How I've Learned To Travel On A Budget

Learning To Travel On A Budget

Life in the three years since I left my teaching career  has had its share of challenges. Travel has been my escape and my joy. I’m not jet-setting across the globe, but I’ve managed a few short breaks around the UK and Europe. With a tighter budget, I’ve had to get creative about how I fund my trips, and it’s been a learning curve I’ve come to love.

Some people are surprised that I travel more now than I did while I had a job so I thought I’d share exactly how I do it.

To date my most frugal trip was a magical three days in Italy which came in at just under £400. I thought that was a bit of a fluke but I think I might be about to pull off an even cheaper trip! I’ll let you know in a couple of weeks...

If you want to travel but you’re feeling grounded by your finances, let me share what I’ve learned to allow me to keep travelling despite my reduced income.

Flying

1. Cheap Flights

The best trips always start at the airport for me. For years I trundled up and down the train tracks between Edinburgh and London…until the day I discovered that I can fly up and down at significantly lower cost. ( I’ve also found planes to be much more punctual and reliable than trains.)

To find the cheapest flights, I try to book as far ahead as I can, usually several months. When you’re looking for the bargain fares, you’re likely to find yourself on a red-eye flight but that tends to suit me as it gives me a full day in my destination.

As you probably know, the reason budget airlines are able to offer such cheap fares is that they now have additional charges for other services. Avoiding these extra charges is my key to flying for less…

2. Travelling Light

This has taken me a while to perfect but travelling light - instead of the ridiculous amount I previously carried - allows me to pack into one little rucksack which is included in my fare. Looking at my latest flight, to take an extra bag would have more than doubled the cost of my flight. 

The other way the airlines like to get money out of us is by offering the option to pre-select seating. I must confess, this is where they do get me to hand over a little bit extra. Flying is such a treat for me and staring out of the plane window is one of my favourite things in the whole world so I see it as good value to stump up an extra £6.99 to select a window seat. If you’re less fussed about where you sit then there’s another saving you can make!

3. Limit Spending In The Airport

Airports are notoriously expensive as they’re able to take advantage of a captive consumer. Once you’re in the departure lounge you can expect to pay an awful lot more than you would pay for the same product outside the airport. Because of this, I try my hardest to avoid spending at the airport - I’d rather save my money for my destination.

I take my own food and a water bottle which I can refill at the free water stations. I sometimes have a browse at books but I won't buy at the airport when I know I can pay half the price elsewhere.

Rather than pay for airport parking, I use the airport bus or get dropped off and picked up close enough to walk to the airport.

Budget Accommodation

For lots of people in their forties, they’ve reached the stage in their lives when they can embark on some luxury travel - not for me! I’m not quite slumming it in backpacker hostels but the accommodation I select is of the budget variety. Don’t feel bad for me! I’m so happy to be exploring somewhere new and my stays are usually short so I have no need for fancy hotel rooms. I have only two requirements: it must be safe and it must be clean. When I travel, the accommodation is nothing more than a place to sleep and shower. The place I’m about to stay in in Montenegro cost £69 (between two of us) for three nights! I’ll report back on it after my trip… 

Pre-Holiday Shopping

I remember the days when going on a holiday meant a massive shopping spree because I felt a holiday required a whole new wardrobe. After the holiday, those clothes were then relegated to the back of the wardrobe. Not these days! Unless I actually need something, I won’t buy clothes especially for a trip.

The other holiday shopping I’ve learned to reduce is the travel toiletries. I was a sucker for all those cute little miniature bottles but even outside the airport, they are poor value for money. So toiletry packing now involves decanting into reusable mini tubs or bottles to comply with the 100ml rule in my carry on bag.

Spending Money

I haven’t found a way to not need spending money on my trips but I have managed to limit what I spend. The frugal approach of spending on what matters to me and cutting costs on what doesn’t comes into play here. When I’m away, money is spent on the necessities - food and transport - and on special experiences. But I don't bother with souvenir shopping - my photos and memories are all I need.

It Can Be Done

So there you go - it really is possible to travel without spending a fortune. Granted, my style of travelling might not appeal to everyone but learning about low cost travel has made it achievable for me and I have loved every moment of my adventures so far. My budget airlines and cheap hotels may not be classed as "luxury"but to me, being on a plane up above the clouds and exploring new places is the luxury.

I’d love to hear some of your budget travel trips in the comments below!

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