7 Money Saving Tips to Travel on a Budget


These are the money-saving tips that saved us

a lot of our hard earned cash during our travels







7 money saving tips to travel on a budget

7 money saving tips to travel on a budget

Most people, including us, are in the working middle class.

And evidently, not everyone can afford to travel overseas and even so, it will be far from luxurious.

Since I’ve adopted a frugal lifestyle, my husband and I decided to travel on a budget since the last 3 years.

And the result?

My oh my, we’ve been able to travel to so many countries from our small income.

money saving tips for travel on a budget

money saving tips for travel on a budget


Why do you need to save while traveling?


We all know this. Airplane tickets aren’t cheap. Period.

Try Google-ing the cost of an air ticket from Chicago to Pattaya in Thailand for example. Yup, now you know it.

Because of that, we decided to travel on a budget no matter where we go.

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First things first, you need to save every penny you can afford to, if you are really committed to travel and discover the wonders out in the world.

The reason is that, even if you apply my money saving tips, you will still incur the basic expenses (air tickets, food, accomodation, to name the very least).

Trust me, you don’t want an empty bank account when you return home. It sucks!

Nowadays, technology has made our lives easier.

If you’re reading this, then you were searching on Google or Pinterest or other search tools on the Internet.

This inter-connectivity allows us to search for the best fares, choose alternative accommodations to the traditional expensive hotels or look for the value for money restaurants and eateries.

Yes, you can save more money if you plan your travel well.

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Now, I’m gonna tell you my favorite tips that you can use to save more money while traveling.

These tips are being used by all travel enthusiasts who care about getting the best bang for their buck.

Our last travel was to experience the wonders of Japan. And I will say Japan is not cheap.

Not cheap is an understatement. Lol.

Therefore, we used these 7 tips that you can adopt also when you need to travel to countries like Japan or anywhere else.


How to save money while traveling?


Tip #1 Withdraw your money from the ATM rather than money changer. ATM rates are proven better than money changer rates.

money saving tips for travel on a budget

When we arrived in Japan, the first thing that we wanted to do is to withdraw some cash.

We look around the airport for a money changer counter but it was closed and the only choice left was an ATM.

We decided to withdraw from the ATM and discovered it was actually cheaper, in terms of exchange rates, to withdraw from the ATM than from the money changer.

But I’m not saying that all the ATM have good rates.

Different countries and bank ATMs have different currency rates and charges, which may influence your final exchange rate.

Instead, do this… Locate the nearest ATM and withdraw some money from there at the airport.

Then, compare your rate to the one from the Money Changers.

Chances are you’ll get a much sweeter deal with the ATM rate.

You will be able to get more cash exchanged from your hard earned savings and lose less in the process.


Tip #2 Buying foods at 7-Eleven or other mini-marts.

money saving tips for travel on a budget

I love, love, love mini-markets like 7-Eleven or Family Mart in Japan. Not only in Japan but in general.

Why? Because they sell everything. Makeup, medicine, food, drink, ready to eat food, and many more. Ready to eat food is what I love the most, especially for breakfast. When you need to go early and you need to grab something quickly, then mini-marts are your go-to.

They sell popular foods that locals like to buy, it’s a great option if you like to try unique foods and it’s a cheap option to eat!

Another option you can try is to eat local street food, you’ll experience the taste of local foods without spending lots of money. 


Tip #3 Going to places with buses, trains or Uber.

money saving tips for travel on a budget

Another benefit of taking buses or trains besides saving money is you’ll be healthy because you’ll walk more.

In Japan, you need to walk a lot to take public transportation, I mean like a lot but it’s good for exercise because you can eat more delicious food throughout the travel! At least, That’s what I thought!

Another great transportation is Uber. Nowadays, Uber is everywhere and mostly used in Asia countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and many more.

When we’re in Japan, we wanted to try Uber but it’s quite costly so we decided to take trains to travel around the city and overnight buses for intercity. 

If you wanted to travel to Asia Countries, you can definitely try Uber! Download Uber App on Play Store HERE or iTunes HERE.


Tip #4 Stay in Airbnb or book your stay via Agoda.

money saving tips for travel on a budget

This is the new method we used while traveling. The first time we tried Airbnb is when we travel to Japan and it was super good! We did not expect something glamorous but it was a nice stay and you can experience local accommodations at a low price. Isn’t that great?

If you’re signing up through my special link, you’ll be able to get $25 for Airbnb credit that you can use whenever you want to book your first stay.

As far as we know Agoda is already established for a long time. But what you can get from Agoda is you can try to find a cheaper option than Airbnb depends on where you’ll stay.

For example, we found a good place where you can actually enjoy a good stay in Mauritius. When we first found this place, we don’t really expect anything. But after staying for 3 nights, we do really enjoy the private getaway they offer and free service to use a kayak and you’ll see a waterfall straight in front of your eyes! 

Check out Evazion if you want a small getaway with your spouse or family.


Tip #5 Buy attractions through Klook.

how to save money travel on a budget

Klook offers a simple way to discover activities, attractions and things to do wherever you travel. You can discover and book in-destination services at the best prices. Here what you can buy through Klook:

  • Car rentals
  • Attractions
  • Renting a wi-fi router or SIM card
  • Day Tours, etc

What we love from Klook:

  • Great price offer, this is the number one reason why we recommended Klook,
  • Great customer service, once we have a complicated situation with a SIM card and they respond it quick and thorough,
  • Paperless voucher, you can even go to attraction by just showing the voucher through the Klook app on your phone.

Previously, Klook only available in Asia countries but now they have expanded quite worldwide. If you’re planning to travel on a budget then you definitely need to try Klook!


6. Add LINE official account of big brands on places you want to travel to.

money saving tips for travel on a budget

LINE is quite big in Asia countries like Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Jakarta and many more. LINE is a messenger app similar to Whatsapp but usually used by big brands for more personal promotion.

If you add the official account of brands for food, fashion, malls, etc on your account, you’ll be notified directly if they’re having a promo. Nothing more exciting than getting discounts on your favorite item, right?

If you are planning to travel to Asia countries then you can try to install the LINE app on your phone to get more promotional events when you’re traveling. Install LINE app through Play Store or Apple Store.


7. Buy promo tickets in advance.

money saving tips for travel on a budget

One thing that you need to do also is buying the ticket in advance. We always look around for promo tickets on where we will go. Signing up for some airline newsletter can help you in getting the notification when there’s a promo.

What I will suggest is to check 6 months to 1 year before you’re going to travel so you will know what price they’ll offer. This is what we do to help us manage our travel expenses. If you already buy the first ticket then it’ll be easier to do a budget for your accommodation, food, transportation and etc.

My favorite website to look for the cheapest ticket price is Skyscanner. Skyscanner helps you find lots of prices from different airlines and it will recommend you from the cheapest price to the most expensive ones. You can try to find the best price you want and what kind of airlines you want with Skyscanner.

That is it! Hopefully, these money-saving tips can help you to save you more money while you’re traveling because this is what we personally do. Want to know travel hacks and tips we used to travel light and still fashionable? Read my post on 11 Smart Travel Hacks and Tips You’ll Regret not Knowing.

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Check out my posts for more money tips:

Leave a comment if you like these tips and what other tips that you used to travel on a budget? 

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