How to Travel on a Budget

Last week, I wrote about how Brian and I do our best to give each other experiences over things. I had a lot of questions about what that looks like, so I decided it was time to share how to travel on a budget! My husband is a high school math teacher, and I am a small business owner, but we usually get to travel internationally a couple times a year, so we have definitely learned how to travel on a budget.

1. Start Establishing Loyalty

Once you start establishing loyalty, the perks start rolling in. From frequent flier miles, to courtesy upgrades, it just makes sense. I went ahead and got a business credit card that allows for free checked bags, and extra miles. For me, I chose Delta. I like their service, my flights are on time, my gear is well handled, and it’s just generally been a low stress experience.

2. Track your flights

From Hopper to Google Flights, set your sights on where you might want to go and track your flight. I personally like Google Flights best, because they include Delta’s cost. You can see predictions about when the flight will be the cheapest to purchase, and get emails or notifications when they change!

Pro Tip: This actually saved me a ton of money. I left the notifications on AFTER I had already booked our flight to Paris this year. We paid $1,300 per ticket and the flights dropped to $400 per ticket. Yeah. Crazy. I called Delta, about it, and got a voucher for the difference because I had established loyalty with them! So, that is how we ended up scheduling another trip later in the year to go to London – for free!

3. Pomelo Travel

If you are more of the spontaneous type, Pomelo has a service where you can get emails when airlines have made mistakes or running crazy-good sales. I haven’t used them yet, but I can tell you, I stare at my phone drooling when I get emails about $300 trips to Europe!

4. Be flexible with where you stay

In my experience, hotel perks aren’t near as good as airline perks. I usually opt to save money by looking for Airbnb’s or HomeAway rentals. I search for whole apartments, as opposed to a room share. More space, a full kitchen, and usually half the cost of a traditional hotel.

5. Don’t be afraid to cook

Because the places I stay are usually apartments with full kitchens, I also save money because I just eat at the apartment as opposed to having to go out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I go to the grocery and pick up easy things to make: Peanut butter sandwiches, spaghetti, fruit and veggies. This is healthier for my body and wallet.

With these 5 tips on how to travel on a budget, Brian and I are able to see parts of the world that our budgets would otherwise never allow. Have any tips to share? Comment below!