I know it’s cringey and everyone says it, but travelling
does not have to be expensive and is certainly not impossible on a student
budget. Here are my top 10 tips to carry on travelling, even when money's tight!
1.
WORK, WORK, WORK
Okay this seems like an obvious one but when I read posts
about travelling on a student budget, no one talks about where the budget is
coming from. In order to build up my money, I work in a supermarket when
I’m at home and am also lucky enough to have a job at the union bar which
is term time only. I know it depends on your work load and stress level but
there are so many ways you can work without committing to too many hours. Some
of my friends do online tutoring which they find really easy and flexible, so
that works for them. Whatever it is, try and find a source of income so you can
start building up savings for travelling and other big expenses.
The next important thing is to make that money (or your
student loan) work as hard as possible. I could do a whole other blog post about
budgeting at uni, I’m a bit of a tight wad. My mind set is that
I’d rather save money for bigger things than spend on extra clothes, eating
out and take away coffee. Although I do spend money, I limit myself to only
buying things that I need (or have wanted for a long time.)
3.
DESTINATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
When deciding where you want to go to, think about all of
the costs involved. Although getting to France from the UK is significantly
cheaper than outside Europe, it has very high living costs. And although
flights are expensive, once you’re in South East Asia, living costs are
extremely low. A weeks’ worth of accommodation in Paris might end up costing
the same as a flight to Asia!! There are places with a good balance (east Europe
is a great place to go on a budget!) and obviously it depends where you’re
travelling from. But don’t just focus on the price of getting there. Shop
around and you can get some cheap flights to most places if you’re flexible
with the dates.
4.
STAY WITH PEOPLE YOU KNOW
I don’t mean impose yourself on someone without asking politely
first but USE YOUR CONNECTIONS PEOPLE. If you have family in Australia, a best
friend is working in Germany or a flat mate from Argentina, go and stay with
them (with permission!) Not only does it normally mean free or relatively cheap
accommodation, it’s also a chance to experience a country with someone who
knows a bit more than you and can show you all the good spots. It’s also a
really good excuse to catch up with those people while you’re visiting.
5.
PACK LIGHT AND SMARTLY
These days, especially on cheap flights, the price of
luggage can sometimes be as much as your flight. If you’re on a weekend trip or
2 weeks away with a friend, try to minimise your luggage as much as possible.
Try to just use hand luggage or split the price of one suitcase and share it.
Not only does this save money, it’s also a lot easier travelling with less
stuff (half of which you probably wouldn’t have worn anyway!) By smartly I mean
taking things with you to avoid costs later on.
6.
CONSIDER THE LENGTH OF YOUR STAY
For some holidays, it makes sense budget-wise to keep it as
short as possible. If you’re tight on money but would love to go to Turkey or
Spain, it would make sense to go on a shorter holiday. However, if you fancy a
long trip away, consider somewhere with low living costs, such as South East
Asia or South America. Although the initial flight is expensive, once you’re
there you may as well see as much as you can, as it doesn’t cost much to be
there. I really regret not going to Indonesia at the same time I went to
Thailand and Vietnam. I’d already paid the money to get to the other side of
the world so I wish I’d made the most of it a bit more. Also consider the price
of moving about. If local flights, trains and buses are cheap, it makes sense
to move around and see everything that you want to!
7.
SLEEP CHEAP
In a lot of places, accommodation and food are also big
costs that you need to budget for. Do this by hunting around a bit. A lot of
the time Airbnbs are significantly cheaper than hotels, and hostels are
normally even cheaper than that! Don’t stay anywhere that you don’t feel safe
in, but these days, competitive pricing means you can normally hunt around to
get a good deal. If you’re feeling really brave, look into companies and apps
that are specifically designed to help people save money while travelling. Coach
surfing is popular and a good way to meet local people.
8.
BUDGET YOUR ACTIVITIES AND FOOD
Travel blogging and journalism is amazing these days. For
everywhere you can go, I can guarantee there’s guides on best eats and things
to while you’re there! Before you set of, search for the best things to do for
free/cheap and best cheap places to eat, there’s bound to be loads of amazing
recommendations that will probably steer you away from the expensive tourist
traps. If you budget well, this will probably allow you to splash out on a few
things that might cost a bit more but are worth it. An amazing meal or visiting
a unforgettable sight is priceless in the long run.
9.
CONSIDER WORKING/VOLUNTEERING
If you’re planning a longer trip, consider working/
volunteering to help fund your travels. A lot of people try this when going to Australia,
but don’t leave it to last minute because it’s a hefty process! This is similar
to doing a ski season, we worked 6 days a week and got paid next to nothing but
the company we worked for paid for our accommodation and ski hire/passes for
the season. It was hard work but an amazing experience. There’s no way I could
ever afford to ski that much, possibly over my whole life. I also met my amazing
friends (and boyfriend) on my ski season, so I guess that was worth it as well.
10. STAY LOCAL
If you want to go away with friends/partner or family more for the experience of going somewhere new with them, rather than with a specific location in mind, then save money and stay local! Why not go to a city in your country you haven't been to before? Manchester? Leeds? Have you been to Dublin yet? How about a beach holiday in Brighton or Bournemouth? If you fancy a bit more history, what about heading north to York or Edinburgh? (Sorry for a very UK focused list!) The point is, these places all have so much to offer and would be a fab place to go for a few nights with friends during the holiday. It saves money, time and is more accessible for everyone. It always seems a shame to me, I've been to all of these places as I'm from the Britain. But I have friends that have flown across the world travelling but haven't even explored their own country. It's not as lame as it sounds, I promise. Especially with the heat waves we've been having!
*The only reason I haven't said London, because of course it's an amazing place to go and actually my closest city, is the PRICE. If you're on a budget, there are so many other big cities to go to with good shopping, nightlife and food for literally a third of the price.*
*Cough LEEDS cough*
I hope this helps some of you and you get the opportunity to see as much as possible! I'm sure I'll think of some more tips soon so look out for the sequel...
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