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How to Travel the World While Still Being a Cheapskate {In the Best Possible Way}
Let's get one thing straight: being cheap doesn't mean being miserable, cutting corners that ruin your trip, or sleeping somewhere that makes you question all your life choices! For me, being a cheapskate traveler means spending money intentionally so I can travel more often, for longer, and with less stress. It means knowing where to save, where to splurge, and how to stretch a dollar without sacrificing the experience.
Over the years, I've traveled both domestically and internationally, visited places most people assume must be "expensive" and still managed to stay within a realistic budget. I'm not a luxury traveler, but I'm also not backpacking on $10 a day. I live in that sweet spot in the middle and it's honestly my favorite way to travel.
If you've ever thought, I'd love to travel more, but I just can't afford it, than this post is for you!
How to Travel the World While Still Being a Cheapskate {In the Best Possible Way}
Redefine What Affordable Means to You
One of the biggest mindset shifts you can make is realizing that everyone has a different travel style. Not everything has to look like it does on Instagram to be amazing.
Affordable travel doesn't mean five-star hotels every night, private guided tours, eating out for every single meal, and spending more time {and money!} in gift shops that at UNESCO world heritage sites.
It does mean seeking out comfortable, well-located accommodations and finding experiences that really matter to you. You can buy food that is delicious and local and you prioritize memories over stuff.
Once you stop trying to travel like you have an unlimited budget, and you have a bit of a mindset shift in your travel goals, then you can start making travel more attainable.
Travel More by Spending Less at Home
This might not be glamorous, but it's the foundation of how I afford to travel and travel often. Travel is a non-negotiable for me, so in order to make it part of our budget, you have to be intentional about how you save for it. And that just might mean spending less at home.
This past year, after hearing from one too many people that they didn't have a travel budget, I created one through a month long challenge I called Trash to Travel. After the end of the month, I had enough money saved simply from selling and reselling items I was no longer using to pay for a 10-day trip to Vietnam with flights and extras included!
I was able to fund a trip without even touching our regular travel budget!
But if reselling isn't your thing {though I know you have some items just sitting in your home that could easily turn to cash!}, you can look for other ways to save. Maybe cancel a subscription, take a hard look at your current budget and see what you can cut back on, or try a no spend month and try to see how much you can save.
There are small changes that can add up quicker than you think, mostly because you start to reevaluate their importance and it comes in the form of a mindset shift.
Be Flexible
If you want to travel cheaply, flexibility can be your superpower. There are ways to save money on travel if you have some flexibility in your schedule. Flights are often cheaper if you leave on a Thursday versus on a weekend. If you have the luxury of looking at the prices at different local airports, you might be able to save some money. But the biggest thing we do now, especially since the kids schedules are no longer a factor, is we travel in the shoulder season.
I search Google Flights a lot since airfare is usually one of the more expensive parts of travel. You can set alerts when the price goes down, and open up your search to "anywhere" and then narrow down where you want to go based on discounted airfare. I want to go everywhere, so anywhere works for me!
Pick Destinations Where Your Money Goes Further
Not all countries are created equal when it comes to travel budgets. Some places just naturally stretch your money further like parts of Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and certain regions of Ireland.
This doesn't mean that you can't travel affordably in expensive places. It just means that you need to come up with a smarter strategy. When we traveled to the Amalfi coast a few years ago, we rented a beautiful home just above the town of Positano that allowed us the incredible postcard views of the city, but at a fraction of the price because we weren't staying on that famous hillside.
We also try to balance expensive attractions with free experiences. There's a reason we do a lot of hiking on our trips! Using public transportation also helps save money, and it's usually a more efficient route anyway if you are traveling internationally.
Traveling cheaply isn't about where you go, it's more about how you go.
Accommodations: Comfortable, not Fancy
This is sometimes where my husband and I disagree. It's also a running family joke that if the kids are traveling with us, they will often ask which parent booked the accommodations! That way they know what level of comfort they can expect.
Overall, we are very intentional about where we stay. I don't need luxury {though sometimes it is nice to splurge!}, but I do need something that is clean, safe and well-located.
We often travel in guesthouses, apartments with kitchens {so we can make our own food}, and at hotels that include breakfast.
We also really enjoy staying in places where we can walk everywhere. The few times we've booked places based on access to Metros, the Metro has been closed or the system goes on strike! We don't mind raking up the miles, just wear good walking shoes!
Eat Like a Local
One of the easiest ways to overspend while traveling is food. It's also one of the easiest ways to save too! If we are renting an apartment or home with a kitchen, heck, if the hotel has a refrigerator, we will be making a stop in at the local grocery.
I LOVE local grocery stores and while people might think that it feels like a chore and less like vacation having to cook or meal plan, I feel like the money savings and the access to good clean food, is worth it.
Not only can you find local items in a grocery store you might not find elsewhere, shopping where the locals shop always makes me feel more settled. Plus, there have been a lot of times when we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere during an activity for the day, and we are grateful we packed sandwiches and snacks since there's nothing to be found. We've had some pretty epic picnic spots during our travels!
It's also often nice to enjoy food in the comfort of our rental without having to wait in long lines, and pay large amounts of money for sit-down restaurants.
Not to mention that I also always feel better eating good food I have made rather than eating out three times a day. Especially if we are traveling for several weeks in a row. Trust me, I'm not making elaborate meals, but we are saving money on food however we can.
This is also my biggest go to tip to save if you are traveling internationally:
Use Credit Cards Strategically, Not Recklessly
Credit cards can either destroy your finances or dramatically improve your travel life. I wish I could say I was better at using my rewards and travel bonuses but I'm not, so I won't be sharing any hacks there, but I will tell you that you can find and use credit cards in a way that will save you money.
We look for credit cards that offer no foreign transaction fees. We also look for credit cards that offer other travel perks like rental car insurance, travel protection and more. Some cards offer TSA pre-check and some offer airline lounge access. Just keep in mind what's important to you when you are looking to open a new card.
The key is to never carry a balance! Pay off your credit card bill every single month. Treat your credit card like a debit card and make sure you have the cash to pay for something before you use it. That way, you can get the perks without the debt.
Prioritize Experiences Over Souvenirs
Photos, memories, and stories last longer than objects and they don't clutter up your house. Maybe it's from years of going to garage sales and being a thrift shopper, but I often see coveted souvenirs from all kinds of locations being sold for next to nothing. I realized quite quickly that I prefer found objects that remind me of the place.
I have rocks from the tops of mountains, shells that hold plants, small pieces of driftwood that hold my TV remote and more! Now, there are times when I do buy things, but I've often made a goal of traveling light so I limit the space I have that's extra in my suitcase. My budget often thanks me for the limitation!
I have also been known to pay for a photo shoot while traveling as well. It's a great way to collect memories from the trip and know that you'll all be in the photo. Your photographer is also normally a local, so if you time it towards the beginning of your trip, you just might be able to pick their brain for recommendations for things to do and see and they just might show you a few places that weren't in the guidebook!
Slow Down to Save Money
Fast travel has its time and place, but it can be expensive. I also realized that as a traveler, I don't get as much joy out of moving hotels every night. If you slow down a bit, you can save time and money on transportation costs, get the most out of the hotel amenities and you'll likely have less planning stress.
It doesn't take me too many days to feel like a local after going to the same coffee shop a few days in a row! And the mom and pop who run the grocery store start recognizing you once you stop in a few times. When you slow down you can feel more connected to your destination. It also opens up your schedule so that you can discover more free local activities too!
Some of my favorite travel experiences have happened when we stopped rushing and stayed put for a few days.
Decide What's Worth Splurging On {And What's Not!}
Here's the thing, cheap travel doesn't mean you never splurge. It just means splurging on the right things! For me that might mean paying for a special tour or a meaningful experience. We always do a lot of research before we go and learn a lot about an area and the attractions. Everyone travels differently. What might be a must see for one person, is a total miss for another.
When I traveled by myself with my daughter to Paris for the first time, I knew I'd be overwhelmed trying to figure out how to use public transit after flying across the world. I paid a bit extra to take a private taxi so that I wasn't overwhelmed on arrival. Heading back to the airport after a week of using the Metro and I felt much more at ease with public transportation in Paris. Splurge when it makes sense.
When you spend intentionally and you're informed, splurges feel exciting instead of stressful!
Traveling the world doesn't require you to be rich, it just requires being intentional. Being a cheapskate {in the best possible way} allows you to reexamine your priorities, spend where it matters and cut back where it doesn't.
Travel can be done on a budget!
My life is better because of travel and my worldview is broader because of the travel experiences that I've had. You don't have to go into debt to do it. And you don't have to sacrifice comfort or feel guilty about spending money.
The best kind of travel isn't the most expensive kind! It's the kind that you get to keep doing again and again.
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