Avoiding Financial Disaster While Traveling

Always struggling to make ends meet while keeping your travel life alive? Travelling need not be a costly affair after all—says Matt Kepnes, best known as Nomadic Matt, a big-time budget travel influencer. Somewhere when exploring the spiritual lands of Thailand in 2005, life took a turn for Matt when he decided to quit his job and travel the world.

10 years and he hasn’t stopped.

He published a best-seller on ” How to Travel the World on $50 a Day.”

So filled with learnings up his sleeve from his 10 years of experience on the road, Matt says these are the 10 common financial mistakes travellers make.

10. Believing vacations are expensive—The only truth about expensive travel is that it doesn’t exist.

We are led to believing that vacations basically are expensive. We are inclined to associating vacations with luxury stays, expensive flights, cab transfers etc. Know where to loosen your purse strings and where not to. Lead the life of a local wherever you are travelling to and you’ll come back having saved money for your next vacation. Listed here are more tips on how it’s done.

9. Quit vacation culture. Start travel culture.

Fear of missing out on all those overused #wanderlust hashtags is the main reason why vacation culture prevails. It won’t stop with wanting to travel to an overhyped destination just because everyone is travelling there. The so-called Instagram-worthy experiences will never truly allow you to get under the skin of a place and explore. Need I say it increases your budget also?

8. Assuming budget travel is a myth—Budget travel is doing what you do in your everyday life. Only somewhere else.

We don’t eat in Michelin starred restaurants and hire cabs daily right? Why do it on a vacation then? Fret not! It’s easy. Did you know?—

➤ Cities like Paris are very well connected by metro and railway. Hiring a cab is not needed and you will enjoy travelling in a tram with a beautiful view other than in a jarred vehicle.
➤ In Japan, the difference in cost if you hire a private cab versus share a ride/use public transport comes roughly to 11,000 yen/3000 yen! Big deal, huh!

7. Not exploring your own place first.

Wherever you are, it’s a sure thing that tourists have explored your place more than you have ever done. You never know what lies beyond if you don’t. Step out of your home and stay elsewhere and explore—that will help distance yourself from your routine affairs.

6. Start with travelling to your regional destinations.

Start off searching for offbeat outdoorsy destinations in your regional territory and you’ll be surprised. Move with the locals. Try the local food. Plan a short trip for a day or two. This will also help you survive that international solo vacation.

5. Take day trips to free outdoor destinations like National Parks and Heritage Sites.

And while there, spend the night camping. If you prefer not to, go for cabin stays. Western countries are commonly mistaken destinations for being expensive. That’s not entirely true. Have you ever visited the Del Toro national park in Chile? Or the Banff national park in Canada? They are surreally beautiful, outdoorsy and costs zero penny to visit.

4. Going on a cruise? Booking an excursion? Book last minute.

This is why. Trade Venice for Cinque Terre. Say no to Oslo, visit Flam instead. And the list could go on. Those famous places are famous for a reason, no doubt, but they can wait for later. Visit offbeat places, which will also help you escape tourist crowds.

3. Find the best deals on flights.

Transportation is one thing that could make or break your budget. Check for flight promotions, sign up for loyalty cards and add points every time you fly, and try your best to travel during off-season/shoulder season.

2. And there IS an alternative to the one culprit that always pushes your trip budget.

Accommodation. Try couch-surfing or stay in rental apartments. Not only will that help you move with the locals, but also help cut costs like you never imagined. There are other options too! Check if any hotel is running special promotions and sign up. Try to stay in hotels that have loyalty programmes as norms.

1. Take the road not taken.

Yes. Forget what you have been told all these days. No ship wants to leave the shore with empty cabins. No ferries either. Keep an eye open for last-minute deals and you might be lucky to close one. But remember, these are unplanned for. You cannot count on these bookings for important vacations.

Hope you learnt a thing or two about budget travel. Get bespoke holiday ideas for your budget travel ventures—book your trip now with Pickyourtrail!

Have you?

Featured Image Credit: NomadicMatt.official