6 Things To Remember When Traveling on a Budget

Let’s set things straight – who doesn’t love or enjoy traveling? Marveling at new places rich in history and stories that are very exciting to know is something most people like to do. If you have an option to move farther from your condo near bgc and try to explore other countries or provinces, I bet you would!

Our common fear or concern when it comes to traveling is the amount of money we need to shelve out; in short, expenses. Good thing, there are a lot of blogs and articles that give a number of tips and tricks on how to go to a specific place in a limited amount of money. And with that, here are a few things to remember when you are planning to travel on a budget:

On booking plane tickets

Purchasing plane tickets is not tricky, but if you are kind of new to this thing, you might miss some things and have an extra charge. You might curse your browser and exclaim out of surprise when the airlines said it is “Piso fare” or seat sale, but you will still be paying thousands of pesos.

Here’s the thing: be mindful with what comes in your booking. The first time I traveled abroad that needed me to book my flight was when I happen to chance upon seat sale. So I have visited other country once, but the ticket was just given to me (since I will be representing our school back then). I am clueless on how to buy online, kiosks or travel agencies. So when I had the opportunity to book a flight and this time out of my pocket, I was extra careful.

I read it back then that if you really want to save up a couple of bucks, remove or untick the other offerings such as seat selector, food service, insurance, and especially additional luggage. You might think that they are just around a hundred or two, but if you add them up, you will save up to a thousand pesos.

Moreover, plan your vacation ahead of time, so when seat sales suddenly pop up, you know the dates that you are targeting. Just be mindful that fares for weekends and holidays are the ones quickly sold out or the prices don’t change.

PS. The “Piso” sale is just the base fare. If you look into your booking more, you’ll see that there are a lot of charges, taxes and other stuff you need to pay for.

Try out joiner trips

My friend and I were planning to go to Sagada by the end of December last year. We just weren’t able to push through for I have urgent family matters to attend to. Did you know that our three days and two nights stay in Sagada, including transportation, accommodation, driver’s fee and toll fee is for PHP 2,200 only? I asked a friend who’s living in Baguio and been going to Sagada and said the price we get is already low.

You won’t find a hard time getting affordable joiner trip packages online. Just hit it up on your Facebook search bar, there are tons of pages and individuals posting about this. Check their package or offers and try to compare it with the other travel agencies.

Canvass ahead of time

Some travelers easily let money slip out of their hands. Of course, since we are on a budget, we should not do that. Traveling on a budget requires canvassing ahead of time.

You should know the exact amount of your fares (back and forth), accommodation, food and miscellaneous expenses. It doesn’t mean that you are going to bring the same amount of what you’ve computed. Bring extra money is still a must. It’s just that you have to travel below your means. Spend when it is necessary or worth it. Personally, I believe it is okay to pay a little bit more when it comes to experiences or adventures that is unique to the place you are visiting.

Be practical – book hostels and inns

5-star hotel sounds cool and fancy, right? But if you are going after practicality, you should try out hostels and inns. Remember, you are traveling on a budget. You fare, or transportation already ate up a big chunk of your money and so your accommodation.

My former boss shared with us his travels in different countries with the top 10 highest skyscrapers around the globe. Aside from he is rich, he is also practical when it comes to his adventures. He may have all the money to book high-class hotels, but he opted to go to hostels. Imagine you will stay in London by paying 500 pesos per night?

There are now many travel websites that give you options on which to book – hotel, condo units, inns, etc. When my sister and I went to Kota Kinabalu last year, we stayed at a small inn, and it was worth it! The place is accessible and near to the beach.

Go for carenderias and food stalls

If you are after authentic food recipes, food stalls can beat the fancy restaurants. Ditch eating in fast food restaurants (unless it is your peg to try out a particular fast food chain in different countries) and go for the food stalls around the streets. Talk to the natives and ask for suggestions and tips. You will not go wrong listening to them!

Read travel blogs and posts

Maximize what we have today – social media. Don’t get tired of reading and reviewing their posts. Analyze if it is possible in your case or not. There is nothing wrong with getting inspiration or tips from others as long as you contextualize everything.

To put this short article, in the end, travel when you know you are financially ready and capable. You don’t have to be rich to go out of town or even of the country. You just have to be prepared for the expenses. Planning ahead of time and doing some research, including asking first-hand tips from friends or other people, will do a lot of help. So get your planner ready this 2018 and see how far you can go from your condo near bgc!

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