Going backpacking or travelling is very costly, no matter how you do it, but you can do things to be thrifty. I know people who have made £1000 last 6 months or a couple of weeks, it all depends on your travel style. So here are a few top tips to save mucho dinero (my Spanish lessons kicking in there, lol) on your trip…

GO EAST

The cheapest places to travel to are in the East (for us Brits at least), that means backpacker favourites Thailand, Cambodia and Laos as well as India. Europe is pretty expensive but Eastern Europe can be cheap – try Serbia, Hungary and Croatia. Places to avoid: Australia, New Zealand and America.

How to save for a RTW trip >>>

COUCHSURFING

This is a website that connects hosts and travellers from all over the world. You get a free bed or couch for the night – all you have to do is create a profile and pay a subscription fee. Just be sure that your host has good reviews and someone knows where you’re staying.

Couchsurfing website >>>

LAY OFF THE BOOZE

If there’s one surefire way to piss your money away, it’s drinking lots of alcohol. Even though it may be cheaper than at home it can soon add up. Also hangovers make you spend more money as you’re hungry and too lazy to search out a bargain. Try having drink-free days and when you do just enjoy a couple.

WWOOFING

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms or WWOOF is an organisation that has been around since the sixties that allows travellers to work on farms around the world in exchange for a bed and food. Sign up on the WWOOF site of the country you want to visit and find a host. I definitely want to try this as I think it’s such a different experience for a city slicker like me and a chance to see how the locals live. If you do this for a few weeks your expenses could be zero!

WWOOF website >>>

TRAVEL AT THE RIGHT TIME

Don’t book your flights in the summer or school holidays, and don’t book your trip right after Christmas as this is when everyone who wants to go backpacking sets off – must be new years resolutions. I postponed my departure date by a month and saved £400.

TAKE BUSES

Or trains, or whatever the local transport – it’s always cheaper. In Asia internal flights are pretty cheap but a train or bus is always cheaper. Besides you always meet more people in less chi chi modes of transport. Avoid taxis and do as the locals do.

WORK ONLINE

Whether you’re a writer, designer or day trader, there are loads of ways you can earn a bit of cash online. As long as you have wifi you can earn a bit of cash. If you blog try RewardStyle to help monetise it and for copywriters there is Textbroker.

STAY IN HOSTELS

Hotels will never be as cheap as hostels, you can get a hostel in Thailand for as little as £3 a night – how crazy! Plus in hostels you’ll meet a lot more people and most of them aren’t as bad as you think. In Australia a hostel averages about £17 a night, a cheap hotel would set you back around £50 – and that’s for the equivalent of a Premier Inn which are boring and you won’t have any fun stuck in a room alone.

Tips for staying in hostels >>>

SWAP WORK FOR FOOD/SHELTER

Hustle baby! Whether it’s helping out on a farm or at a local’s house in exchange for a bed, bartending for drinks or working on the reception desk of your hostel instead of paying the bill – there are so many ways to save some dollars.

READ FOR FREE

I’m assuming you have a Kindle because, you’d be nuts not to (especially on a long trip) and books can be expensive. Here are some Kindle hacks: 1/ you can borrow books from a friend of family members Kindle library, you can only share between two adults so chose your most well-read mate. (Find out how HERE). 2/ Read the classics, all the books you feel you should have read, but haven’t. Most Dickens, Shelley, Bronte and the like are free on your Kindle, and the classics are classic for a reason – they’re great books. 3/ Hit the Top 100 Free Kindle Books list, there’s a lot of amateur erotica on there (that might be your thing) but some really good reads as well.

Books to load on your Kindle >>>

GET HEALTHY

A healthy lifestyle is way cheaper than an unhealthy one. Walking or cycling instead of cabbing it is not only great exercise but also free (mostly). Cutting out junk food will trim your waistline and your expenses. Swap soda for water. Eat local street food instead of western restaurant food. Plus choose healthy activities to fill your days like hiking or swimming which not only help your fitness but don’t cost anything!

How to stay healthy on the road >>>

 

So there you have it, travelling doesn’t have to cost the earth. Follow these tips and you can do it on the cheap and still have fun. Plus when you’re sat on a beach in the sun, as long as you have food and shelter – what more do you need?!