Dollars Up — How to Save Money When Traveling

Decide to travel and you’ve got flights, food and all those whimsical purchases to take into account. You want adventure but for less, so you need to save a few bucks here and there — as many as possible, in fact. Here are a few tips to help you rack up the savings so that you can invest in those enriching travel experiences.

On the way from A to B

You don’t want to take loads of suitcases and bags, so think about other options such as large rucksacks. Make the most of all the space and pack only the essentials so that you don’t have to check in and pay extra for excess baggage.

Consider when you’re flying. The more flexible that you can be regarding the dates, the more chance you have of saving money. Booking well in advance (or sometimes at the last minute) allows you to keep more of the holiday dollars in your pocket.

Think about who you’re flying with. Normally, it’s cheaper to buy a return ticket, but don’t automatically purchase one. Look into flying with different airlines. Some will be offering different prices for the same journey, creating opportunities to make a saving on both the outward and return journeys.

Cutting the expenses out and about

For all your thriftiness, you might not be able to resist that particularly cute lamp, ceramic bowl or even just a snazzy key ring. Choose your destination carefully, especially if you’re on a shopping trip. Eastern Europe, Africa and South America tend to be cheaper than Western Europe and North America.

If possible, you should also travel with a partner or companion. Traveling alone is no fun anyway, but if someone is joining you for the ride, you can halve the expenses. 

Filling small corners

Man can’t live by bread alone, but don’t eat out every single mealtime. In the more touristic areas you’ll probably pay over the odds for your meal, so head for the supermarkets and get some groceries. Opt for foods and drinks that are easy to open, such as screw-top bottled wine and canned food with ring pulls on, and only buy what you’ll realistically eat. Buying in smaller quantities also gives you the opportunity to sample local dishes and not miss out on one of the great things about travel.

Seeing the world is expensive, but when you’re travel- and financially savvy it can become suddenly much less so. You can start as you mean to go on, by saving before you even reach your destination. Then once you arrive, you can diminish the expenses and accumulate the experiences. Let’s roll!