6 Ways To Save Money While Backpacking
If you are reading this, chances are, you’re on the road, and you want to save money while backpacking.
I get it – budgeting and thinking about where your money is going is probably the worst part of any backpacking trip aside from the seemingly endless amount of time you’ll be stuck in a plane or a bus. But, you shouldn’t have to worry about it too much! Here are my 10 best tips to make your next trip better, and longer.
If you are reading this, chances are, you’re backpacking, and you want to save as much money as possible on the road.
I get it – budgeting and thinking about where your money is going is probably the worst part of any backpacking trip aside from the seemingly endless amount of time you’ll be stuck in a plane or a bus. But, you shouldn’t have to worry about it too much! Here are my 10 best tips to make your next trip better, and longer.
Tip 1: Choose your hostels wisely
If I had to pick just one tip to save money while backpacking – it would be to choose your hostels wisely! I always use Hostelworld to find a cheap bed. But what exactly do I look for?
Free Breakfast: Boy do I love something that is free, and when a hostel offers free breakfast – i’m there. When you eat out every morning, it adds up so quickly, so saving those few extra dollars is worth it. Pro Tip: Try to eat as much as you can without taking it all away from other travellers so you eat your next meal later in the day.
Location: Whilst that $20 hostel in London may look like a bargain, if you have to walk miles and miles every day just to get to where all of the attractions are, is it worth it? I always try and book something central, and if I end up spending 5-10 extra dollars per night, you’ll save time and money by not having to get there every day.
Rating: Hostelworld is great for this – you can sort by price and rating so you see the best deals right away. Try and book hostels above a 7.0 rating, you may find places a lot cheaper, but if they’re rated horrendously I would skim right past them.
Here’s my ultimate guide to booking the right hostels for you.
Tip 2: MINIMISE FLYING TO SAVE MONEY While Backpacking
Whilst flights are quick and mostly convenient, they tend to be much more costly than their land counterparts. That’s why I don’t use them unless it is completely necessary.
I use Rome2Rio to find the cheapest way to get from A to B. You can use this for long-distance travel, or even just from your hostel to the bus station.
Generally, in Europe – FlixBus is the most frequent and widespread budget bus company that I use almost every time.
Tip 3: COOK (WHEN CONVENIENT)
If you are like me (a sh*t cook), this might put you off. However, I decided to grow up because cooking back at the hostel is a fantastic way of saving money.
I will only do this if i’m staying more than 2 nights in one location because you can cook in bulk and have enough for 2 or 3 meals. If you’re only there for one or two nights, you might find that it’s more expensive to cook your own food!
This tip does not apply to Asian or African travel, as it’s better to just eat out because it’s dirt cheap.
Tip 4: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TOURIST CARDS
In most main cities around the world, they’ll often have a tourist card available. The benefits can vary from city to city, but they can help you save lots, especially if you’re visiting lots of paid attractions.
For example, when I was in Porto, I bought a Porto Card that gave me free public transport throughout the city and free access to all museums. By the end of my time there, I would have spent a lot more money purchasing individual tickets for each attraction.
Tip 5: HOUSESITTING AND COUCHSURFING
I might just throw out a quick disclaimer for this one as I haven’t had any experience housesitting at the time of writing this article, but it is something I plan on doing.
There are websites like Trusted House Sitters that allow you to stay at someone’s home while they are away on business or even their own holidays free of charge, as long as you hang out look after their pets (which sounds absolutely amazing to me).
This is perfect for flexible travellers as you can’t choose a date with these stays, as they are based around the owner’s plans.
Couchsurfing on the other hand, is also great and good for solo travellers. The hosts on the website are usually like-minded people who have backpacked themselves and want to show you their home!
TIP 6: KNOW YOUR BUDGET!
This may seem like a “no sh*t Sherlock” tip – but it is stupidly easy to lose track and spend way more than you want.
Not knowing your budget is a fantastic way to turn a 6 month trip into a 2 month one.
Before visiting a country, i’ll always check Budget Your Trip to see the average daily cost of where i’m going. It’s a great tool because the data is sourced from other travellers who have lived to tell the tale. It breaks down the cost of everything, from accommodation, public transport, food and activities.
Keep in mind that it tracks the average daily cost of a place, and depending on what budget you’re on – you can go even cheaper in any of the factors I mentioned above.
THAT’S THAT!
Those are my piping hot tips to save money while backpacking! Hopefully that gave you an insight into how I go about all things money on my travels and I hope that it encourages you to get out there and do it yourself!