How to Travel on a Budget

Looking to travel on a budget? It can be done! Learn how to travel on a budget, all about saving money while you are traveling, tips and tricks to make your budget vacation (with or without kids) rock!

Whether you travel a lot or a little, chances are you want to save money. Saving a few pennies here and there as you travel means sticking to a budget. Check out these ideas for traveling on a strict budget.

Decide on Your Budget

Before you travel, decide upon your budget.

Sit down with pen and paper and figure out how much money you will need for your trip. You will need to account for gas, accommodations, food, and any other incidentals.

Once you have figure up those expenses, add 10 percent to that figure.

That’s your budget for your trip.

Take Food With You

Eating out during a trip can become very expensive.

Even cheap fast food can bust your budget.

Instead of eating out for every meal, take food with you.

You can take snacks and drinks for the drive and even boxed dinners to cook meals at your destination if there is a kitchen available. Take a cooler with ice to keep some food and drinks cold along the way.

While you may not want to eat this way for every meal, it will offer you a good savings and allow you to splurge on a dinner out during your trip.

Keep Your Vehicle in Top Shape for Better Gas Mileage

Have your vehicle serviced before your trip to make sure it is in the good condition and will get the best gas mileage possible. Check your owner’s manual for recommended tire pressures and make sure your tires are properly inflated.

Over inflated or under inflated tires can affect your gas mileage.

Remember to follow the speed limit and don’t do sudden starts and stops.

All of these things can suck up your gas and downgrade your gas mileage.

Start Planning Early

While you are planning your trip, call the hotel, resort, or time share you will be staying and ask about any discounts they can offer. Some hospitality services will offer special discounts on attraction tickets for guests.

In most cases, the earlier you book, the better rate you’ll receive (but not in ALL cases…see the next tip!)

(Use your calendar to mark important dates for booking purposes. Erin Condren Planners are the BEST! )

Ask for Discounts

Be sure to also ask about special discounts on accommodations. You may qualify for a senior discount, a military discount, or a special promotion discount.

Don’t be afraid to ask for discounts off of prices you are quoted. Once you are quoted a price for your stay, ask if they can offer you a better price than that.

Call a week or so before you leave to see if any additional discounts have popped up. It doesn’t hurt to ask and the worst thing they can do is tell you no.

Don’t let a tight budget scare you away from a trip and don’t think that a budget-friendly trip can’t be fun.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy your trip without breaking the bank. Plan accordingly so you can stick to your budget. Ask for discounts and you might be surprised at how much money you can actually save.