Tips for Traveling on a Budget

If you've read my earlier articles, you probably know me well enough by now to know that travel is a priority for me. It wasn't always, but I learned years ago to stop putting off the things that are important to my family. And while exploring the world (or the world around you) is a great thing to do for yourself, I know it's often easier said than done. But here's the thing: if you want to do it, you have to find a way. I'm not being glib, and let me assure you that I have never received free travel from this or any other blog. I have to pay for my vacations the same way everyone else does. I'm just speaking from my own experience, because life is often shorter than we realize. So let's talk about ways to help make traveling easier on a smaller budget.

All the things

Finding the Cheapest Airline Tickets

The best tips for traveling on a budget ideally include finding cheaper airline tickets. This is often the the most expensive part of your trip, but there are deals to be found. Check out these tips for finding affordable flights:

• Fly During the Week: Flying on the weekends is more expensive than traveling mid-week. Flying on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday can save you as much as 20% on domestic flights and about 12% on international flights.

• Choose the Layover Flight: Taking a nonstop flight is faster, but the convenience comes at a cost. Choosing a flight with at least one layover can save you about 20% on your ticket cost. That adds up, especially when you combine it with weekday travel discounts.

• Book Tickets in Advance: Booking flights and accommodations in advance often leads to significant savings. Many airlines and hotels offer lower rates for early bookings. Booking flights 21 - 60 days in advance is usually cheapest, so planning ahead can really pay off!

• Last-Minute Deals: On the other hand, sometimes waiting until the last minute can get you some great discounts on flights and hotels. Companies try to fill open seats and hotel rooms as dates get closer, so your spontanaety and flexibility can really pay off! Try a travel site like Priceline or Skyscanner that specializes in last-minute deals.

• Book One-Way Flights Instead of Round Trip: If you're willing to sacrifice the convenience of booking round trip, you may be able to save money on the cost of your flights by booking individual one-way trips. Just book through different airlines for the best prices on the days you plan on flying. For example, it might be cheaper to fly American to your destination, while Delta has the best price when flying home.

  
  

Let's go!

Membership Discounts

Organizations like AAA and AARP do a good job of letting their members know they can get discounts on train tickets, hotel rooms, cruises, and other businesses. But you may qualify for discounts you don't even know about. For example:

• Costco Travel: Do you have a Costco membership? You can use Costco Travel to book flights, hotels, cruises, and rental cars. I've rented cars through them twice (so far), and each time I saved over $200 compared to the cost of booking through the rental car company. They also let me add my husband as a second driver for no extra charge and offered a vehicle upgrade for a greatly reduced price.

• Teachers and Military Personnel: Many businesses offer discounts for military members, veterans, and teachers. But here's the thing: they may not advertise those discounts, which means you won't know about them unless you ask for it. Don't be afraid to ask if they offer a discount before you pay. More often that not, I've been told yes. We even got a military discount on our hotel room in Edinburgh.

• Travel Rewards Credit Cards: If you use it responsibly, a credit card with travel rewards can be a good way to lower the cost of travel. You can earn points to use for hotels, airline tickets, and more. In addition, many cards offer bonus points when you sign up. Some also have added benefits when you use them for travel purchases, such as free travel insurance, luggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and more. I got a Marriott rewards visa years ago because we regularly stay in a Courtyard when we visit my sister, and it helps us build more points for free hotel stays. I use the card only to autopay regular monthly bills, and then pay the credit card bill in full each month. The points add up fast and have provided us with so many free hotel rooms over the years. I also recently discovered I can use the points for other benefits like airline tickets or to renew TSA Precheck.

More Budget Travel Tips

There are also other ways to save money and still have a great vacation, if you're able to plan ahead and think a little outside the box.

• Hostels: Many people probably think of hostels as being for college kids or backpackers, and they're definitely a hostel's key demographics. I stayed in a couple of hostels when I was in my 20s and they were...fine. But there's been a change in hostelling in the past few years, and they might surprise you now. This is especially true in Europe, where hostels have always been very popular for budget-conscious travelers. There are even family-friendly hostels, although many are still only for 18 and over, so you'll need to do your research before planning a family trip. There are also hostels in the US and Canada, but overall they're more widely available in Europe. They're typically much cheaper than hotels, plus they offer a kitchen where you can cook your own meals and common areas with games so you can meet and socialize with other travelers. They could be a great option to make a European vacation more affordable.

• Travel Off-Season: Whenever possible, I avoid traveling during the summer months, which is typically peak vacation season. Not only is every place more crowded during the summer, travel costs are also higher because demand is high. I've found that traveling during winter or early spring is such a game-changer because there are no crowds of tourists and the travel prices are cheaper. (Obviously I'm not talking about ski vacations, LOL!) But also keep in mind that certain holidays and local events can also cause higher travel costs, so plan your dates accordingly.

• Plan Ahead and Pay in Advance: This is especially helpful when you're planning a big (i.e., expensive) trip. Ideally, by planning several months in advance, you have time to buy and pay for things ahead of time. You can buy airline tickets far in advance for best prices, then book your hotel, hostel, or home rental, then decide what sites or events you want to see and buy those tickets, and so on. That way you don't have to pay for everything all at once, which can make the costs much easier to manage. Ideally, by the time you leave for your vacation, the big-ticket items have already been purchased so the only costs left are what you need on the actual trip (food, souvenirs, local travel, etc.).

• Explore Close to Home: You don't have to go far away to visit beautiful places and have a great time. Every state has wonderful places to visit, and we often don't take the time to enjoy them. In my state, I can be at the ocean in 4 hours or the mountains in 2 hours. There are also cultural sites and events all over the state, plus music festivals and seasonal events year round. A quick internet search will show you what's going on right in your own state, and you might be surprised.

  
  

  

  Old Salem, NC with a view of the Winston-Salem skyline

I hope these tips help you and maybe inspire you to take that trip you've been putting off. If travel is something you want to do, then I truly hope you find ways to make it happen. If one of these tips helped you, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

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