Budget Travel Hacks

The three biggest expenses when it comes to traveling are ACCOMMODATIONS, FLIGHTS, and FOOD. Your finances don’t have to restrict your travel! Here are some hacks for creatively cutting down these expenses significantly.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The most expensive part of traveling, by far, is hotel rooms. Most people stop traveling altogether when they can't drop $200/night on a room. We didn’t!  Here are some of our favorite alternatives:

• CAMP

  • Camping is cheap. We’ve camped everywhere from the Sequoia National Forest to Atlantic City New Jersey! Just make sure you book a campground with a shower.

• HOSTEL

  • Hostels are a great dorm-style option if you’re traveling solo and need a place to crash. It’s also a great place to make adventure friends!

• AIRBNB

  • Select the ‘private room’ option and stay with locals!

• HOTELS

  • If you do end up just getting a hotel room, a fun way to save money is to travel with a bunch of friends and split the bill. 

FOOD

Eating out on the road is usually our second largest travel expense! 

• PRE-PREP YOUR MEALS

  • Meal prep for your trip at home! Pack a bunch of sandwiches, and bring them with you in a cooler. 

• GO GROCERY SHOPPING

  • Instead of restaurant hopping, try stopping at the grocery store. Even if you just cook breakfast and lunch, you’ll cut your food expenses in half!

• EAT PIZZA

  • Pizza’s cheap. So are street vendors (unless you’re in NYC…)

TRAVEL 

• PLAN

  • Plan your trip ahead and try to book flights 2 months in advance and fly on aTuesday! Why? Because nobody flies on Tuesdays so it is cheaper.

• USE APPS

  • Use apps like skyscanner, hopper and google flights to find the cheapest flights. You can also keep your destination open ended if your travel plans are flexible to find the best deals.

• DRIVE

  • Driving is fun and cheaper than flying most of the time! Bring a group of friends and split the gas.