Travellers think a lot when they travel. A common one is how to entertain themselves between flights – some choose to do jigsaw puzzles, others listen to music, and still others play casino games. The latter option has become increasingly popular with travellers, especially when it comes to real money casinos, as they offer variety and convenience. Once you have figured out how to play games while waiting for your plane, many people start thinking about how to save money. And if that is on your mind, we have some ideas that you will love:
Saving money while travelling
The excitement of travelling is so great that many people jump right in and deal with the consequences later. But you can have your cake and eat it too by making sure you stay within your financial means by making the following choices:
1. Have a strict budget
Tourists often come across many tempting things – attractions, restaurants, souvenirs, etc. And if you do not know how much to spend, it is easy to keep swiping your card. By the time you get home, you may have spent twice as much as you could afford. You can avoid this by making the following simple decisions:
Work out what you can afford: Look at your finances and work out how much you can spend on a trip without breaking the bank, e.g. you can spend $1,000.
Stick to that budget: Find accommodation, tickets and activities that fit your budget. For example, you can spend $400 on airfare, $300 on accommodation and $300 on food and activities.
Remember to include a 10% contingency to cover unexpected costs.
2. Book your flight early
Have you ever heard of surge pricing? It often affects travellers who book their tickets close to their travel dates. Airlines price tickets based on supply and demand. So the closer you are to your departure, the more demand there is for tickets and the more you will pay. You may pay $500 for a ticket, but the person next to you paid $300! The easiest way to avoid this is to book your ticket months in advance.
3. Avoid high seasons
Many people travel during the high season, often targeting the summer months. Following this trend will hurt your wallet in the following ways:
Airfares will be higher, whether you book early or not,Accommodation will be harder to find, so you will pay more than at other times of the year, andTourist attractions will cost more due to demand.
In addition, getting a bargain will take a lot of work as most tour operators will have many people requesting their services. An easy way to avoid this fate is to travel in the low season, when there are more options at lower prices.
4. Try hostels
If you look at the cost of your trip, you will find that a significant percentage is spent on accommodation. Your whole trip could cost $2,000 and $1,000 could be just for bed and breakfast. You can save money by staying in a hostel, which has many advantages:
They are cheaper because you often share facilities with other guests,They are generally safer because they are communal, where guests respect and look out for each other,They are a great place to meet people and can be your base for travel as you can join group tours and save money, andTheir owners will often tell you where to go, where to eat and what to do at reasonable prices.You can spend half of what you would have spent in a hotel and still have a great time.
5. Get insured
The most important thing for a budget traveller is good travel insurance. It helps you cover unexpected costs such as injury, illness and baggage loss. And if you don’t have to worry about these costs, you can feel more relaxed about living on a tight budget.
Comparing your options can also help you assess what gives you the best value for money, for example when eating out.