10 Smart Tips to Saving Money For Travel
Let’s face it! Traveling can be expensive, but it’s certainly doable. Your dream getaway is actually closer than you think. You don’t need a ton of money in the bank, just good money-saving strategies.
Today I thought I would share with you a few of my top money-saving hacks to help you start saving money for travel and ultimately reach your vacation goals quicker without having to break the bank.
See below my top ways to start saving money for travel. Simple budget-saving tips & hacks.
1. Track Your Spendings
My number one tip to start saving money for travel is to track your spending. You want to have a good overview of where your money is being spent. Are you saving enough? What areas could I spend less on?
There are so many ways you can track your spending. You can old-school it and write it down on paper, or you can download a budget app. Once you start tracking your money, you will have a better idea of where you need to save.
A few Budget apps that I like for budget planning are.
Vault Budget Planner – best financial budget on a calendar, shows upcoming payments, planned spending & more.
Mint – keeps track of your spending, tacks bills, and can create budget lists.
Trail Wallet – is a great travel budgeting app. This awesome app tracks your spending whilst you travel.
Trail Wallet
2. Sell Things You Don’t Need
A great way to earn some extra cash is to sell your unwanted items. Let’s face it if you don’t use it, why not sell it? and make some money.
There are plenty of resources out there that can help you sell your belongings. You can have a garage sale or list your items online. below are a few online services that are great for selling unwanted items.
Poshmark – Great for selling clothes & accessories.
Craigslist – Good for larger items like furniture, cars, etc.
Decluttr – Great for selling items such as DVDs, CDs & video games
Blue Rocket Books – A great place to sell your old books and textbooks
List your items today! and save some serious cash.
3. Start A Travel Fund
One thing most people perceive travel is being ” too expensive.” Starting a travel fund is a great way to save towards that dream holiday you have always wanted to go on.
There are so many ways in which you can start a travel fund. You can have a trusty old money jar or open a dedicated savings account separate from your normal account and have money transferred into it.
It can be as little as putting away $25 to $50 a week.
There’s nothing more exciting than watching your money grow and remember, don’t be discouraged if you can only put a little amount away. Every penny counts, and over time, your money will add up.
4. Earn Extra Money
Cutting costs can only take you so far. Earning extra cash on the side is always a great way to increase your money, whether that be for travel or just everyday life. Below are just a few ways how to earn extra money.
– Change of jobs
– Request a pay rise
– Freelance
– Tutor
– Running errands
– Wash cars
– Dog walker
– Housesitting
– Babysit
– Starting a travel blog
5. Cancel Memberships / Subscriptions
There are so many different ways to stay active without having to pay for a monthly gym membership. Other alternatives to keeping yourself active can be as simple as biking to work or running in your local park (that won’t cost you a cent).
The same goes for those monthly subscription services. Do you really need Netflix right now? or Amazon Prime? ditch those pricy cable premiums & subscriptions today, and you will be surprised at how much you will save.
6. Fly Budget Airlines
A great way to save a ton of money is to fly with budget airlines. The main advantage of flying with low-cost airlines is finding those cheap ticket prices. If you’re on a tight budget, this can certainly be the best way to save a lot of money.
Read more
How to find cheap flights like a boss.
7. Utilize Hostels and Couchsurfing
Ever tried Couchsurfing? couchsurfing.com is where you will find people all over the world offering their couches to travelers.
Now it sounds quite strange to some, but it is certainly a great way to save money on accommodation when traveling the globe. (hey, you may even make some lifelong friends.)
Now if Couchsurfing isn’t your thing, you can always stay in hostels. Hostels are awesome for budget travelers as they are quite low in price compared to most hotels or Airbnbs. My fave hostel site is Hostelworld.com.
8. Take Advantage Of Traveler Discounts
Google “free things to do in..” and see what comes up! You will be surprised at how many things you can get at a discounted rate or, better yet free.
If you’re a student, look up what kind of student discounts you can receive. I know STA travel is a student-based travel agency that offers awesome discounts and exclusive rates to students only.
I also recommend checking out the book, The Best Things In Life Are Free by Lonely planet. This amazing book is packed full of money-saving tips, hacks, and recommendations at the best value for sights and experiences around the globe.
The Best Things In Life Are Free – By Lonely Planet
9. Visit In The Off-Season
Visiting in the offseason certainly has its perks! Flights are cheaper as well as more availability in accommodation. You won’t have to deal with large crowds, and some attractions may even be discounted as well.
Take note! Not all places may be open during the offseason, so make sure your check before you go.
10. Sign up for a travel rewards card
Start saving and gaining rewards today with a good travel rewards credit card. This is by far the best thing I have done in order to start saving money for travel.
The Capital One Venture is perfect for beginner travel credit cardholders. It has no foreign transaction fees and can earn you unlimited 2x miles per dollar on everyday purchases.
You can then use these miles to cover your past purchases, transfer to other loyalty programs, or book future flights, hotels, travel activities & more. Read more about Capital One Venture Rewards.
A Roundup of my Money-Saving Resources
Start saving money for travel today! See below my roundup of tools/resources that have helped me save a ton of money for travel. Plus, more of my favorite travel recourses here.
Trail Wallet App– Keep track of your spending whilst you travel.
Vault Budget Planner & Mint App- for everyday budget planning
The Best Things In Life Are Free – By Loney Planet – Full of money-saving tips and recommendations for sightseeing and experiences around the globe.
Poshmark – Best platform for selling clothes & accessories.
Facebook Marketplace – Great for selling anything! Sell locally or ship.
Craigslist – Good for selling larger items like furniture, cars, etc.
Decluttr – great for DVDs, CDs & video games
Blue Rocket Books – good for old books and textbooks
couchsurfing.com / Hostelworld.com – Best for budget accommodation.
Capital One Venture Travel Rewards Card – My go-to travel credit card for beginners.
Let me know in the comments below some of your best money-saving hacks!
Just a heads up! This post contains some affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission that helps support this blog.
You will not pay more when you buy through these links. All opinions are my own, and I would never recommend anything I don’t personally love.
You might also enjoy:
Paula
what a great article, very useful! another tip – I also land up saving up on unnecessary expenses like atm fees etc – using apps like ATM Fee Saver – it helps find atms abroad in south american countries with no fees or lower fees than others along with withdrawal limits etc. worth adding to your list of tricks!
Ashlea Paige
Hi Paula, Thank you so much, I’m so happy you found it useful. Yes, overseas ATM fees can be super expensive, this is a great tip also! 🙂