Traveling is an exciting way to experience new things and learn about different cultures, but it’s often thought of as a luxury. While exploring the world isn\u2019t exactly cheap, there are plenty of ways to make it affordable for you.<\/p>\n
And who better to ask than travel bloggers on how to vacation on a budget? Take it from the pro travelers below.<\/p>\n
Plan as much as possible Set a budget Avoid fancy restaurants<\/strong> Opt for free or cheap attractions<\/strong> Travel during the off-season<\/strong> Take advantage of apps to save on flights<\/strong> Don\u2019t buy unnecessary items<\/strong> Live like a local<\/strong> Don\u2019t stay in a hotel<\/strong> xx, The FabFitFun Team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":"Traveling is an exciting way to experience new things and learn about different cultures, but ...","author":2690618,"featured_media":147749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[54,260],"tags":[],"thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/static.fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/11155419\/budget.jpg","thumbnail_url_middle_card":"https:\/\/static.fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/11155419\/budget-386x200.jpg","formated_date":"November 19, 2019","category_name":"Life","category_icon":"https:\/\/d3vodd1ws13xud.cloudfront.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/10113832\/entertainment.svg","author_name":"","trending":false,"sponsored":false,"random_color":"#124c6d","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147726"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2690618"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong> You can\u2019t stick to a budget if your whole trip is spontaneous.\u00a0Holly Habeck<\/a> says she is able to stick to a budget by planning as much as she can in advance. She explained, \u201cUsing apps like Hopper<\/a> helps with negotiating the most financially feasible times to travel, and from there it just comes down to building out an itinerary and estimating costs before actually embarking on a trip.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Be sure to actually set your budget instead of just thinking up a random number in your mind. Katie Zweber of Two Wandering Soles<\/a> says, \u201cWe set a budget for each trip and record all of our spending \u2014 every purchase, big and small. That way we know how much we\u2019ve spent in relation to our budget and can adjust what we buy accordingly. We like the app Trail Wallet<\/a> to track our spending.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIf you want one elaborate meal, that\u2019s fine, but overall, try to keep things simple and cheap. Domenic Savaglio of Citizen of Travel<\/a>\u00a0says, \u201cI research a few cheap eats before going to any city. Eating out can be expensive. I find that if I keep my food budget at a reasonable level, I don\u2019t tend to overspend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nYou don\u2019t have to spend a ton of money on big tours. In fact, you can usually find free activities that are even better. Becca and Dan of Half Half Travel<\/a> explains, \u201cWe do research and minimize attractions with entrance fees or cover charges.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIf you\u2019re able to, don\u2019t go somewhere during the busiest time, as it will be more expensive. Shawna Newman of Active Weekender<\/a> shares, \u201cI stay on budget by doing my travel in the off-season.\u201d It\u2019s also less crowded.<\/p>\n
\nYou can get much better airfare if you just do a little digging. Nadia from Couple Travel The World<\/a>\u00a0says, \u201cWe use tools like comparison sites like Skyscanner<\/a> to find the best price. We also use a flight price watch to be alerted of secret flight deals or error fares.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nSouvenirs can be nice, but do you really need them? Nadeen White of The Sophisticated Life<\/a> advises, \u201cSkip buying souvenirs as a way to save. Your pictures and videos will go a long way!\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMaking food can be a fun experience. Carmen Varner<\/a> says, \u201cHead to the local grocery store to pick up some basics like vegetables, bread, eggs, coffee, or small snacks to alleviate your daily food spending.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nRemember, pricey hotels aren’t your only lodging option. Kelly Hunter of GenPink<\/a> advises thinking outside the box, like looking at hostels or Airbnbs<\/a>. She said, \u201cIf you like staying in the heart of the action, try StayAlfred<\/a>, which puts you in fantastic apartments in the city\u2019s coolest neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n