It’s no secret that journey has gotten costlier over the previous couple of years. Post-COVID, every part feels prefer it has gotten costlier. And, with the demand for journey surpassing even pre-pandemic ranges, costs aren’t going to go down any time quickly.
Besides making issues costlier, COVID modified how to journey. Numerous firms/accommodations/hostels closed in the course of the pandemic whereas outdated strategies of saving cash grew to become out of date and new strategies got here into being.
So a lot of journey has modified that I made a decision to write a ebook it referred to as How to Travel the World on $75 a Day, a large, large replace to my outdated $50 a Day version. The ebook comprises every part you want to know on how to lower your expenses on journey and have extra genuine, native experiences.
(*10*)Ultimate Guide to Cheap Travel and Authentic Experiences in 2025
Today, I need to share 10 issues you are able to do to lower your expenses on your subsequent journey – whether or not you’re going away for 2 weeks, two months, or two years!
1. Collect factors at no cost journey
Collecting factors and miles is a smart way to journey on a funds. By getting point-yielding bank cards and utilizing a few easy methods, you may get tons of of hundreds of miles — with none further spending (you may even earn factors simply by paying your hire!). These factors can then be cashed in at no cost flights, free resort stays, and different journey rewards.
I’ve earned numerous free flights, upgrades, and resort stays from my factors and miles. By optimizing my spending and paying consideration to which playing cards earn essentially the most factors the place, I’ve saved hundreds of {dollars} — and you’ll too! This put up might help get you began!
2. Use the Sharing Economy
The sharing financial system has led to a plethora of latest money-saving and community-building platforms which have made journey much more reasonably priced, private, and accessible. It’s by no means been simpler to get off the vacationer path, join with locals, and expertise their tempo of life. I reside by these web sites after I journey! There’s no side of journey that isn’t doable with these web sites. Some of my favourite companies are:
3. Find the Free
The world is awash with superb free journey assets that may show you how to journey on a funds. No matter the place you’re going, there’s in all probability a weblog put up on what to do and see there at no cost or cheaply. Someone has been there, they usually’ve written about it! Make the most effective use of all of them to show you how to plan your journey. My favourite search time period is “free things to do in X.” You’ll at all times get a consequence!
Additionally, don’t be afraid to stroll into a hostel — even in the event you aren’t staying there — and ask them what to do for reasonable. Their clientele is budget-sensitive, so that they at all times know what to do and the place to go for little cash.
4. Stick to Public Transportation
If you’re on a funds, skip the taxis and rideshares. Unless you may decrease your price by sharing a experience with different passengers, public transportation goes to be essentially the most cost-effective manner to get round. Not solely will it prevent cash however you’ll get to see how the locals journey too.
Google Maps often may give you a primary overview of the general public transportation choices and costs obtainable. You can discover details about day passes and/or multi-day passes out of your native hostel/resort employees (in addition to from native tourism workplaces).
5. Visit the Local Tourism Office and Get a Tourism Card
Local vacationer workplaces are a wealth of data. They exist solely to offer you info on what to see and do. They usually have tons of reductions not discovered anyplace else and can even maintain you up to date on native occasions, free excursions, and the most effective spots to eat. After all, they’re staffed by individuals who reside in the vacation spot to allow them to provide you with a lot of suggestions on how to get off the vacationer path.
Moreover, most of them provide metropolis tourism playing cards that may enable you to get you admittance into the main sights for one low value. They are a useful manner to lower your expenses in the event you plan to do a lot of sightseeing.
6. Get Cheap Accommodation
Accommodation is among the largest mounted prices vacationers have, so lowering that price can lead to huge financial savings on the street. I’m certain many backpackers would sleep in a barn if it have been the most affordable lodging they might discover!
Since you’ve got to keep someplace each night time, lowering this expense can prevent a lot of cash off the full price of your journey. Stay in hostels, use Couchsurfing, keep in empty college dorms, camp, or attempt an Airbnb.
7. Follow the Five Block Rule
Use the five-block rule. There appears to be this magical wall that surrounds vacationer areas. Most folks don’t go previous it. It’s been my expertise that in the event you stroll 5 blocks in any route from a main vacationer space, you find yourself dropping the crowds and discovering the native eating places.
In my expertise, vacationer eating places don’t care about high quality since these vacationers aren’t coming again. Residents do care so locations catering to them want to be higher — and extra reasonably priced – or they exit of enterprise. Those are the locations you need to eat at. Use the above assets to discover the place the locals eat and keep away from crappy meals!
8. Travel Like You Live
The majority of individuals in your locations don’t spend a lot of cash per day like vacationers do. Neither do you in your day-to-day life. Take that mentality with you. Walk, take public transportation, grocery store, spend a day in a park, and search for offers. Do the stuff you do at dwelling every single day to maintain your prices down.
Too many individuals get into this mindset that after they go on the street, they only have to spend, spend, spend, spend. That’s not true in any respect. There’s no regulation that claims you’ve got to spend extra. Be sensible together with your funds — identical to you might be at dwelling. That will show you how to lower your expenses and stop you from going dwelling early (and broke).
9. Take Free Walking Tours
Want to be taught in regards to the metropolis, get your bearings, and see the main sights? Take a free strolling tour. You can discover them in most main cities — simply ask the native vacationer workplace, your hostel employees, or Google “free walking tour (city name).”
You’ll get a strong introduction to town whereas additionally getting entry to a native information you may ask questions to. I at all times begin my visits to a new metropolis with one. Just make certain to tip your information on the finish (that’s how they receives a commission). Here’s a listing of all my favourite strolling excursions world wide (organized by metropolis).
10 Become a Housesitter!
If you’re on a tight funds, you may pet and home sit for fellow journey lovers after they go on their very own holidays! In alternate, you’ll get free lodging whilst you’re watching their dwelling and pets (animal care is concerned 99% of the time).
This is a smart way to journey long-term, with an essential added bonus: you get a kitchen to prepare dinner your meals (which saves you much more cash!).
You may also usually get entry to a car and typically will likely be left a tip or free groceries. It’s typically people who find themselves properly sufficient off that they will afford multi-month holidays, so that you’re often in fairly good houses and residences too! The finest website for that is Trusted Housesitters.
How to Travel the World on $75 a Day
It could also be a lot more durable to journey on a funds however by being versatile, getting inventive, and embracing the correct mindset, you’ll give you the option to journey with out spending a fortune. (And you may take a look at my ebook for much more suggestions!)
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