Emma @ theweekendabroad.com on 5 Ways to Travel Affordably (and More Often!)
The question I receive most often regarding my travels is, “how are you able to travel so often?!”. It’s certainly not because I have a sugar daddy or unlimited vacation days from work. For me, traveling often goes hand in hand with traveling affordably. The more money I save on one trip means more money saved up for the next. I was still able to plan vacations and weekend getaways when I was just a part-time nanny due to frugal travel practices. Needless to say, I also try to save money when I’m not traveling either; you’ll never find me buying things regular price. If you want to travel more often, here are my top 5 ways to travel affordably:
- How to Travel Affordably and More Often
- Lower your expectations. I have never traveled luxury status, and I’m totally ok with that! If you are strapped for cash, but want to travel more then having low expectations is a must. This might mean staying in a less-popular part of town, no provided room cleaning during your stay, or not being able to choose your airplane seats. This last note is a great way to save money – I never pay to choose my flight seat online. I would also like to point out that part of lowering your expectations may mean traveling just for a couple days. A relaxing vacation doesn’t have to be a few weeks long; sometimes all you need is a weekend to unwind.
- Stay at someone’s house or a cheaper hotel. Airbnb and Hotwire are my go-to websites when it comes to accommodations. I stayed in an Airbnb (private room) for $12/night USD in Bali, and a room in Madrid, Spain only cost me $23/night USD.
- Book ahead of time! Not only do Airbnb listings get booked up fast, but I’ve found that flights are cheapest months in advance. If possible, I would book your trip 6 months or more in advance to get the best prices. It’s also good for peace of mind when you get all your planning and booking squared away ahead of time.
- Constantly monitor flights. If you have a destination in mind, there are a few great tools to ensure you get the best flight prices. I’m subscribed to Scott’s Cheap Flights, which emails me whenever a fare sale or mistake fare occurs. I also use Google Flights and Hopper to notify me whenever flight prices go up or down. Hopper is great for letting you know whether now is a good or bad time to purchase.
- Travel lightly. Bring one carry-on and no checked in baggage. Not only does this save you money, but it’s also nice not to have to worry about lost luggage. Check the weather forecast and start narrowing down your outfits!
Want to travel Europe for cheap? I wrote an entire blog post on how I traveled to 5 countries in 19 days for only $2,110 (including spending money!).
Do you have any affordable travel tips that I’m missing? Let us know in the comments!
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