How to stretch your travel budget

Planning a trip can be quite stressful and the headache is usually around expenses. Sometimes people are hesitant to travel because they are under the impression that traveling is way too expensive even though they have desires and aspirations to travel to specific destinations of interest. Planning a trip means you have to budget ahead in order to be financially comfortable during your stay. You also want to make sure that your money lasts the duration of the trip without affecting the quality of your experience at the destination and your ability to have a good time. When money is the sole determining factor on what you can or can’t do at a destination it usually hinders the quality of experience a traveler can get from a destination. Take a look at these ten tips below on how get the most out of your money while traveling.

Pick Budget Friendly Destinations

One of the most important things to do when planning to travel picking your destination with careful consideration. Before you make final conclusions on the destination you are visiting, you need to decide how much you’re willing to spend. Once you’ve drawn the conclusion on the amount you’re willing to spend, you can start reviewing places at the destination that best suit your budget.

Plan your trip ahead

This is the best way to approach travelling because it allows you to have plenty of time think about your trip and avoid rushed decisions and unnecessary unexpected expenses. Planning ahead gives you plenty of time to research the hotel specials, cheapest flights and the most affordable transportation options once you get there. You can gather up all this information from researching online and also looking at offline sources for travel deals and in that way you can have a better advantage at getting the best specials and airline promo fares.

Avoid baggage fees

One of best ways to cut down on costs is to ensure that your luggage does not weigh you down when it comes to baggage fees. Sometimes the quantity of your luggage can be influenced by things that are way beyond your control like traveling with kids, weather patterns and trips that involve business and leisure that require you to pack extra. In this case be sure to book airfare that includes a checked bag which is not included in a basic Economy fee. This will not only save you time at the airport, it will also help to avoid unexpected fees that would affect your travel budget. The local hand luggage weight limit is 7 kg and internationally 1 piece of luggage should not exceed 23 kg and the maximum weight is 32 kg.

Travel to less crowded attractions

Visiting a place that is les touristy can work in your favour as prices are lower compared to well known tourist attractions. Many locations that are less visit tend to also offer discounted luxury option which will be highly advantageous. This can also improve the quality of your trip by helping you enjoy the peacefulness of a place unspoiled by high tourist activity like touristy areas and towns at a destination.

Consider low seasonal travel

Tourism generally has a high season where most tourists are flocking and low season when fewer tourists travel around that particular time of the year. Therefore traveling during popular travel times means more travel costs and less specials due to high demand and this can be a blow your travel budget. If you want to cut down your travel cost you might want to consider traveling during these seasonal lows when there are far fewer visitors in an area. For example in South Africa the seasonal highs are during school holidays and in summer when the weather is good, so you might wanna travel cheaper during winter or during the school calendar.

Take advantage of exchange rates

Look for the best exchange rates before you buy the local currency in both your departure and arrival airports, you’ll pass plenty of gleaming currency exchange kiosks. The convenience and impulse to prepare for everything on a trip make it tempting to stop and trade in some of your American cash. However, you should avoid buying money at the airport or in any other location that screams tourist. Currency exchange businesses make money by giving you a less favorable exchange rate and sometimes they charge additional fees, much like the foreign transaction fees you want to avoid on credit card purchases. My favorite place to get local currency is from the ATM.

You’ll generally get the best exchange rate that way and it’s just as convenient as a kiosk (airports have ATMS, too). However, the ATM may charge a fee to take out money, and your bank may have additional fees for using your debit card overseas. Check with your bank before you leave. The best way to minimize fees is to withdraw as much as possible at one time and avoid frequent trips to the ATM. Another convenient option is to buy currency online through Travelex. You have to plan ahead and allow enough time for delivery or pickup, but next-day shipping is free when you spend at least $1,000. Travelex promises the lowest online price in the US, so you can be assured of getting a good exchange rate. You can exchange any amount of US dollars for the currency of your choice and pay with a credit or debit card. In addition to the shipping option, pick-up is available at Travelex stores across the country.

Group travel

One of the best ways to save costs and receive discounts on trips is to travel with a group of friends. The bigger the group, the less you spend on accommodation, and food which will be of advantage to everyone within the group. Sharing the cost of accommodation or any form of rental can help you and your friends to enjoy finer hotels than what you can afford if you were traveling on your own. Group travel also puts you in a position to the utilize all-inclusive packages, which can help you save more as compared to solo travel.

Strategic location options

When choosing a destination also consider the location of the accommodation you want to stay. Staying in a hotel or any other form of accommodation that is close to public transportation and walking distance to attractions can help you avoid the expense and hassle of a rental car. In safer countries you can opt to using Uber or other ride-sharing apps that are cheaper and easier than renting a car.

Find free things to do on your trip

One of the best ways to ensure that your travel budget stays flexible is to not spend money at all. Few suggestions would be taking advantage of all the free activities available at all destinations some activities include free walking tours, where local guides will offer their services as part of the experience, check out museums which often have free entrance also provides a free outdoor experience exploring nature, besides that you can also enjoy exploring the street art and murals at some destinations.

Stay at a self catering accommodation .

One of the advantages of staying in a self catering accommodation is cooking your meals rather than having to eat out at a restaurant for three meals a day this will definitely save some of your money. You can also try out local cuisines and other street food, these are usually way cheaper than eating at a sit down restaurant.

Buy a local sim card

When traveling to a foreign country, you always want to stay connected and use our favorite apps because steady internet connection is really important and also helps with getting around too. Always be prepared to but a local sim card on arrival at the airport, it will make it easier to navigate your way around using google maps, the internet, posting on social media and calling your loved ones back home. It will also be an advantage not to rely on Wi-Fi only in hotspot areas.

Don't over-tip

While tipping is not usually mandatory, it is the prevailing practice around the world and a way of showing gratitude. However when travelling it is easier to over tip because you encounter a lot of people that are normally considered to be legible for tipping because of their service like Airport shuttle drivers, cab drivers, doorman, hotel concierge, bellman, room service, restaurant server, spa/massage therapists, housekeepers etc. One of the things you have to realize as a traveler is that you do not have to tip them all and also familiarize yourself with the percentages that you can offer if you decide to tip.

It is also recommended that you do your research of the tipping culture of a destination prior because different countries have varying, and sometimes opposite, rules and customs. In some countries, such as Japan and China, tipping, especially at a restaurant, is considered an insult. In countries like the United Arab Emirates, tipping is a government mandate and is often added to a bill.