Does anyone else book flights and then worry about paying for the rest of the trip later, or is it just me? I’m a sucker for flight deals. I prefer this method to buying pre-made flight & accommodation packs because it means that I can make the itinerary my own. I like to explore the ‘undiscovered’ places that are often excluded from such package deals. But with that, comes some uncertainty with your overall budget. After having planned a few trips myself here and there, I’ve come across some good budget saving techniques for while you’re planing your trip and during the trip itself.
Let me share what I think are the 4 most important travelling on a budget tips to make your budget go further.
1. Travel Off-season
Off-season in your country might seem like the perfect time to throw away the suit and lather on some sunscreen, but sometimes this isn’t the best idea for keeping tabs on your budget. Do your research!
If there’s somewhere specific you want to go, have a look at their off-season dates/seasons and travel then. Or if you’re locked in on travelling during a certain time (eg. for your birthday) then look at where it would be off-season. You’re almost guaranteed to get cheaper prices for flights, accomodation and even attraction tickets during the off-season. Your bank account will love nothing more than a good old humble discount from the get go.
– From Experience –
We went to Santorini in April 2019 and ‘splurged’ on a 1 night stay in the Oia cliffs. This is off-season and we paid $237 NZD for it. During peak season (June-August) the same place is a minimum $536 NZD a night. We saved over 50%.
We’ve always wanted to stay in a place like this, so travelling off-season was really the only way that we could!
2. Choose Your Accommodation Wisely
Everyone knows that booking accommodation is a big chunk of the budget, and in some cases it can be the biggest part. But what I think people don’t really think about is that if the accommodation doesn’t come/isn’t equipped with a few essential things, it can continue to eat away at your money (yea, that money that you were planning on using FOR eating). So here’s a little checklist I think you should use when choosing accommodation (especially for trips longer than 7nights). Make sure your accomodation:
- Has a kitchen (at least a fridge & microwave)
- Has a washing machine (dryer is a bonus)
- Is in a good location
Not only has sticking to this checklist saved me a lot of money, but a lot of time too!
– From Experience –
In Paris we stayed in the 13 Arrondissement. Most of our local restaurant’s started at 25euro per main course. Yes, STARTED. Instead we spent 25euro at the Carrefour supermarket across the road and was able to to make 2 mains (Ratatouille) PLUS get a cheap bottle of wine and some choc puddings for dessert.
We also had a washing machine in our Paris accom. which saved us having to lug our clothes to the local laundromat (which wasn’t a self-service/coin one, so we saved 10-15euro on each load)
3. Travel Light
When you’re flying it’s best to travel the lightest that you possibly can. You can sometimes save $50+ a flight if you book without a check-in bag (and if it’s return flights then that figure is automatically doubled). If you’re going with a partner or a friend, ask them if they’d be keen to split 1 check-in bag between the two of you.
BUT in saying that – don’t underestimate your baggage. If you really can’t go without half of your wardrobe, or if you know that you’re going to be shopping up a storm on your trip then make sure you book enough luggage with your ticket. Paying for the extra kgs at the airport is crazy expensive (I was once 1kg over and they wanted me to pay $199NZD, lol).
Tip: If it’s a little bit over, just grab some things out of your bag and wear them (eg. a few jackets) or chuck things in your pockets. There’s no limit on how much your body must weigh so legally they can’t stop you (I’ve done this and it’s been fine).
– From Experience –
My partner and I split 1 check-in bag between us for a 5 week holiday in Europe. It sounded tricky at the start, but we had more than enough clothes for the trip.
We saved somewhere between 73-100 EUR (that’s 126 – 173NZD) on what would’ve just been dead weight. That’s enough for washing liquid and a few extra meals. PLUS we didn’t both have to carry 23kg bags each move we made (double win for me, lol).
4. Buy Food Wisely
There’s 3 things I suggest for this one (food is pretty important to me). Firstly, before even taking off on the plane I like to google ‘Cheapest Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/Food Near *insert suburb of accomodation*’. Mark the top 5 rated restaurants/take-outs in your Google Maps under a ‘Food’ tag. This saves money and time.
Also I recommend staying away from restaurants that are super close/on big tourist attractions or centres. These are the most convenient for tourists, but it always comes at a price. Walk a little bit further and I’m sure you’ll find something for less.
Lastly, go big on Lunch rather than dinner. A lot of restaurants do ‘lunch specials’ so take advantage. It also means that you can walk the big calories off during the day rather than just sleeping on it – yay!
– From Experience –
1 main meal right on Santorini’s Fira cliffs can be anywhere between 15 – 50EUR. Instead we walked 100m behind the main pathway and got 2.50EUR Gyros from Nick the Grill. We walked back with our food & 2EUR wine/beer and enjoyed them picnic style over the same sunset view that the cliff restaurants had.
Last Thoughts
It can seem like a nuisance keeping an eye on your budget when all you want to do on holiday is relax and spoil yourself. But unfortunately not all of us are able to get that type of savings going (yet *touch wood*). These are simple and easy ways to save a little bit of coin while you’re on the road and I hope you take advantage of them on your next trip!
If you have more tips to share, please comment below. We’d love to know!
