SamMany of us aspire to travel the world, but unfortunately are often faced with the challenge of affording to live the lavish travel life. However, there are many accessible ways to travel on a budget and still have an unforgettable experience.
1. Travel through a work exchange
Traveling through a work exchange is a great way to minimize living costs while traveling. Companies such as Worldpackers, WWOOF, and WorkAway, allow travelers from all over the globe to connect with local communities and small businesses. These companies compile together a variety of ‘hosts’ that you can connect with to do a wide range of tasks in exchange for accommodation and food. The type of work, amount of work, and accommodation provided, along with other specificities differ for each hosts. Some programs require as little as 15 hours of work per week, in exchange for all accommodation and meals being provided. With such little time being dedicated to work, the rest of your time (and money) can be spent doing whatever your heart desires in your dream destination.
Additionally, if you are looking for long-term travel options, this is a great option to consider when on a budget. These work exchange placements typically allow for travelers to spent weeks, or even months at a time with their host. You are able to really experience the destination and the local culture. And since accommodation and food is provided, your limited budget can allow you to stay longer than a ‘typical’ vacation would. It’s an amazing way to see the world for people looking to travel on a budget, but still want to fully experience everything the destination has to offer.
2. Skyscanner
Let’s say you know exactly where you want to travel to, but you don’t care when you travel, you just want to stay within your budget. Or maybe you want a random adventure and don’t have a preference on where you travel, you just want it to be affordable. Skyscanner is exactly the solution if you are looking to travel on a budget. There are so many ways to use this platform to your advantage when on a budget.
Skyscanner allows you to easily search and monitor the entire web for budget friendly flights. Whether it be for a specific destination, timeframe, or if you want to explore the cheap options, Skyscanner is very adaptable and a great tool for finding affordable flights. Just enter where you are flying out of, the destination of choice (and yes, ‘everywhere’ is an option for the open-minded), and the dates or timeframe, and then let Skyscanner work it’s magic. Boom! You have the best budget flight options for a perfect vacation.
3. Seasonal Work
If you don’t already have a career you are committed to, seasonal work is one of the best ways to travel on a budget. It may seem like no fun, since it is part work, and not all fun and games, however, I promise the benefits are very much worth it.
In many towns with seasonal tourism, there is a reliance on an influx of workers to help them operate during the busy season. Often times companies offer an incentive to travel and work for them for a period of time, including free room and board in addition to your pay rate. With the elimination of living costs, it makes it much more feasible to use your time in this new place to travel and explore on a budget.
Additionally, a secret of the tourism industry is that marketing is essential, but typically this takes the form of incredible excursions at an incredibly reduced (or free!) cost. From free kayaking tours and zip-lining, to whale watching and flight-seeing. It is absolutely incredible the opportunities you will be given at such a low cost for being affiliated with the tourism industry.
Theres plenty of job boards out there for seasonal workers, but the best ones I recommend are Coolworks and Occupation Wild.
4. Hostels
Hostels are by far the best way to budget your living costs when traveling. For prices near $10-$20/night, you will have a place to stay with a variety of amenities. Hostels range significantly in how luxurious they are, as well as the amenities they include, but there are typically a lot of options available regardless of your destination, leaving the choice up to you. And while a large range of people stay at hostels, there is often a number of solo travelers, making hostels a great way to meet new people in new places.
My favorite website to browse for hostels in any location around the world is Hostelworld. It makes the process of finding a hostel in your budget and with the right amenities an easy process.
5. Travel Rewards Credit Cards
If you are gonna spend your money anyways, why not open a travel rewards credit card and have your money work for you? There are a bounty of travel rewards card out there, but each of them offers rewards in the form of points for flights, hotels, and more! If you are financially able to, I definitely recommend researching rewards cards that might work for you, and applying to your favorite.
