10 Ways to Save Money While Traveling

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Top 10 Ways to Save Money While Traveling

Lets face it, traveling can be expensive. Every time I book a trip I hold a moment of silence for my depleting bank account. And while I've been to a lot of places and haven't (completely) destroyed my savings account, I still like to travel on the cheap so that I have some money to go home to. So here are some ways that I have learned to save money.


10. Be cheap when calling: when abroad, I won't call my parents or send them text messages. Instead I will send them emails or FaceTime with them by using free internet. Don't spend the money on international phone plans if you can communicate with the internet.

9. Eat their food: usually, when you order things that you know, they are going to be more expensive. But when you eat what the city specializes in, it's going to be cheaper. And it's a win win, you save money and get to experience the culture of the region.

8. Street food: I love street food because it is usually very good and a lot cheaper than a restaurant. It also allows you to try bits and pieces of things, rather than commit to one entrée.

7. Grocery stores: if you know that you are going to be in a city for a few days, hit up the local grocery store to buy breakfast rather than eat out every morning. You can also buy things for lunch if you only want one true meal in the city. Like at home, making your own food is always cheaper than eating out.

6. Public Transportation: this is the cheapest way to travel in a city. Obviously walking is free, but sometimes the distances are too big to see everything that you want in an amount of time. So use the transportation. Buy the best deal passes for the amount of time that you will be there and usually you will have access to all means of public transportation.

Street food is the cheapest, like these croquettas in Spain

5. City Passes: these are great because not only do they give you discounts on the majority of sites that you want to see but you can also skip the line. Gotta love that part! Did I mention how much money you can save? There's things like the London Pass, the Paris Pass, there's practically one for every major city.

4. Cheap hotels: I learned this trick from my grandma. You find the nicest hotels in the city and then you book a cheaper hotel right next door. That way you save a lot of money but you're in a nice area. Usually nearby there are a few B&Bs and hostels, which usually have private rooms as well as dorms.

3. Travel light: paying for baggage fees is not worth the money. Sometimes it's cheaper to do a load of laundry abroad than to pay the extra baggage fees. So travel light and save money and peace of mind.

2. Student discounts: Europe is great if you're under 26 because so many countries offer discounts. In France, most things are free to me because I am a citizen under 26, but in Italy, I pay half the price at a lot of places. So before going, look into if you need to buy a student card or if you can get by with your student ID or passport.

1. Points: my mom has taught me about the wonders of credit card points. You know all about those promos that you credit card company puts out there? If you pay your bills on time and can afford to put everything on the credit card and pay your total balance, it's kinda like free money. You can get free nights at hotels or discounts on airfare. As scary as credit cards are, this makes it worth it. But don't forget to be responsible with them!