Tips for Fulfilling Travel on a Tight Budget

Finding the funds to fuel our wanderlust can be tricky. With some careful planning and creative thinking, a tight budget won’t get in the way of your travel dreams.

Start off by being flexible with travel dates. While this isn’t always realistic, if you can adjust your schedule to travel on dates when things are cheaper — for example, hotel rooms are usually less expensive on weeknights — then you can stretch your funds a little further.

This flexibility will also give you a better chance of scoring deals on flights. With great apps like Hopper you can look at a proposed itinerary to see what dates have the cheapest anticipated prices and book accordingly. The app allows you to watch a trip, sending notifications when the prices drop and telling you what trends are anticipated.

Consider staying in hostels. These accommodations are quickly gaining traction in the hospitality industry. Many of today’s hostels offer clean, safe environments, often in unique locations, that allow guests to mingle with like-minded travelers from all over the world.

Instead of eating out in pricey restaurants, consider sourcing your own local cuisine. Head to a grocery store or market and grab some local meats, cheeses and bread, then find a nice park or beach to relax with your makeshift meal. Imagine sitting in a park looking at the Eiffel Tower in Paris while you munch on a baguette with fresh cheese and salami, you can enjoy a fantastic meal and still be able to afford the trip to the top of the tower!