Guest article by Stephanie Lynch,Howmuchisit.org
Travel appeals to most, but unfortunately, it doesn’t come cheap. Even if you’re on a budget, don’t think you can’t travel the world to see places you have never seen before.
To make your dreams come true, I came up with a list of things you can do to start funding your next travel adventure as well as save on your actual vacation, no matter how expensive it may be.
#1 Simplify your living
If you want to make your travel dreams come true, then the first thing to do is to let go of things that aren’t a necessary. Unless you want it badly, cut off the unwanted expenses. It may be your daily morning Starbucks coffee on the way to work or your expensive gym membership. For every necessity, there is a cheaper alternative. Try to figure out cost effective ways to achieve similar results without spending a lot. Use a prepaid phone card or cycle all the way to your workplace. I think you get the idea here. Every dollar will add up, trust me!
#2 Smart work pays off
Regardless of what kind of talent you have, consider becoming a freelancer online and tackling mini projects to add to your monthly earnings. This could be anything from writing simple articles to data entry. The Internet is filled with thousands upon thousands of companies looking for people like you to help their business. At the end of the month, if done right, you could add a few hundred dollars to your budget – just enough to maybe pay for a weekend getaway.
#3 Plan your budget and savings
Dedicate a few hours to plan your budget for the month. If you have a strong desire for seeing places, then you might stick to it if you can see the budget on paper. Without it, you may lose grip of the plan, going to unexpected parties, hotels or eating out. All of this, of course, will eat up a lot of your money. To make budgeting easier, consider treating your vacation fund like a bill and deposit so much money every month. Even if it’s $100 per month, that’s $1,200 per year – more than enough to go somewhere for a few days.
#4 Consider crowdfunding
While this is out there, people have had success with it. A crowdfunding campaign may be handy if you are a little short on your travel budget. People love to help others achieve their dreams and that is why crowdfunding has been a hit. Create a campaign about your travel plans and tell people what you intend to do. Be honest with your views and you’ll be surprised by the help flowing through these channels. Make this your last hope when everything else fails to back you up. Kickstarter, GoFundMe and Indiegogo are some of the places you can reach out for help.
#5 Use ride sharing
When on vacation, skip the rental car and highly consider public transportation as it is the most affordable while you travel. It also helps you interact with people and tour around the city like a local. When public transport fails to help, use ridesharing as your second best choice to save money. Try BlaBlaCar.com, a ride sharing site which has drivers in over 19 countries
#6 Prepare your own meals
As a traveler, you might want to try out some of the local delicacies. Well go ahead and feast because it’s okay to taste the exotic food you never had before, but restrict your food exploration to only one or maybe two per day. An average meal could cost you $10 to $15 each, but by cooking your own meal, it could save you more than $150 on a 10-day tour.
#7 Free stays by couch surfing
If you’re traveling solo or even with a partner, consider finding a couchsurfing site that can connect your with locals for free accommodation. Couch surfing seems to be the best money saving tip of all, because stays are the most expensive part of any tour, sometimes costing you as much as $200 per night. No matter where you go in the world, couchsurfing allows you to sleep at a locals place for free. Sometimes you get to use their kitchens too which could be helpful to cook your own meal. It is also an opportunity to meet and greet new friends in the city.
By buckling down and being creative, there’s no reason you have to spend thousands on your next trip. While there are so many other tips you can implement, hopefully, a few of these can get the ball rolling for your next frugal vacation. Best of luck!
= = = =
Stephanie Lynch is a freelance writer from Howmuchisit.org who currently resides in Gilbert, Arizona. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors and spending time with her family.
Travel appeals to most, but unfortunately, it doesn’t come cheap. Even if you’re on a budget, don’t think you can’t travel the world to see places you have never seen before.
To make your dreams come true, I came up with a list of things you can do to start funding your next travel adventure as well as save on your actual vacation, no matter how expensive it may be.
#1 Simplify your living
If you want to make your travel dreams come true, then the first thing to do is to let go of things that aren’t a necessary. Unless you want it badly, cut off the unwanted expenses. It may be your daily morning Starbucks coffee on the way to work or your expensive gym membership. For every necessity, there is a cheaper alternative. Try to figure out cost effective ways to achieve similar results without spending a lot. Use a prepaid phone card or cycle all the way to your workplace. I think you get the idea here. Every dollar will add up, trust me!
#2 Smart work pays off
Regardless of what kind of talent you have, consider becoming a freelancer online and tackling mini projects to add to your monthly earnings. This could be anything from writing simple articles to data entry. The Internet is filled with thousands upon thousands of companies looking for people like you to help their business. At the end of the month, if done right, you could add a few hundred dollars to your budget – just enough to maybe pay for a weekend getaway.
#3 Plan your budget and savings
Dedicate a few hours to plan your budget for the month. If you have a strong desire for seeing places, then you might stick to it if you can see the budget on paper. Without it, you may lose grip of the plan, going to unexpected parties, hotels or eating out. All of this, of course, will eat up a lot of your money. To make budgeting easier, consider treating your vacation fund like a bill and deposit so much money every month. Even if it’s $100 per month, that’s $1,200 per year – more than enough to go somewhere for a few days.
#4 Consider crowdfunding
While this is out there, people have had success with it. A crowdfunding campaign may be handy if you are a little short on your travel budget. People love to help others achieve their dreams and that is why crowdfunding has been a hit. Create a campaign about your travel plans and tell people what you intend to do. Be honest with your views and you’ll be surprised by the help flowing through these channels. Make this your last hope when everything else fails to back you up. Kickstarter, GoFundMe and Indiegogo are some of the places you can reach out for help.
#5 Use ride sharing
When on vacation, skip the rental car and highly consider public transportation as it is the most affordable while you travel. It also helps you interact with people and tour around the city like a local. When public transport fails to help, use ridesharing as your second best choice to save money. Try BlaBlaCar.com, a ride sharing site which has drivers in over 19 countries
#6 Prepare your own meals
As a traveler, you might want to try out some of the local delicacies. Well go ahead and feast because it’s okay to taste the exotic food you never had before, but restrict your food exploration to only one or maybe two per day. An average meal could cost you $10 to $15 each, but by cooking your own meal, it could save you more than $150 on a 10-day tour.
#7 Free stays by couch surfing
If you’re traveling solo or even with a partner, consider finding a couchsurfing site that can connect your with locals for free accommodation. Couch surfing seems to be the best money saving tip of all, because stays are the most expensive part of any tour, sometimes costing you as much as $200 per night. No matter where you go in the world, couchsurfing allows you to sleep at a locals place for free. Sometimes you get to use their kitchens too which could be helpful to cook your own meal. It is also an opportunity to meet and greet new friends in the city.
By buckling down and being creative, there’s no reason you have to spend thousands on your next trip. While there are so many other tips you can implement, hopefully, a few of these can get the ball rolling for your next frugal vacation. Best of luck!
= = = =
Stephanie Lynch is a freelance writer from Howmuchisit.org who currently resides in Gilbert, Arizona. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors and spending time with her family.
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