Ways to Save Money on Your Trip

Spending at the right places, and saving wherever possible, when on a vacation, is the smartest thing to do. While one usually saves up to travel there are also ways to save money while travelling. Now, let’s save you some time, and share a few tips that will most certainly help you stock up on some cash!

Travel during OFF - SEASON
The MOST important rule while budget travelling is to plan your holidays during off-season. Everything else just follows. From getting cheaper flight tickets to getting hotel rooms at cheaper rates, from getting your holidays approved easily, to escaping the ‘selfie-clicking tourists’, one cannot emphasize enough on the benefits of travelling during off-season. Just trust us on this.
Mode of Transport
“It’s about the journey, and not the destination,” said a lot many of the inspirational quotes on the internet. But isn’t that true? What’s the fun if you reach the destination in 2 hours straight, when you can cover the same distance in 20 hours with interesting company, watch different landscapes pass by, hear a few interesting stories, and pay a lot less. If time permits always choose trains, bus, and road transport over flights. However, if time is money to you, and if you intend to save on both then book tickets on an incognito window, and learn more about air miles.
Choice of Destination
Remember that grad school friend from Shillong, or your mother’s-aunt’s-son’s-daughter who stays in Kanyakumari? Don’t you think it’s time to visit them? Visiting friends, and family (ONLY the one’s you like) across the globe can be a great way to save a few pennies on accommodation, and food. Warning: Trying this with friends, and family members that you detest, can be injurious to your travel plans.
Book Hotels on the Spot
If you are travelling off-season like suggested above, then do not pre-book hotels. Reach your destination, and then get down to hunting the accommodation of your choice. Put your bargaining skills to test here. Since the business during off-season is low, you may get really good rooms at unbelievable prices. If you are a solo traveller, look for bunk bed/dormitory accommodations, camp if you can or befriend a local, and stay at his/her place.

Skip the Popular Sight-seeing Destinations
The much hyped ‘company garden’, ‘lake’ or the ‘mall road’, are in most probability a waste of your time, and money. Research about the ‘popular’ destinations much in advance, and knock down the places that are not worth it. Instead save your time, and money to explore other ‘not-so-popular’ yet beautiful places.
Try Local Food
Give up on those fries, and pizzas from the chain restaurants. Walk on the road, and stop wherever the aromas of the local food tingle your senses. Smaller towns, and villages are usually cleaner than the urban cities, which allows you to take the risk of trying out street food, which could actually be very tasty, and not to mention, easier on your pocket.
Public Transport
For travelling within the place using public transport is one of the best, and cheapest options. Public transport is a great place to meet the locals, to get to know the place, and it’s culture. Enquiring about the timings, and frequency of these services however might be a wise thing to do.
Travel with Friends
Travelling with your gang will help you save a LOT of money. You can split the room rates, the restaurant bill, the travel costs, and also have dedicated photographers to get clicked against amazing landscapes. After all, that’s what friends are for!
Carry Water Bottles
A small, and simple solution is to carry along a water bottle, and keep refilling it from the local taps. Packaged drinking water is better than tap water is just a myth (Read This). However, be careful about choosing the place from where you refill that bottle. Savings on bottled water might not be much but like they say, a penny saved is a penny earned.
Save on Money, Gain on Experience
Save up on all these little things, and utilise that money for travel experiences that you’ve craved for. Whether it is that ‘out-of-budget’ adventure sport or simply buying souvenirs for friends, and family back home.