How I afford to travel (Best Budget Travel Tips!)
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If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen me visit 10 countries in 2024 alone. Aka I’m freaking obsessed with traveling the world! A lot of people have asked me how I afford to travel so much at my young age (23 going on 24 at time of writing!)
News flash- I’m not rich (yet) and you don’t have to be either to travel! Here are all my budget travel tips and how I’m able to afford to travel so damn much!
There’s a common misconception that you have to have a lot of money to travel. The plain and simple truth is that’s just not true. During my travels to 27 countries and 5 continents, I’ve met many travellers- those on luxury vacations and those on extreme backpacker budgets!
With the right mindset, you can travel most places on a budget if you’re well planned. Listed down below are a few of my starts budget travel tips and how I afford to travel frequently!
Carry-on ONLY- Budget Travel Tips
Hey girlie, there’s no need to pack 10 outfits for a weekend trip, and I mean that. When you’re traveling (especially long term), less is more. Carry-on only is the best way to go!
When traveling internationally, most airlines allow free carry-on luggage while checked-in baggage can get super expensive! When I’m traveling I typically pack enough clothes for 1 week and wash 1-2 times per week.
Stay in Hostels!
I cannot stress how much money I’ve saved by staying in hostels! If you’ve never heard of them, hostels are basically dorm style accommodation where you share a room with a few other people. Dorms can range from 4 – 30 people. (yeah, I never stay in a room with more than 6-8 people).
Not only are hostels much cheaper, but as a solo female traveler I feel SO much safer knowing that there are other solo travellers present. Staying in an expensive airbnb by yourself where the owner has a spare key? Yeah…. NO. Plus, I’ve met SO many of my current friends in hostels as well!
Fly Budget Airlines- Budget Travel Tips
Yes honey, if the ticket is only $19 I’m sure as hell going to put my pride away and fly Spirit or Frontier. Budget airlines have been a major aspect of my travel journey-especially when traveling, especially through Europe! Plus, once you fly with a certain airline enough, you rack off enough points and can get free flights. Now that’s what I’m talking about!
Use points for flights
On my most recent trip throughout Europe and the Caribbean, I was blessed to have snagged a $94 ticket from JFK New York to London LGW! Truth is, the flight was originally $204. Half of that flight was paid with credit card points I had saved up! Saving Credit card points for travel is one of THE best ways to travel for cheap (or even free!)
Cook meals instead of eating out- Budget Travel Tips
Transportation, accommodation, and food are some of the most expensive aspects of a trip. To save money on food, I always budget around $40-$80 USD for groceries per week (depending on my location). This has been able to save me SO much money, especially when traveling to more expensive European countries!
Not only is cooking much cheaper, but also so much healthier. When I eat out on a trip, I typically find myself bloated and am more prone to breakouts. Load up your favorite food blog (like mine teehee) and meal prep some healthy budget meals so that you can fully enjoy your trip without stressing over money!
Pay everything in Credit Card
Just like in my previously mentioned point, paying with credit card is what all smart travellers do. My travel credit card has 0 foreign transaction fees and this has literally saved me hundreds of dollars.
Plus, I get cash back on all purchases made (free money, yippie!) and use those points towards even more travel!
Search for Flights on Kiwi.com- Budget Travel Tips
I search for all my flights on a budget website called kiwi.com. It scans the cheapest flights on the internet and compares various airlines in one place they have even cheaper prices than Expedia!
I’ve been able to snag international flights for less than $100 this way. However, I never book the tickets on their site, I just go to see what they have available and go to the actual airline’s website when I’m ready to book!
Follow a Strict Budget
When I first started solo traveling at 18, I was fresh out of waitressing. I had low funds but a mission to see the world. I made money stretch by budgeting exactly how much I would spend each day, walking instead of taking taxis, calculating travel grocery funds, and so much more.
Being a penny pinching budget backpacker has truly allowed me to see the world and I am eternally grateful for my financial discipline that I had when I was younger!
Travel to Affordable Destinations- Budget Travel Tips
This is key to saving a pretty penny on vacation or while traveling! Let’s be real, if you try to plan a budget trip to Iceland or Switzerland, you’re out of luck. However, budget traveling in Colombia or Malaysia is much more affordable and your money can stretch much further- especially if you earn in a currency with a higher value.
Earlier this year, I budgeted $2,000 for a month and a half traveling throughout 6 cities in Colombia. That included flights, transportation, food, eating out, activities, and accommodation. That’s pretty damn good if you ask me! My budget was a bit on the higher end because I met people who budgeted around $1,000 for even longer. Always make sure to support local businesses wherever you go and don’t offset the economy (I’m talking to my fellow western travellers here!)
Skip Expensive Tours, Explore yourself
When I travel, I RARELY do tours! If I’m going to do a tour- it’s always only because I can’t do it cheaper by myself! One of my favorite ways to explore is by simply walking or taking local transportation to different areas, especially in Latin America. If it’s cheaper to rent a car for a day and explore the area yourself, then do it!
Reach out to tourism boards for a paid trip!- Budget Travel Tips
This area I have less experience with but trust me, this is how some of your favorite travel influencers get paid AND flown out on free trips! If you have a social media platform, consider reaching out to a tourism board for a press/media trip request!
Before you psych yourself out and over think it, many influencers (both small and large) have gotten amazing PAID opportunities with city/country tours boards and travel for completely free!
Fly during the off season
Consider visiting certain destinations during their off season. For example, you may find a one way ticket to London from New York for around $150 in October but that same ticket will be well over $300 in the summer time.
Traveling during off season may not seem as “exciting” but it allows you to see more locals in their prime which is pretty cool! Plus, many local businesses might have more affordable prices during off season (due to less tourism) so it’s definitely a win-win situation.
Consider a work-trade- Budget Travel Tips
This is how I was able to travel the world with free accommodation my first 2 years of solo travel! I traveled using a company called Worldpackers where basically I worked a few hours per week in exchange for accommodation.
For example, when I stayed a few weeks in San Francisco, I worked at an airbnb where I only had to work 2 hours a day taking out trash and filling the dish washer. The rest of the day I could go sight seeing and do whatever I wanted!
There are many Worldpackers experiences around the world from reception work, social media, to farming! If you’re interested in Worldpackers, sign up here using my code THANKSTIFFANY for money off your membership!
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