Travelling on a limited budget!

Neelakshi Yadav
Apr 26, 2017
3 min read

Image Courtesy: Escape Theme Park

Most of us look for ways to maximize our travel experience without feeling that anything has been left out. However, money doesn’t grow on the trees for most of us and we have to manage with whatever little we have. Thankfully, what we need is not a money-fruiting tree, but an ability to make smart choices at every touch point. For those travel addicts who dream of making more than a few trips each year, we bring you ways to extract the very juice out of your destination with little investment.

Talk to the locals – something that everyone says, but also something that is very true. Talking with the locals about which places to eat at, where to shop etc will give you the best possible insights for sure.
Save on flights – These take up the maximum amount of your pocket. Plan your flights smartly by flying in the early hours of the day (the prices are cheaper in the morning!) Keep the departure dates flexible and opt for the date and flight with the lowest price.
Focus on maximizing the time spent at a location and not on maximizing the number of locations. This will save on travel costs while also enhancing the flavours of each place visited.
Avoid the peak tourist season wherever you go. For example, if it is the summers, don’t go to a major hill station! Anything and everything will be costlier than usual.
Join a ‘Frequent Flyer Club Program’ like Skyteam. This way, you will collect points every time you travel through these companies. You never know when you might just be able to redeem those points for a free flight ticket overseas! There are also other benefits associated like being led to the front of the boarding and security line at airports.
Stay in touch with travel websites and agents on their social media handles. Stay put for them to launch their best deals and offers online.
If travelling individually or with friends, put up at hostels and guesthouses instead of hotels. You will find amazing company among an amalgamation of people your own age group. And the cost would be too good to believe.
House sit or rent an apartment - Rent an apartment through websites like AirBnB - Save money, live in comfort like that of your own home and make new friends with those who share the same apartment! You could also ‘house sit’, by taking care of a house whose owners are out of town. You get to stay for free and live as if the house is your own and paying back by taking care of the house like watering the plants or taking care of the owner’s pets.
Save on local travel costs - Take a night bus or a night train to your destination, as long as it is safe. Most countries have sleeper train services, so don’t worry about feeling alone in your quest to save on night accommodation and wake up fresh for a new day!
Learn how to ride a bike - and rent it. Far cheaper than taking taxi services everywhere. Drive by yourself. You could also rent a car. Most car rental companies have their outlets scattered throughout the country, so don’t worry about going back to the same city to return your car/bike!
Vouch for accommodations that include breakfast. Have a heavy one and pack some for lunch too!
Travel like the locals, eat like the locals – Use the local buses, trams and rickshaws (if available). Eat street food. It not only provides you with the best local flavor, but street food is almost always the cheapest.
For shopping - Look for evening/night markets or weekly markets to shop for local souvenirs and groceries. They might just come at half the prices as given by big stores.
Get a pre-paid travel credit card. They are a safe way to keep your money and you can shop without paying extra transaction charges, since these cards pay in the local currency. An additional benefit is that if you move on to another country with money still in your card, you can get the money changed into one of the many interchangeable currencies as offered by the Bank that provided the card.
Be a part of everything that comes free to make your travel experience rich. Visit the beach, climb to the top of the local hill, attend the local festivities and celebrations. One can find jacuzzi and swimming pools everywhere. It is the local culture and opportunities that will give you memories for a lifetime.