People tend to put their desires for travel on hold because they don't think it's affordable. With the prices of plane tickets, resorts and city restaurants, it's no wonder why many believe that travel is not obtainable. The truth is though, that travel can be extremely cheap if you are willing to open up your mind and change the way that you think about it. If you are willing to consider some travel options that you may not have thought of before, here are just a few ways that you can make travel more affordable.
Travel With a Small Group
Large groups of people traveling together can be the beginnings of a terrible time. However, traveling in a small group of three to four can be a great time while costing you less. With more people in tow, you can split costs which will cut overall expenses way down. For example, I took a road trip from Pennsylvania to Niagra Falls as a group of four and split the price of gas, tolls, hotel rooms and food. We were able to stay at a Marriot Hotel overlooking the falls for only $44 a person per night. The more people, sometimes the less money you have to spend.
Don't Ball Out
If you go into every trip looking like it's a grand vacation, you are more likely to spend a lot of money. Don't tell yourself that you "deserve" an expensive restaurant for every meal, the most expensive hotel room or overly priced cocktails at the night club. If you want to travel more and do the things that really matter in getting to know a new destination, don't ball out.
Be Intentionally Frugal
Alongside with not frivolously spending, you should be intentionally frugal while taking trips. I once visited London and Scotland with $400 worth of spending money and ended up coming home with $200 of it. What did I do? I had gone to a grocery store before leaving for London and packed my suitcase with granola bars and snacks. Once in my destination, I managed to eat my snacks the whole day until dinner, hardly spending any money on meals at all. I only visited the free museums and spent money on things that I really wanted to do. I had a great time and still didn't spend much.
Go Where You Know People
Have you thought about going to visit that second cousin you have in Miami? If so, you should probably act on it. Hotels can be a huge cost when it comes to traveling so to cut that out completely by staying with someone you know is ideal. Even if your friend from college is living in some small town in Idaho, it's a free place to stay in a new destination that could be quite interesting if given the chance.
Search For Coupons & Discounts
They're out there guys and by putting in just a little bit of grunt work, you can find them. On a recent family vacation to Australia, using an Expedia coupon helped me obtain discounts for all sorts of things from airlines and hotels to car rentals and activities. Search the internet for websites that scan the internet to bring you these deals all in one place. The research probably will be well worth your time in savings.
Experiment With Alternative Travel Methods
These aren't for everyone, but definitely worth checking out. In fact, some people prefer these alternative methods as they can make travel feel different, interesting and more rewarding. Many of these methods lead to cheaper travel too so that they are beneficial all the way around. Try ways to stay somewhere for free like WOOFING or HelpEx, both programs where you do some kind of work for room and board. You could also try house and pet sitting, home swaps and Couchsurfing, a website that connects travelers who are offering up their homes and couches to others.