Travelling on a Budget

We always dream of going to places, exploring the world, and discovering new things. The question is, how much will we be spending for that vacation? Well, what I can say is…

“Don’t worry about the money, just make it work.”

Travelling nowadays doesn’t mean spending too much. There are several ways to maximize your travelling allowance and be able to visit more places Going on a vacation or even on a quick weekend getaway is what we always look forward after spending eight long hours a day, five days a week, in our office desks. We’ve been battling from everyday traffic jams, meeting deadlines and pressures from our boss and co-workers. Weekends are for our family and for us. It’s our time to relax and leave the paper-works behind. Why not go on a vacation? Or treat yourself to a full-body massage or go spoil yourself to something you’ve always wanted to have or eat? Believe it or not, it’s all worth it.

Nonetheless, saving for that awaited vacation has been a challenge nowadays. Most of us need to pay for the rents, water and electric bills.  But, as the saying goes “If there’s a will, there’s always a way.” Always look on the brighter side, that despite all these bills, you can still save and plan ahead.

Below are some tips that might help you save and plan for that dream vacation and reward yourself:

Know your Finances

Being familiar with how much you earned each month contributes a lot. It can make you see to it that you are earning more than what you are spending. Make sure that you are fully aware of your daily rate so you won’t be tempted to be absent on days that you’re just too lazy to get up.  A Php500-Php1,000 deduction on your monthly salary makes a big difference.  In addition to this, monitor the monthly contributions your company takes from your taxable income because some takes more than what should have been taken or some were not posted. The good thing about this is you can now check your monthly contribution online.

Be Practical

Despite being familiar with how much you earn each month, if you’re being impractical, all efforts would be wasted. I did not say be a “kuripot”, but be practical. If you’re early, instead of hiring a cab why not take public transportation going to work? Pack a lunch instead of spending on fast-food chains. It’s even healthier if you pack your own lunch. Make your own coffee instead of those that can be bought from several cafes, include in your grocery list the food that you can easily eat during coffee breaks like biscuits, cookies and nuts. Remember that buying bigger packs or in dozens is much cheaper. Through this, you can save a lot and that would make part of your vacay allowance.

Plan Ahead

Plan, plan, and plan ahead. Nothing beats being prepared. Planning ahead means setting your expectations and calculating your estimated expenses. Checking several accommodations and means of transportation give you insights on how much will be the estimated cost of your travel. Check online for blogs and articles and that may help you familiarize the place and expenses.

Take Advantage of Promos and Discounts

I am one of those who go for the discounted rates than paying for the full amount. I always take advantage of freebies for it’s my way of saving. If you’re planning on visiting places where the only means of transportation is through air, might as well book a plane ticket few months before your desired travel dates. Some airlines give 50-60% discounts on tickets booked a year before your desired flight. They even have this so-called “piso-fare” where you’ll only pay one peso for the fare plus fees and taxes. So, roughly that will be less than Php1,000.00.

In terms of accommodation and hotel bookings, try not to book online unless you’re checking-in during peak seasons. But if it’s off-peak, some hotels offer big discount for walk-in clients and wouldn’t it be a great time to explore the area and compare prices of the nearby hotels?

Food is also where we spend more than anything else. So try picking hotels where they serve free meals. But for me, I always go for inns where they allow backpackers or visitors to cook and use their kitchen.

Go for Relaxation and Enjoyment Instead of Luxury

This mostly applies to your choice of hotel and food taste. As for me, in terms of accommodation, I’d rather go to something with a comfortable bed and private bathroom. I’m not really very specific if the room is fully air-condition or just the basic fan-room; as long as I have a comfortable bed to sleep after a tiring day of exploring the place.

For food choice, I’d recommend trying their local delicacies and explore those small food business because most of the time, they have the traditional and original recipe for food than those that can be found in expensive restaurants.

Go in Groups

I’m not actually recommending tour packages as some groups were combined with other groups especially if you’re only a group of five. Try the “DIY Travel” or Do it yourself travel where you go in groups (friends, relatives, colleagues), taking public transportation and making your own travel itinerary.

Travelling in groups means divided expenses; from your accommodation to your food. Most restaurants nowadays serve group meals depending on how many are you in your group. Accommodations are cheaper for four persons or more.

And isn’t it fun exploring the world, discovering new places, having a taste of different local cuisines, and letting go of that wanderlust inside you together with your friends and/or family?

Pack Light

Most of the times we tend to pack more than what we really need to bring during our travel. But nowadays, backpacking is in trend. Anyone would not want spending their travel allowance for that excess baggage. I highly recommend packing shampoos and hair conditioner in sachets, small soap, and everything else in sachets or small bottles as long as it can be put in there. Sachets and bottles can easily be inserted in between your folded cloths saving you space for other things. (Reminder for travelling through air: never bring with you bottles of perfumes and other chemicals that might cause fire or explode).

Have an extra bag (small ones: like sling or shoulder bag) where you can put all your important things like your phone, camera and wallet so that you can easily carry them around with you.

Always remember that travelling isn’t about how much you’ve spent; it’s about the memories we’ve gained. It’s about how you learned new things, captured photos which will continuously remind you of that beautiful moment, the people you met and new relationships built.

Explore the world! Be always young and free. Take more pictures, storage is unlimited, memories are fleeting and life is short.

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I hope these tips help you in planning for that travel you’ve always wanted. If you have some more tips that can help other readers save money, feel free to comment below or share it with me.  Ciao!