How to Travel on a Budget
Since I began full-time solo traveling a few years ago, I cannot tell you how many messages, emails, and comments I’ve received asking specifically about how to travel with or on a budget… and I truly never tire of it! And when I first started playing around with the idea of traveling long-term, I knew that finances would always be the thing that either kept me going or never let me start, so I decided to make sure it helped me travel rather than kept me from ever getting to do it… and I have never looked back.
After spending 2+ years solo traveling around the U.S. and Europe, I learned a lot about not only saving money but also how to best travel on a budget (and make money go as far as possible). Flash forward to today: I’ve been able to turn my passion and love for travel into a job, helping others get out into the world — whether through my downloadable travel guides, travel consulting, travel planning, or even just on Instagram — and often helping them with their budgets, too.
All that said, here are some of my tips for traveling on a budget, which I hope will encourage and help you as you begin dreaming and scheming for your future travels, too.
TIP 1: SAVE UP
The first step to saving up for travel is to really decide what your priorities are, and if you're here, it's pretty safe to assume that travel is a priority to you. And if that's true, then you'll want to prioritize saving money for travel. But how can you do that?
The first thing you can do is make it a goal to save X amount of money for travel per month. Treat it like a payment you HAVE to make to avoid excuses or justifications as to why you just can’t save. And then watch as your travel savings starts to add up!
If you're looking for ways to grow your travel funds, start by searching for spots in your budget where you can save a bit, like your daily coffee or dining out habits. Even the smallest of sacrifices can add up over the long haul. And to have that money for travel later? Totally worth it!
Another way to save money is to pick up some side hustles, especially if your full-time/normal income just won’t cut it! Some side hustle ideas include babysitting, pet/housesitting, tutoring, selling clothes, electronics, decor, etc. you don’t need (or thrifting to flip) on Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, Mercari, or Depop, offering some type of service, starting a side business, opening an Etsy shop, etc.
TIP 2: CREATE A BUDGET
Planning for and creating a budget for your travels can feel super intimidating, I know, so allow me to help simplify the process for you.
First, think about how many days you want to travel and the cities you want to go to, and then use that information to create an estimated budget! You can start by estimating how much money you might need for that trip to spend on things like flights, transit, accommodations, food, and fun, which will help you figure out how much to save or put aside for your trip. My advice is to put all the numbers into a simple spreadsheet to help keep track of everything as you go.
Once you do that, you can start researching and booking all the things... and saving money while you do so (more on that in tip 3)!
BONUS: I just included my exclusive budget and itinerary template inside my new FREE travel guide: How to Travel on a Budget! You can use this set of Google Sheets to plan, budget for, and track your expenses while you travel! Just save the template to your Google Drive in order to use it for your travels. Simply enter your email below for access!
TIP 3: PLAN YOUR TRIP
While there are countless ways to save money as you're planning your trip, some of the most straightforward things you can do are to search for and book affordable flights, look at all available ground transit options, and find the best places to stay based on both your budget and travel preferences…
