3 Hacks To Travel Cheap

Do you often imagine yourself taking a cruise in the Bahamas? Or visiting the Eiffel Tower just so you could add charms to your bracelet? Or watching the sunset on a deserted beach in Hawaii? I know it can't be just me! Well, if you answered yes to any of the above-mentioned questions, Congratulations, my friend because you've been bitten by the travel bug. Now, all you have to do is either find yourself a chatty blue genie or work hard for another 25 years, so you could gather sufficient resources to fulfil your globe-trotting dreams. To which I feel, finding a blue gas giant would be far easier.

But, because it’s the 21st century and we have solutions to almost every problem, we have a bunch of hacks which will let you ramble the world without burning a hole in your pocket.

1. Travel off-season

Flight tickets can be really expensive and I'm certain that you wouldn't want to squander your life savings just on the journey, right? So, the smarter choice would be to travel in the off-peak season. The fares are low, the destination is not jam-packed with people and you get great deals everywhere. It's a win-win situation!

Besides that, try to book in your flight tickets as early as possible to get the minimum fare and redeem bonus points, if any. Fly economy class and try to carry your own snack, rather than splurging on a mid-air bland meal.

Also, keep your baggage minimal so as to avoid getting overcharged by the airlines. You need to save every penny so that you could make the most out of your trip.

2. Live the Local life

If you genuinely want to experience the place you're visiting, I would highly recommend you to live there like a local! Discover authentic new cuisines by dining at local eateries rather than spending your hard-earned dollars on the unvarying hotel food. Similarly, don't go shopping to popular apparel retailers, instead explore the streets and find out the ethos of the destination. You could also try bargaining and there's a good chance that you'll get the desired souvenir for half the price.

Apart from that, you could make use of the amazing deals which Airbnb has to offer for their travellers and live in a lodge or a hostel rather than a 5-star hotel.

While you're at it, try to cover short distances by walking and using public transport. There’s absolutely no better way to explore a new place than to ramble around, capturing photographs for your travel scrapbook and talking to absolute strangers about their life and experiences.

3. Be Resilient

Well, a lot of times on the trip, things won't happen as you planned them to be, hence, it is of utmost importance that you make yourself versatile enough to adapt to changes. Apply the famous quote, " When life gives you lemons, make lemonade", and make the most out of every situation. A lot of times, you will have to struggle with the weather, language, food, currency, transport and etc, but what is extremely important is that you remind yourself of the reason why you're doing this and how much you learnt from it.

Once you're ready to become adaptable to your surroundings, nothing can come between you and your gallivanting dreams. So, all you need is a little bit of planning, research and some savings to embark on a brand-new adventure every year. After all the hard work you put in, don't you think you owe yourself one?

“And then there is the most dangerous risk of all — the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” – Randy Komisar