For many, travelling is seen as a a luxury only enjoyed by the rich and famous. It involves staying in hotels, eating out and enjoying shopping trips galore.
However, you can literally travel the world for virtually nothing. All you need to know are some insider secrets. By preparing beforehand and being savvy whilst travelling, you can see the world on a budget.
Without further ado, here are some top tips for travelling the world on the cheap.
Before you leave:
Before you embark on your journey of a lifetime it's important to have some sort of savings no matter how little it may be. If you're struggling to gather some money there are a number of measures you can take to get money together quickly.
1. Save money by bringing in your own lunch/coffee
By packing your own sambo you will save a tonne of money. If you spend an average of €5 for your lunch, five days a week, you could save up to €600 over six months. That's a chunk of your spending money sorted.
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2. Sell your unwanted stuff
This may seem an obvious one but your useless crap may be of serious value to someone else. Websites like Depop for clothes, and Ebay and Gumtree for everything in between can give you some quick cash.
3. Take extra shifts in work
You need to do a bit of sacrificing in order to have as much cash as possible for your trip. By doing an extra shift here and there you will seriously notice the difference in your bank account.
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During your travels:
If you find yourself low on cash there are a few savvy ways to keep your budget low and even travel for free. From flights to accommodation, by making use of these tips you can save hundreds of euros.
1. Work as you're travelling
This is an obvious one that a lot of people never think of. Places like hostels are constantly looking for staff and are a great way to save money on the go. They normally offer free board and food which will save you a ridiculous amount of money and is also a great way to meet new people.
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2. Make use of free accommodation
Websites like couchsurfing.com and globalfreeloaders.com allow you to literally stay in someone else's home completely for free. This will save you a tonne of money and just like working in hostels, allows you to meet some really interesting people.
3. Keep a budget notebook
This is so important. By keeping track of everything you spend, you will physically be more aware of what your budget is and you'll learn to keep your cost of living down. There's also no better feeling than not spending a cent in an entire day and treating yourself to a delicious cocktail. #priorites
4. Getting the cheapest flights
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This part may have to be planned before you head. By purchasing your flights around three months before you head off, you'll have access to the best deals. Airlines check seats for flights around this time and have a tendency to drop prices – success. It's also worth it to check out google/flights and skyscanner as they'll compare the cheapest flights to your destination.
5. Cook your own meals
By checking beforehand if your hostel has a kitchen you can save a crazy amount of money. By grabbing ingredients in a supermarket you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner sorted for a week. Make this even cheaper by splitting the ingredients with others.
6. Take advantage of free stopovers
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By asking your airline to extend your stopover you can travel a country you weren't expecting to for free.
7. Finally...choose where you travel wisely
If for example, you compare the cost of living in Sweden to Cambodia you'll notice a huge difference. By choosing to travel to areas where the cost of living is low, you'll stretch your money much further.
