Travel on a budget: 7 money-saving tips

IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO BOOK WELL IN ADVANCE TO AVOID ANY LASTMINUTE HASSLES, NOT TO FORGET THE SOARING TICKET PRICES. ALWAYS CLEAR YOUR INTERNET BROWSER COOKIES AND/OR GO INCOGNITO WHILE SEARCHING FOR FLIGHTS. WEBSITES OFTEN APPLY TRICKS TO QUOTE PRICES BA

Want to go on a vacation, but the only travelling you do is between your home and office or college? It’s easy to talk yourself out of making travel plans — whether for fear of planning your itinerary or booking hotels and flight tickets. Most of the time, however, it’s the budget woes that keep you chained to one place. The next thing you know, the days have flown by all too quickly.

But worry not, ahead we’ve listed seven simple tips you can follow for a pocketfriendly holiday:

RESEARCH WELL

Step 1 to getting the budgetfriendly trip right — research and take it slow. Rushing into plans will only make the travel experience an expensive one. Take your time to read what travellers around the world have said and how they’ve been doing it for years. Reading helpful reviews and talking to fellow travel enthusiasts will be equally helpful.

PLAN YOUR TRAVEL IN THE OFFSEASON

The key to owning your travel plan and your bank account is knowing which months/ seasons are the best time to travel. Peak and off-seasons may differ from one country to another.

Be sure to figure the tourist seasons which might (once again) coincide with the season, festivals and holidays. Planning is key to cracking a good deal that’ll keep your pocket happy too.

ADVANCE BOOKING

This one is a no-brainer. If we’re planning a holiday, it’s only right to book well in advance to avoid any lastminute hassles, not to forget the soaring ticket prices. Besides, it’s prudent to book in advance so you don’t lose out on deals, and eventually reservations.

Extra Tip: Always clear your internet browser cookies and/or go incognito while searching for flights. Websites often apply tricks to quote prices basis the last quoted one.

CARRY FOOD WITH YOU

Pack a few for the road. Bring snackable food items from home and when you’re at your location, shop at grocery stores and try cooking when you can. It’s definitely not going to be your next Instagram #foodporn picture but a lifesaver, financially.

CHOOSE HOSTELS OVER HOTELS

With several options coming up and deals aplenty being offered by travel websites, there’s so much to choose from when it comes to hostels and homestays. Hostels not only offer lower prices than hotels, but you also get an authentic backpacker atmosphere.

REPLACE PARAPHERNALIA WITH EXPERIENCES

Yes, it’s always nice getting a souvenir back as a collectible for everyone back home when you’ve been somewhere, but remember the point about travelling light to save yourself the hassle and the monies? Yup.

A bagful of paraphernalia should just be replaced with experiences. The ones you can talk about, reminisce over, and probably write about when you want to! With this, it’s not just your wallet but also your soul that’ll stay happy and keep you on your feet so a next trip can be planned even before you can post your first throwback post from this trip!

TRAVEL LIGHT, ALWAYS

First: It’s easy on your back and shoulders. Second: You’re more mobile when there are fewer things to be carried around; Third: You save yourself from the hassle of coughing up the unnecessary extra baggage costs, given that flights are our best friends if we need to save time and travel longer.

Extra Tip: Try a road trip if you want to experience the roads and the beauty of Mother Nature, with some man-made additions.

So, here you are, future traveller. Get. Set. Go.

PHOTOS: ISTOCK