How to Travel the World on a Shoe-String Budget
Many people dismiss the idea of traveling the world for financial reasons. Yes, traveling the world can cost you a fortune but the good news is, you can travel the world on a shoe-string budget. Obviously, you may not end up in a 5-star hotel every night, but I can guarantee you that you stand a much better chance of experiencing the life and culture of your destinations much more authentically if you travel on a budget.
Let me in one a few basic travel hacks, guaranteed to save you lots of money while opening the doors to world-travel.
Volunteering Overseas
Provided you are in good health and willing to muck in, consider joining a voluntary organization and spending a few months working for them. Whether it’s teaching English abroad or offering your professional skills to a charity, there are lots of ways to work and live in places like Africa, South America, and Asia, in fact, in most countries across the world. Check out Voluntary Services Overseas and see if you could join one of their projects.
Au Pairing
Living as a childminder with a family abroad is another great way to live and work abroad. Visas are easy to come by, you earn your accommodation and food as well as a basic wage. If you like kids and feel like spending a few months with a family, au pairing is the way to go.
Student Exchanges
Students can spend some of their college years at a university abroad, again taking in a foreign culture and making friends abroad. Inquire at your college to see what your options are.
Cut Down on Your Air Travel Fees
If you are flexible about your timing and perhaps even your destination, you can pick up bargain flights every day. Sign up with all airlines and wait for the special offers to come in. Don’t worry, they will. Once you’ve started traveling, collect frequent flyer miles and before you know it, you’ll be eligible for free flights.
Cheap Places to Stay
Apart from hostels and student apartments, there also seems to be other ways to find inexpensive accommodation, including Airbnb, as well as staying with friends, acquaintances, and friends of friends. In mild climates, camping is pleasant and excellent value for money. Check out Couchsurfing, a website bringing together those who seek and offer a sofa for the night. No doubt, you’ll save a ton of money. You can even find deals by searching Groupon for Airbnb discount codes.
Shop Local – Cook for Yourself
Don’t eat at tourist traps, instead, with the help of some locals, find the shops, cafes, and restaurants they visit and join them. Local markets and street food also provide fresh produce at budget prices.
One of the major cost-saving perks of staying at a hostel or private house is that you’ll be able to cook for yourself, which you can also do at a campsite if you are well-equipped. Cooking for yourself is less expensive and can be just as tasty.
Use Public Transport
Avoid taking taxis, stick with public transport options. Not only will you save lots of cash, but you’ll also get up close and personal with the locals. Because of the existence of train-and-coach apps like Trainline, in some places this is naturally much easier than in others. So if you’re in Europe then you can make very light work of using public transport to pre-plan your itinerary and just as easily cross-off every stop along the way. Hitchhiking is also an option, though safety can be a concern. Make sure to check if hitchhiking is a “done thing” at your destination online, no doubt, you’ll find lots of advice from fellow travelers.
Student Discounts
Your student card is your ticket to cheap travel. Use it and avail of the many discounts available.
These are just some of the ways to travel on a shoe-string budget. If you are really smart, you can also earn some money by traveling as a travel blogger and writing reviews but you need to have a considerable following before you can do that.
The beauty of traveling full-time is that you are always running into people who gladly share their travel hacks with you. In no time at all, you’ll be traveling without spending a fortune.