Traveling on a budget
Are you planning a vacation or a study abroad visit? If so, you might need these tips on how to save money and immerse yourself in the local culture! We’ve put together the top four pieces of advice we can give you to help elevate your experience.
Be realistic
Before you can maintain a healthy budget, you need to do some saving and decide how much money you’ll require while traveling. Be realistic here. You might want to spend thousands of dollars while away, but do you really have that kind of money? On the other hand, don’t budget too low. You need to cover food and shelter, at the very least, while exploring the world. Budget enough money to keep yourself safe and keep your goals in mind.
Note that tours and additional traveling at your destination can increase the money you need very quickly. Don’t just estimate how much you’ll be spending on each excursion – find exact prices.
Prioritize expenses
In the same vein as being realistic with your budget, you should decide early on what experiences matter to you most before you arrive. If you are traveling somewhere known for iGaming and this is something that interests you, for example, then save some money to enjoy local gaming spots. If you find yourself running low on cash, just take advantage of less-expensive options. If you opt for a casino, for example, consider playing the best US online slot machine rather than blowing all of your money on roulette or poker.
Prioritizing your budget and being willing to sacrifice in certain areas is a great way to maintain a healthy budget while traveling abroad. Look into specific costs before finalizing your budget!
Avoid tourist traps
If your goal is to stretch your money as much as possible, then you should be avoiding tourist traps. Not only are they often underwhelming, but it’s usually possible to find the same experience for a fraction of the cost by doing some digging. Ask locals if they’ve ever been to the area or event in question and, if so, how they got there. Instead of booking a luxury bus to travel to the top of a mountain for a photo, for example, you might be able to rideshare your way up there for a third of the price.
Remember that you can always spend less money than expected, but you typically can’t spend more. Save money wherever you can to keep yourself on track without sacrificing the experiences you want to have.
Live like locals
When you think about traveling, the chances are good that you picture expensive dinners out and jam-packed itineraries every day. Before you shell out a lot of cash on food and excursions, why not observe the locals and mimic their behavior? Most people don’t eat out every night, for example, so what do locals eat instead? Can you buy ingredients and eat at home instead of ordering at a café? Similarly, instead of packing every second of your itinerary with planned stops, enjoy local life. Walk around the town, find local gems, and simply enjoy being in a new culture.
You don’t need a lot of money to have an incredible, enriching experience. Sometimes, focusing more on blending in than standing out yields the best results. If you want a truly unforgettable trip that doesn’t decimate your bank account, live like the locals.
We’ve already mentioned avoiding expensive events in this article, but if the highlight of your trip happens to be a weekend excursion or a pricey city tour, that’s fine. Just make sure that you are smart with your money and make time for local experiences.