Traveling is attainable!! (even as a broke college student) You just gotta travel on a budget đ
In this post about how to travel on a budget, I will be referring to my recent trip to Hawaii as an example! (Check out my Oahu Travel Guide!) This past year my friend and I were able to travel to Oahu, Hawaii for a week, spending less than $900 each! Yes, that is still expensive, but guess what? Hotels are going to be at least $100 per night and most likely more expensive than that. SO if you stay 8 nights…thatâs already $800 for a room you are basically only going to sleep in! I am going to be sharing some travel tips and tricks that we used to help us save hundreds of dollars while traveling across the country!
This post is all about how to travel on a budget and travel tips and tricks!
Tip #1
Donât stay at a resort or hotel!
On this trip my friend and I stayed at hostels and Airbnb’s. A hostel is basically like a hotel, but you share a room with other travelers. These are often backpackers and solo travelers looking for a cheap place to stay. Hostels are a great option to save money, and it’s super cool meeting other people from around the world, talking about things to do in that location, and the activities they recommend. We met a sweet woman from Japan and a girl our age traveling solo around the world…Hawaii was just one of her stops…like how cool is that!? Of course not everyone in this world is kind, so keep your important belongings with you, and check your bag in with the front desk (ours was $5/day) and they will lock up your bag for you. AND a lot of hostels provide free food! At ours it was free breakfast, but Iâve heard of them offering pizza, baked goods, and more.
We stayed at Waikiki Beachside Hostel just 30 minutes from the airport. It was around $45 per night.
Like I mentioned before, hotels are going to at least be $100 per night. Ummm that adds up pretty dang fast. Iâm a college student on a budget and I’m not looking to spend $800 on a room that I just need to sleep in for the night. Check Airbnb, VRBO, and even google if there are places to camp in the location you are going to. For this kind of trip we werenât looking to camp, that requires extra equipment, so renting a room was what we decided on!
Tip #2
Split your stay (between people and places)
Since we wanted to see many parts of the island, we stayed at two different Airbnbâs. In the location we were most excited about, we did end up paying $100 per night for four nights (total = $400). This was a really nice place and the owners let us use all of their fun stuff like bikes and surfboards…totally worth it. On another part of the island we stayed two nights at $80 per night (total = $160). We stayed at the hostel two nights, the night we got there and the night before we left (total = $90). This way we were close to the airport and could take the public bus there.
By splitting where we stayed, we saved money on accommodations. (We didn’t stay in the $100/night house the whole trip). After we split the cost of the Airbnbâs, each of us spent a total of $370 on accommodations. For a week in Hawaii, I donât think you can get much better than that!!
Tip #3
Find the best flight
Look on google flights or Skyscanner to see what the prices look like for the location you want. If you have some flexibility, test out different departure and return dates, because prices do vary day to day. Tuesdays are often the cheapest day to book a flight.
Long flights that are not direct, meaning they stop once or twice in connecting locations, are often less expensive. If you have room for a couple extra hours of travel time, it’s worth the money you will save.
Along with this, try not to check a bag. Look for a flight where you can have a carry on and a personal item (backpack). Most of the time, if you choose a cheaper flight with no carry on, the bag checking expense will make the ticket equal to a more costly flight including a carry on. You will also be able to get out of the airport faster, and donât have to worry about your bag getting lost.
Do your research to find the best deal! Even consider changing air lines or flying to a location, and finding a cheaper flight from there. For example: if you’re traveling to Europe or nearby from the US, flights are a lot less expensive in Europe. Look at landing in the European country closet to you, then from there find a cheap flight to your final destination.
Tip #4
Travel where you wonât need to rent a car!
This will save you a couple hundred dollars in itself. Oahu has a great public bus system that runs all around the island. Pay $5 for a day pass or $2.50 per ride, and save so much $! Just be sure to account for travel time as busses have stops, etc. I think it was a three hour ride from one side of the island to another, but that is worth saving the money! Put those earbuds in and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the island.
Another example location is a big city like New York City! You can walk everywhere, or catch a cab if you want! Not having to deal with renting a car is SO NICE. And if you can, make a road trip of it and drive there yourself! Then you will have a car, and gas money most likely wonât exceed the cost of a plane ticket!
Tip #5
Donât eat out for every meal
One of the best parts of traveling is trying new food, right!? Yes, Iâm right đ However, this doesnât mean you need to eat out everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Go to a local grocery store the first or second day you get there to pick up some essentials. I like to pick up apples or canned fruit and granola bars to eat for breakfast or as a snack. If you never dine out for breakfast, depending on where you are, you could be saving $5-$15 per day! Every dollar counts as a college student, okay!? đ Saving money on breakfast, I didnât have to feel about what I was paying for other meals. One day on our trip I remember eating canned pineapple and a Cliff Bar for breakfast. We hiked all day, then I treated myself to some Hawaiian Barbecue and ice cream, delicious and guilt free đ
Along with this, street food will be cheaper than eating at any restaurant! And itâs often the best tasting cultural food you can find!
Tip #6
Travel in the âoff seasonâ
You can research what time of year places have the most tourists visit. For example, most people visit Hawaii in the summer months. That also means that flights are going to cost more during that time. So if you have the flexibility, consider traveling to your location in the âoff seasonâ. Benefits of doing this include: less crowded attractions, experiencing the place and culture when itâs not overwhelmed with vendors, saving on costs all around. Cons about doing this: the weather might not be as good (tourists usually go when the weather is best).
Tip #7
Plan ahead of time
While I love being spontaneous, that is not the best way to travel on a budget haha. If youâre going to travel on a budget, you are most likely not going to see an advertisement for a helicopter tour and say,âYES letâs do that today!â. Cause thatâs probably at least $200⌠Planning out the cost of accommodation, transportation, food, and activities will ensure you know how much you are going to spend. However, itâs always good to anticipate spending a little more. Budget for some forgotten items (sunscreen, sunglasses) or just as a buffer in case you decide to do an extra excursion.
A few other tips!
Go to free attractions. A public art museum or park, almost all sightseeing is free, thereâs no need to pay to get into something…unless you are interested in it and think itâs worth it!
Try not to buy souvenirs…the pictures and memories wonât be replaced!
Safe Travels!
Have more helpful travel tips and tricks on how to travel on a budget? Leave them in the comments!
