The Most Comprehensive List: 20 Ways to Budget Travel + Save Money

Everyone seems to be bitten by the travel bug nowadays. Traveling has indeed skyrocketed over the last few years. What used to be an expensive activity has now become more doable—thanks to the tried and tested budget travel tips that you will read here!

I’m no expert when it comes to traveling. After all, I only do it part-time (and by that, I mean when I save enough money and get time off work). But I’m proud of my budget travel knowledge and skills that I’ve been constantly refining since 2012—some of which I’ve learned from my mom (typical Filipino mom you can say). So here goes!

Check Skyscanner religiously

When it comes to knowing the lowest fare to anywhere, Skyscanner is your best friend. It’s a website that allows you to compare the prices of flights and accommodations. If you hang around Skyscanner long enough, you’ll have the typical price range of plane tickets at the back of your head (like me!) so it’ll be easier for you to judge whether to buy a fare or not.

Do you know what’s the best feature on Skyscanner? It’s the “Everywhere” and “Cheapest Month” options. When you select this, the website will show a list of places with fares arranged from the cheapest to the most expensive. Doing this gave me the idea of how manageable it is to go to Berlin today!

Sign up to newsletters and get ahead of everyone on promos

You’re already familiar with promo fares and how crucial it is to book immediately because fares run out fast. Well, newsletters will help you get in line (or to the website before it crashes) first. Those popups on airline websites asking you to join their mailing lists can be annoying but signing-up will really keep you in the loop.

Sync booking with credit card discounts

Many budget travel tips are against using credit cards. However, if you’re diligent about using them and paying your expenses on time, I think credit cards give you free money when used at the right moment. When is the right moment? Every time there are travel-related discounts and rebates/cashback period!

Watch out for deals on travel apps

In addition to checking every single airline website, another step to do before starting any kind of booking is looking at travel apps. Their ads might be annoying sometimes and you might not want to add another app on your cluttered mobile, but they do give ample discounts. For instance, I booked a roundtrip Manila-Singapore-Manila flight on Traveloka and saved around P800! That’s not so bad at all!

Travel apps to visit every now and then:

• Traveloka
• Klook
• Hotel Tonight

Collect miles and redeem

Almost all airlines have loyalty programs or frequent flyer points. Sign up and collect miles because you can use the points you accumulate to get discounted fares or even free flights! Moreover, you can get further discounts because some frequent flyer programs are affiliated with major tourist spots.

Book everything in advance

Aside from promo fares, flights and trains are also cheaper when you book them in advance. The closer you are to your preferred travel dates, the expensive the fares get. To do this, make sure you’re aware of the long weekends, and you have enough leave credits and travel funds so you’re ready to go any time.

Be careful when booking!

I’m thankful for the existence of budget airlines because honestly without them I wouldn’t be able to travel as much as I have. But they can be really sneaky! When you book on your own, it’s important to always check the total amount to make sure that no add-ons are included unless you specify so.

For example, in this Manila-Hanoi RT route, the total fare with taxes is around P7,360. Once we get to the add-ons page, it suddenly shoots up to P8,970. Notice how meals, insurance, and seats are automatically “added!” so you have to manually remove these or select “Proceed without add-ons” to get back to the original total.

I once overheard an older man complaining to airline staff about paying for a meal that he wasn’t aware of (which the system automatically included for him, unfortunately). It pays to be mindful and cautious, so you don’t have to pay for unnecessary things like seat selection, meals, insurance, and baggage allowance that’s more than you need.

Do you really need that much baggage?

This may not be fashionista-friendly advice. (For instance, my sister needs to have OOTDs for her ‘gram so extra baggage is a must for her.) But for those who can live with minimal things, then bringing just a backpack or lightweight suitcase (that’s under the carry-on limit) will work for you. Philippine budget airlines usually have a 7kg-limit, but other countries allow up to 15kgs so always check the fare rules!

Research well your DIY itinerary

Some people find joy in doing their own itineraries, some people don’t that’s why they hire a travel agent or join tours. Honestly, DIY budget travel planning is time-consuming but for those who enjoy it, it’s a rewarding and exciting activity. If you value personalized travel experiences where you get to do everything at your own pace, then being on your own or with your group is the best option.

Here’s a quick guide on the essential things your travel itinerary must have.

Here’s a reminder: Hiring a travel agent or tours will always end up more expensive because you’re paying someone to do things for you (such as making itineraries, buying tickets, arranging accommodations, and more)—things that you can actually do on your own. If possible, only do this when you’re crunched for time or when you’re going to a less touristy place that’s quite difficult to access.

Try to travel with a group

More people to split the expenses! I’ve been traveling solo for a couple of times now and there were times when it would’ve been easier on the pocket if I had people to share the costs with. For instance, when I booked a cab from Udaipur to Jodhpur, up to four people can fit inside and split the bill! Moreover, accommodations are usually good for at least two people so when you’re alone, you end up paying for two! 😂

Make tourism offices one of your places to be

You rarely get free stuff when you travel, but when you go to tourism offices, you sure will. You get a free face-to-face consultation with local guides, free information on current happenings in the place you’re visiting, and free tips from all the brochures and maps lying around in the office. Plus, they usually sell transport passes and attraction tickets so really, it’s a place full of possibilities. As for me, I always go to tourism offices when I get lost which happens most of the time!

Stock up on light snacks

Waiting at the departure gate? Getting bored inside the plane? Taking a rest from walking around for hours? These are moments when people usually get the urge to eat to pass time. Airport and plane food are expensive. To save a bit, why not bring light snacks that you can munch on. I usually bring trail mixes or crackers, and they always do the job. This allows me instead to afford more quality meals in fancy (or not fancy) places if I’d later prefer.

Hostels or B&Bs are honestly not that bad

Depending on your preference, accommodations can take a chunk of your travel budget. Personally, I don’t need the extra amenities that hotels offer because I’m out exploring the whole day anyway. A comfortable and clean room with air conditioner, bed and pillows, shower and toilet work for me because I’d rather spend my money elsewhere.

In hostels, you usually share the room with other travelers. Yes, it is safe for solo travelers! If that’s not your thing, you can try bed & breakfast or inns where you get a private room in a homier environment. The primary perk of this type of accommodation is it brings you closer to an authentic local experience. It’s also easier to meet other travelers, and most of the time, the locals, hosts or owners are more than keen to help.

Make the most out of tourism cards

Tourism cards can either be useful or wasteful. It all comes down to your itinerary. This is where planning ahead comes particularly handy. Once you have all of the spots and activities you want to do, you have to check (more like compute) if the tourism card saves you money or leaves you paying extra for nothing.

A quick Google search of “city” + “tourism card” or “welcome card” will give you an idea of what’s available. Cross check the card inclusions with your itinerary then do a little math to find out if it’s worth it!

Buy a local sim card if you need mobile data 24/7

Some of you prefer to stay connected all the time. If you’re DIY-ing, you most probably do because you need to access Google Maps. While roaming has become more affordable (and less shocking) and portable wireless modems have proliferated these days, the cheapest option is to buy a local sim card. If your phone is not network-locked (or you have a spare phone) and you’re traveling for more than 2 weeks alone, I highly recommend doing this.

Case in point, I was in India for 3 weeks. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to buy a sim card because my phone is network-locked with Smart. Roaming for that long would be around P11,550. I did rent a travel phone with an Indian sim which was P3,302.32. But the most budget travel option was the sim card which would only be around P150 for 28 days (1.5G/day). You can’t get that low even here!

Cook your own meals

The older I get, the more I enjoy doing groceries—even abroad! Honestly, I don’t know how to cook, except the very basics, so I usually save money by drinking my morning coffee at home, boiling some eggs to snack on, making quick sandwiches, etc. Wherever you are in the world, I think making your own food at home will always be less expensive than eating out.

Use public transportation

Unlike in the Philippines, you can actually go around more economically using public transportation in other countries. I can vouch for the train and bus network in Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, France, and Thailand.

Wherever you are going and depending on your itinerary, make sure to check if you will get discounts when you buy passes. From what I observed though, cabs usually become unreasonably costlier when trains and buses are efficient. So, only hail cabs when you have to!

Bring your own toiletries

This one I got from my mom. Every time we went for a quick family vacation when I was a kid, my mom always packed bath towels and toiletries. My dad is also thrifty so most of the time, the resorts he chose didn’t have these amenities. Get yourself a high-quality towel that absorbs and dries quick—it’s going to be worth it! I’ve been using Towelite and I recommend it!

Walk and stay fit at the same time!

Once you use public transportation, it almost always follows that you will walk more than you normally do back home. Not only is it great for sticking with budget travel and saving money, but it also burns calories from eating too much.

I don’t know about you but when I travel I tend to eat a lot (of the local cuisine). And I usually end up paying for that because 10,000 steps per day are nothing when traveling. Plus! Trust me, walking can lead you to local discoveries you wouldn’t find in travel guides.

Know what you like and don’t like

We all have different styles of traveling, as well as levels of comfort and patience. The secret to a successful holiday or vacation is knowing what you want and trying to work around it. In general, you shouldn’t compromise safety and quality sleep. Traveling is supposed to be a relaxing and joyful experience where you learn new things about yourself and the world around you. After all, it’s a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.