. Ultimately, the takeaway here is, the dollar value of your budget will only take you so far. What’s really going to allow you to travel the world is utilizing strategies.
Step-2 Research for Budget Travel
Most of the time when people come to me for travel advice, they think I have a secret backdoor site that I use to find travel deals in a flash. This is so far from the truth, while over the years I have certainly learned a few tricks and less known methods, simply put, I am able to find great deals because I spend time researching. By the time I mean, hours, days, or months on google.
What to research when traveling on a budget
So what are you researching? Begin your research by gathering as much information about your destination as possible. Some of the key things I research are weather, low tourist season, high tourist season, the best time to go, flights, hotels, things to do, safety, etc. Let’s say you find out through your research that the low season is between the months of August and November for Italy. Well, if you are on a modest budget, guess when you and your modest budget should be planning to go to Italy? You guessed it, low season. This is only a simple example, and I can spend an entire blog post talking about the importance of research but that is your first step.
What tools to use when researching Budget Travel
There are thousands of resources online. Travel blogs like mine, that you probably found while searching google to more professional travel websites like Expedia. Two of my favorite tools are skyscanner.com and google flights.
These two sites are a powerful combo for filtering the best deals on flights and accommodations. The really cool part of these two tools is that you can leave your search open-ended, meaning you can filter by when it’s the cheapest to travel, the month, destination, etc. without specific dates. While many other supplemental tools exist for things like activities and excursions, start here. If you leave this blog with nothing, remember these two sites, they are key to great deals.
Step-3 Be Flexible
The second tip to start your goal of traveling on a budget is flexibility. You cannot be married to specific dates, times of the year, destination, or even a favorite airline. Flexibility is probably one of the most important tips I can give. My travel philosophy is going where the deal resides! My plans are made based on the deal, not the deal being based around my plans.
Like I outlined above in the research step, utilize flexible searching websites like Skyscanner to tell you when it is cheapest to travel and where. If your plans were to go to Paris in the summer, but Skyscanner says Paris in the winter is significantly cheaper, guess what? I will be in my winter coat on a $200 flight to Paris.
The moral of the story is, throw out travel ideologies. Ideologies like, I want to be in Cabo for Memorial day weekend is very specific and narrow. Instead, use skyscanner.com to tell you the cheapest place to go for the weekend.
Travel expenses will decrease substantially adopting this new way of thinking. A budget traveler follows the deal. By following the deal, you will have access to the same quality hotels, airfares, and experience more financially liberal traveler uses.
Step-4 Book as far in advance as possible( secure the deal now)
Airfares follow a rising trend
Secure the deal as soon as you come across it. Good deals go fast. Airfares in specific fare groups are limited. Once that deal is gone, the next higher fare will become your new option. Airfares follow a rising trend, not a decreasing trend, never hesitate to secure a deal again. By booking in advance you give yourself more time to research and compare flexible options that fit into your budget.
In sporadic circumstances, airlines will have a deal that is too good to be true called error fares. Error fares are fares that are technically a glitch. If you are quick enough, you can travel for an unbelievable deal that was secured months in advance. I won’t go too far into error fares because that is a tool for a more advanced traveler. In the future, I will share my story about how I went to Dubai for $150.00. Yes, you read that right!
Step-5 Stay Connected to Travel Resources
If you have made it this far, you have probably picked up on the fact that traveling on a budget requires some work. Some of the work has already been done for you by travel experts and travel enthusiasts. But in order to utilize this information, you must be connected to the sources that are going to keep you informed on deals, trends, and tips in the travel hemisphere.
Travel deals and tips are ultimately going to allow you to see the world without having a lot of money, but if you are not connected to the resources you will miss out!
Set alerts and sign up to stay notified
Stay connected to resources by signing up to email lists for travel websites you frequent, follow travel blogs, and your favorite travel influencers on social media, as well as the airlines. Join travel groups. One of the best-kept secrets in the travel world is connecting with like-minded travelers via groups on social media.
I joined my first travel group on Facebook a few years ago. I was amazed at how much value and knowledge was shared in the group. Websites like Flight Deal.com and SecretFlying.com are amazing resources. They will push flight deals all over the world to your phone, via their mailing list, or via apps like Twitter and Instagram.
Step-6 Learn About Travel Hacking
The ultimate way to travel the world on a budget while not compromising your experience is by taking the time to learn about travel hacking. The world of travel hacking is for advanced travels as it requires tons of research, patience, and consistency.
Travel hacking may sound like a scam but I promise it’s legal. Travel hacking is cracking the code to travel for free or as close to free as possible. Your favorite travel influencers or gurus on the net use this strategy. They are zipping across the globe in first-class, 5-star hotels paid for with miles earned on their credit cards.
Travel hacking is the level every traveler wants to be. But as I mentioned, it is a skill that requires some work. This is not a strategy for a novice traveler. I wanted to mention it here because ultimately, this is the ultimate goal as budget-conscious travel is to travel free!
Budget travel involves some work but is quite feasible
Traveling on a budget without compromise to experience is more about developing a strategy to get the best deal than actually fixating on numbers in your budget. You should always outline your financial spending plan as discussed. The art of traveling on a budget is actually finding deals. Travel deals bring your cost down, without a reduction in the quality of the flight you take or the hotel you stay in.
Traveling on a budget takes work and patience. Find a strategy that works for you. There are too many resources to discuss in one blog. But I hope this piqued your interest to come back for information that will help you see the world for as little as possible!
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