Congratulations on finding the officialLow Budget Travel Checklist! This clear and easy-to-use overview will be a tremendous help when planning your budget-friendly trips. The checklist will be updated frequently so be sure to check back to this blog post from time to time! Contact us and let us know how this overview helped you, or if you have any additional tips and tricks we can share together! – PepTheWorld
Flights
Cheap flights
Best timeframe for booking cheap tickets
Most convenient: 7-5 weeks before departure date
Alternative: 10 months or more before departure date
You can look into the existing last-minute deals if you have no fixed destination in mind, but don’t postpone buying your ticket hoping for a better deal!
Book your travels in the ‘low-season’ if possible, find out which times are peak travel moments for your destination and avoid too many tourists and higher prices!
Compare the prices on different days of the week! Weekdays are normally cheaper than the weekend!
Be mindful of hidden extra flight costs such as excess baggage. Travelling ‘hand luggage only’ can reduce costs & save time-related stress.
Don’t get ‘cancellation insurance’ unless you feel you might need to use it.
Don’t pay for ‘seat selection’ unless you want to sit together with a big group. During check-in you will normally still have ample opportunities and otherwise you can always talk to other passengers and switch!
For frequent travellers or those who travel a longer period: chain cheap flights from low-budget airlines to go all around the world!
Free flights
Reward Stacking – Receive airpoints and other travel credit that can be used for booking free flights! Learning this principle will take a bit of time, but the return is amazing.
Turn your layovers into long-term stopovers so you are able to visit multiple destinations for the price of one ticket!
Accommodations
Cheap Accommodations
Hostels: cheap lodging in bunkrooms, hostels offering other low-budget aid as well (such as a kitchen). Check out the HostelWorld link for the best hostel prices!
AirBnB: stay with locals and get decent rooms at low prices. Click on this link for free credit when creating a new account!
Booking.com: Sort the prices ascending to find great deals in every possible destination. Click the link for get even better prices (additional partner discount) in the chosen location.
Be mindful of the location of your accommodation: going too far from where you want to be can increase your transportation costs!
Free Accommodations
Couchsurfing: Stay with locals for free and maybe even make a friend for life! They can show you around or give local advise as well.
Stay with locals: ask them for a room in exchange for a helping hand.
Transportation
Car Rentals : Compare not only the display prices but read reviews. Car rentals can have bad reviews and turn out to be much more expensive in the end! Be aware of the ‘fine print’ on your contract.
Buses: a cheap way to travel, and you can see the country. But they are usually a bit slower, and can strongly deviate from the schedule.
Taxis: can be expensive and risky. Be sure to agree on a predetermined price or ask the driver to turn the meter on. See if you can share the cost with others going to nearby destinations.
Uber services (car – scooter) will usually be a cheap alternative and you can even compare different apps to get the best price.
Walking is the cheapest transportation method, healthy as well but be smart about the efficiency of your trip. Don’t tire yourself out if you can experience much more for $1.
Bicycles are a great way to go around some cities. In some countries city bikes can be found everywhere!
Hitchhiking: suitable only in some countries and for some travellers, research in advance! You can offer to share the fuel cost.
Scooter Rental: Perfect and a cheap way (both rental costs & fuel) to visit some cities, be sure you can drive a scooter properly and avoid some dangerous traffic situations.
Try to combine transportation and accommodation by using a sleeper train or overnight bus!
Compare sailing times for ferries and different companies!
Sometimes local fishermen will bring you to your destination much cheaper than a tourist boat.
Want to do something interesting and not low budget? Try a hot air balloon, helicopter or segway.
Food
Eat where the locals eat: lower prices and often better and more authentic food.
Visit local markets, great atmosphere and you can sample foods at a cheap price.
Eat from supermarkets: don’t eat in restaurants too frequent. Buy premade meals, snacks and drinks in the local shops.
Buy ingredients and cook by yourself or with a group if you can!
Make sure you have some snacks and drinks on you at all times, this will ensure you never have to pay the overly expensive ‘only offers’!
Bring foods onto the airplane, don’t buy them there as they will be expensive.
Drink fountains: in some places you can save a lot by using the ‘drinkwater fountains’.
Use a Filtered Travel Can: these filter and purify water to make it drinkable. It is cheaper, more safe, and better for the environment!
If you want to drink alcohol: wait until happy hour for better prices and atmosphere!
Other Valuable Tips
Don’t withdraw money too often to avoid stacking service charges. Calculate how much you’ll need and plan ahead. Don’t withdraw everything at once and keep your money separated for safety reasons.
Compare banks and ATM’s because service charges can differ or there might be no service charge at all!
Before taking an additional travel insurance, be sure to check your other insurances to see if you aren’t already covered!
Vaccinations: while you should not save money on these if they are recommended, be sure to read the safety guidelines and regulations of your destination to avoid unnecessary vaccinations.
Souvenirs: are precious memories of your travels, our belief is that you shouldn’t save too much on them.
Backpacking will stop you from buying too many souvenirs as you will not have a lot of room for them and need to carry everything with you, unless you collect and send them home.
Be sure to compare prices and quality as usually souvenirs will be sold by multiple vendors and often at very high tourist rates. Ask locals for advice and be sure to bargain if the culture allows it!
Don’t go TOO FAST or try to do TOO MUCH at once during your travels. FOMO (Fear of missing out) is a big issue for many people (including myself) but rushing a trip will make you miss out on really experiencing the destination and faster travel will usually cost more too!
I hope you found all these tips helpful! If you have any additional tips and tricks that we can add, be sure to get in touch! Together we will make this checklist the key tool for planning budget friendly travels! Thank you for reading and be sure to check out the other amazing content on this website. – PepTheWorld
With a new brand name comes a new introduction video! I have been looking all over the internet and compared many different video making and editing applications, both online as desktop-based. I was trying to find one that could match the idea I envisioned in my head. After trying out tens of different options, I was beginning to lose hope. But finally, I found what I was looking for : Renderforest.
Key features that I find important are ease-of-use, beautiful and easy to customize templates, and in the case of an online platform; stability and processing speed. What I like about Renderforest is that it allows anyone to create amazing trailers and videos without needing technical skills. Furthermore it is very Youtube compatible!
The software offers you free video production services online. The free tools let you create professional quality presentations, intros, slideshows and much more. The software is particularly useful in making explainer video production for start-ups and small businesses who cannot afford to have an IT team.
Key features that convinced me
On the first look, Renderforest seems to be a quite feature rich video maker. The video making interface offers some great tools that you can use. Here is a full list of features:
Stability & Performance While we were working with Renderforest, one thing that really impressed me was the stability of the web application and the speed with which our created videos were rendered.
Templates As a novice video maker, your first concern must be creating a layout for your video. Renderforest offers the best solutions for that. The software provides some templates in various categories; such as Logo Reveal, Flipping Slideshow, Promotion, Company Introduction, Story Promotion, App Promotion, Music Visualizer, Animated video clips, etc. In short, you will find a predesigned template for almost every requirement of yours.
While the templates offer great variety regarding purpose, you’ll get many great options regarding typography too. Some of the attractive typography templates are Brush Typography, Wrap Typography, etc.
While you get a lot of choices for professional video, there are some awesome templates for personal videos such as Valentine Day’s video care, Wedding Videos too. And the greatest thing is Renderforest keeps adding new templates to its already superb collections.
Compatibility Another very important feature that drew our attention is compatibility. The videos rendered through this software are fully compatible with desktop, laptop, tablets and smartphones. So, no matter where your viewer is watching it, he/she will get the best viewing experience.
This indeed is a very useful feature, especially if you want to send out your videos to a larger audience. This way you can ensure that your message will reach your viewers no matter what device they are using.
Editing Interface Renderforest is probably the easiest video maker software out there. The editing interface is a breeze to use. You can change almost every aspect of your chosen template to customize it. Starting from pictures and text till color scheme, you can customize them all according to your preference without any IT help.
The editing tools let you add music or voice-overs to make your video look more presentable. We found the voice-over feature quite crucial for explainer video production.
Self-Explanatory & Ease of Use
We registered to Renderforest to access the user-friendliness of the software. The registration process is pretty simple. You can register with only basic information such as your name and e-mail address.
There is no need to provide any card details to register to the website. Once you register, you can immediately start creating your video in an easy 3 step process.
Step 1: The first move is to select a template for your video. Browse through the array of excellent templates and choose one according to your requirement. Once chosen select the same, and you’ll reach the editing interface.
Step 2: Now upload your photographs that you want to include in your video. You can use the editing tools here and add texts, change colors, add voice-over, etc.
The editing tools are pretty simple to use and being completely novice in video making we found it pretty smooth.
Step 3: Once you are satisfied with the sequence of the pictures, music, and texts, just render your video. With the one click, you’ll get your professionally designed high-quality video that you can use for business presentations, e-mail marketing or personal purpose.
Plans & Pricing
There are three types of pricing plans available for Renderforest. For complete details of pricing navigate here.
1. Subscription Plans
2. Pay Per Export
3. Handcrafted Video Production This package exclusively offers Explainer video production services to businesses. The price is customized as per the requirement of the industries concerned. As you can see in the first two pricing categories, the basic plan is entirely free of cost. While this basic plan is quite enough for personal usages and small businesses, videos bear the Renderforest watermark on all free packages. If the watermark does not bother you much, then you can use the free package as long as you want. Although for advanced services and features, going for a higher package is no doubt recommended. Sign Up Now
Conclusion
After reviewing all the features and aspects of the software, PepTheWorld strongly recommend Renderforest for professional and personal use. The reasons are as follows:
Great easy to use.
An amazing array of templates.
Easy free registration.
Economical & Flexible pricing options.
Unlimited free usage.
Fast & Professional support service
Renderforest is truly the best free video making software available today. Give it a try and I’ll look forward to see your newly Rendered movies!
I have always been fascinated by Cambodia. Located between Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Cambodia is most famous for their ‘8th wonder of the world’ Angkor Wat. Whenever I read articles about Cambodia, look into travel itineraries or listen to stories of people who visited the country, one reoccurring aspect I never understand is that usually a trip to Cambodia will be combined with one or more neighbouring countries and tours will only spend a few days in this wonderful place, stopping at the capital and Angkor Wat. So I started looking into what else Cambodia had to offer. And what I found was more than I could ever imagine… In March 2019, I finally set out to discover this often underrated country and prove that Cambodia is much more than Angkor Wat!
I hope you enjoy this post and it can inspire you to add Cambodia to your travel list. I will be sharing my stories and many money-saving tips so you can get the most out of your Cambodia experience! Be sure to check the CONCLUSION, TOTAL COST and FAQ sections at the end of this post for some surprising reveals! I’ll look forward to hear your opinion so feel free to get back to me on social media or in the comment section.
Itinerary
I spend 12 days travelling around Cambodia (which is still not enough to see all I had found). Since I’ve explored both the Northern and Southern cities, and most major roads pass through the capital city, the itinerary will include Phnom Penh more than once. This is convenient since there is plenty to experience in this marvellous city!
Day 1 : Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s Capital
Day 2 : Siem Reap, Gateway to the Angkor complex
Day 3 : Angkor Wat Archeological Park
Day 4 : Siem Reap & Battambang
Day 5 : Battambang
Day 6 : Battambang & Phnom Penh
Day 7 : Phnom Penh & Kep
Day 8 : Kep & Kampot
Day 9 : Bokor National Park
Day 10 : Sihanoukville
Day 11 : Koh Rong
Day 12 : Back to Phnom Penh
A short word about my ‘travel style’. I spend enough time in each location to truly experience the culture, see all the important sights and visit the popular attractions. I will be actively going from place to place. Feel free to take some more time to relax and adjust this travel plan to match your travel pace!
I divide all local attractions and sights in three categories: Essential Attractions, Recommended Sights and Optional Places. I will also be sharing recommendations on the best lodgings that I’ve compared for you, divided in two categories: best low-cost and best value for money. Be sure to use the provided links so you can get even lower prices where possible!
Phnom Penh
Essential Attractions
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum – $5
Royal Palace – $10
Central Market
Recommended Sights
Choeung Ek Killing Fields – $3
Night Market
Optional Places
National Museum – $5
Wat Phnom – $1
Russian Market
Skybars
Where to stay in Phnom Penh?
I always try out different places so I can compare and offer the best advice for my readers. Furthermore, you can use the links underneath to receive additional discounts when booking your lodgings! Be sure to use them to help yourself save money while supporting the free content on this website!
Best Low-Cost: I found some great, budget-friendly homestays that allow you to stay in the capital city for a low price! Since I spend 3 nights in Phnom Penh, I wanted to try out three different places to be able to share the best advice. I stayed in Pich Guesthouse on the first night, Lakeside Guesthouse the second time I came to Phnom Penh and the Burly Guesthouse on the last night.
Best Value for Money: If you want some more luxury while still having a good price/quality experience, I can recommend the Sarina Hotel & village or The Bridge Club.
Airbnbis a great choice for accommodation if you are staying longer than one night in Phnom Penh. You can pick from private rooms, studios, to 5 bedroom apartments! If you have not used Airbnb I highly recommend it.
Siem Reap
Essential Attractions
Angkor Archeological park (1 day) – $39
Recommended Sights
Apsara Dance Show + dinner buffet – $12
Siem Reap/Angkor Night Market (Street 8)
Optional Places
The Floating Village on Tonle Sap Lake (Boat trip) – $20
Best Low-Cost: I spend both nights in the Siem Reap Pub Hostel since it has a good central location, provides assistance with booking local activities and has one of the better prices. And as a bonus you can use their beautiful pool!
After a visit to the Angkor Wat Archeological Park, you go back to Siem Reap and stay in any of the places listed above. Or use the provided Booking.com & Airbnb links to try something new!
Battambang
Essential Attractions
Bamboo Train Experience – $5 + $1 tip
Phnom Sampov Complex + Killing Cave – $2
Watch millions of bats fly out of the Phnom Sampov Bat Cave!
Best Low-Cost: Two really budget friendly but still decent options for staying are the Shanghai Guest House and the Lucky Hostel. Both places offer rooms and very low rates, of course you’ll only have the basics. Be sure to take rooms with AC if you go in the dry season!
Best Value for Money: But since hotels in Battambang are among the lowers around, this is the perfect place to enjoy a luxurious 4-star experience very cheap! Be sure to check out the Vimean Sovannaphoum Resort and the Phka Villa Hoteland enjoy all they have to offer!
Best Low-Cost: The Rega Guest House offers nice rooms at low prices, and is located close to the pier going to Koh Thonsáy! Be sure to book a room with AC, the few extra dollars are worth it.
Best Value for Money: Kep has some amazingly beautiful hotels, but most of them are quite pricy. That’s why the Kep Bay Hotel & Resort and the Mealea Resort are two perfect options for those who want to have the full ‘Resort Experience’ while still paying reasonable prices. And with these links you will pay even less. 😉
Best Low-Cost: I couldn’t pass up the chance to stay in a swamp bungalow next to the river, so I booked the night at the Kampot River Bungalow. The nearby Kapot River Residence allows you to stay in a traditional Khmer house, surrounded by beautiful scenery. I can recommend both as they offer more than just lodgings, your stay will become an experience!
Where to stay in Bokor: If you want to stay in the heart of the Bokor National Park instead of returning to Kampot, the Thansur Sokha Hotel will be an unforgettable experience and the perfect place from where to explore the entire national park!
Sihanoukville
Essential Attractions
Otres Beach
Two-way Fast Ferry to Koh Rong – $22 (slow boats from $5)
Best Low-Cost: Most low-cost lodgings can be found in and around the Otres village. I stayed over at Arny’s Rest Guesthouse, and also checked out Mama Clares, another low-priced bungalow near the waterfront.
Best Value for Money: Many large hotels are currently being build to support the expected wave of increased tourism in Sihanoukville. The ones that offer the best value for money here are the Samot Baitong Resort for those who want to stay near Otres beach, or the Grand Sihanouk Ville hotel if you prefer to stay closer to the city centre and the pier going to Koh Rong.
Best Low-Cost: I enjoyed my stay at the Highland Beach Bungalow, from where I had a nice view over the nearby village. If you don’t mind being a small boat ride from the main pier to Coconut Beach, the Coconut Beach Bungalows offer nice low-budget lodgings and they provide pick-up from the main pier as well.
Best Value for Money: Koh Rong has some breathtakingly beautiful hotels with their own private beach, asking hundreds of dollars a night. Don’t burn all your money on these places, when some more budget-friendly alternatives provide the same comforts, such as the Koh Rong Hill Beach Resort for the beach life feeling or the Tamu Koh Rong if you want to have a jungle-themed experience!
To summarize, Cambodia has much to offer travellers wanting to discover this beautiful country, so I can recommend everyone who wants to see the world to go there at least once. Take your time to go around and you’ll find that whether you’re looking for adventure, culture, history or relaxation, Cambodia can offer it all! And if you can only spend a few days in Cambodia, I’d recommend focusing on the Northern part, from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Battambang, if possible.
Total Cost
So let’s take a look at the budget you’ll need to have this full 12 day Cambodia experience that takes you all over the country and let’s you see all essential and recommended activities . This overview included every location listed in the itinerary above, with the mentioned low-cost lodings, transportation and food! This cost is based on my experience when I traveled through Cambodia in March 2019 using the secrets and tips from this blog!
Flight, visa and vaccines were not added since this cost depend on your personal situation. For Cambodia the entry visa costs $30 or $36 for an e-visa. People from exempt countries (click link for list) do not need a visa to gain entry. Be sure to check out the various travel hacks to greatly reduce the price of flight tickets.
FAQ
Which place was the highlight of your trip?
From time to time people will ask me which of the places on this itinerary stood out the most, and people often seem shocked or surprised by my answer. My favorite city might not be as famous as the Angkor Archeological Park (which definitely needs to be on your travel list!) or the historical sights in Phnom Penh that will create lasting impressions, but in my opinion there is no better place to see and experience the real Cambodia then … Battambang. What is even more important to understand is that the window of opportunity to experience this wonderful city the way it is today, is slowing closing. Battambang is becoming more and more developed and tourist-focused, and I am certain it will become a major tourist location in the near future!
How many days should I plan to visit the Angkor Wat Archeological Park?
In my opinion, 1 full day is enough to see the most impressive temples in the complex and really feel how impressive this world heritage site is. To clarify, you cannot see everything there is to see in this one day. There are many tours that offer a ‘sunrise to sunset‘ package, and personally I loved. I also overheard tourists who only visited for half a day, stating that “after a while the temples start to feel alike”. I think this feeling depends on how much you love the historical and cultural aspect of travelling. I found something unique in every temple I visited, but I know some people will not feel the same.
Another reason why 1 day will be enough is because the ticket for foreigners to enter the Angkor Archeological Park is $39, and a two-day ticket is double that price. Only starting from three days does the daily rate become a bit cheaper. And lastly, there are many more temples in Cambodia than those the Angkor Archeological Park. If you’re travelling around the country, you’ll definitely visit some other unique temples, so keep this in mind as well.
How can I best get around the Angkor Wat Archeological Park?
It is recommended to have your own tuk-tuk driver to drive you around, they will be able to show you the best places. You can also go with an organized tour. I do not advise using bicycles (especially in the dry season you’ll be too tired to visit the temples and drive around on a bicycle in the burning sun) or pay for the elephant rides. One of the cheapest ways to go around is renting a scooter with a driver, as foreigners are not allowed to drive around on their own! If you have the money, you can also look into the helicopter or balloon rides.
Studying abroad is becoming more and more popular every year, and there is a steady increase in the number of student funding programmes that support people wanting to take this international step. There are without a doubt many benefits to studying abroad, some closely related to others. So I have brought them all together to offer a clear overview of the ‘6 decisive reasons to study abroad’.
Hope you enjoy this post, let us know your experiences or questions and follow LifeStep to stay updated on these exciting opportunities!
1. Travel The World
An important benefit to studying abroad is that you will have the unique chance to explore a new part of the world. The host country might have a completely new atmosphere, natural wonders and urban designs. You will also be able to travel to other nearby countries that are now closer to you and discover what they have to offer as well!
You will arrive in an exciting new place with a new culture and new people that have their own unique customs and traditions. They will have their own foods that you can sample, famous landmarks to visit and special events to attend! When you live in another country for some time, the experience is completely different compared to going there on holiday. You will really have the time to soak in this culture and it will become a part of you forever!
2. Increase Your Opportunities
There are several reasons why studying abroad opens many new doors in your future. First of all, your global experience and international degree will look great on your CV! It shows potential employers that you are committed to your education. Students that study abroad demonstrate flexibility and will gain a global perspective!
In many cases students will even decide that they want to start working in the host country after their studies. Since you made the smart choice to study abroad, you will now have a wider range of international jobprospects to choose from. Furthermore, your native language and knowledge gained in the past will be unique and thus valuable in your new host country. These are all qualities that employers will notice and it will give you an advantage when looking for work!
If instead you choose that you want to continue studying after your first international experience, the same traits will also impress school admissions boards! These boards hold students with international experiences in high regards. And don’t be discouraged when it comes to the costs of studying abroad, as international student funding is becoming more and more common.
There are many scholarships and funding opportunities out there. Follow LifeStep on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on these new international offers or contact us to make a plan for your future together!
3. Enhance Your Education
“Education is your passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
When you study abroad, you will have the chance to experience a completely new style of education. The educational systems are very different in various parts of the world. This diversity does not only allow you to choose the best institutes matching your academic interests, but it will also broaden your knowledge in ways that were not possible before. The contents of many courses is still strongly influenced by social and cultural standards. You might even pick up information that leads to new insights and allows you to review the things you thought you knew about life. And this is one of the main ways to broaden your mindset, this is what education is all about!
4. Improve Your Language Skills
Everyone who has studied languages knows that one of the best ways to learn and retain them, is to speak the language frequently with native speakers. Picking up a new language in the host country ensures that you learn it the correct way, with the right pronunciation and focus. There is often no better motivation for improving a language then having to use it daily and communicate with people without having an alternative to fall back on.
Locals we be very happy when they see that you are making an effort to speak their language. They will also be willing to correct and assist you if you ask them. This means you will always have chances to practice and improve!
5. Make International Friends
Another reason why you should consider studying abroad is that you are almost guaranteed to make new lifelong international friends! You will meet people from all over the world that made the same choice you did and will be in the same situation. This feeling of unity instantly creates a bond that can grow into strong friendships! You will also meet many local people. This community can help you with the adventure ahead and if you keep an open mind you might learn many things from them as well!
“Become friends with people who aren’t your age. Hang out with people whose first language isn’t the same as yours. Get to know someone who doesn’t come from your social class. This is how you see the world. This is how you grow.”
If you take the time to get to know the people around you, studying abroad gives you the chance to have an international network of friends that will support your future. I can encourage anyone to try and make friends with people from all over the world!
6. Boost Your Personal Development
“Be the energy you want to attract.”
By choosing to study abroad, you are giving yourself new chances to boost your personal development and become a better version of yourself. You will have experiences that improve personal traits such as independence and a global mind-set. You learn to appreciate the simple things like your home and family more. Seeing things in a different light can make you more grateful and optimistic. You will acquire insights and make valuable memories that you take with you into the future!
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and it motivates you to consider international study opportunities. Follow LifeStep on Facebook & Instagram to stay updated on new opportunities!
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out my other blog posts and share your thoughts and experiences! Thank you for reading – Pepijn DC / NoBudgetTravel
There are many ways that travellers can help each other save money while exploring the world! If you are fortunate enough to have like-minded travel companions the possibilities for sharing travel costs are seemingly endless! But even if you travel alone, you will cross paths with many people who will be happy to cooperate with you if you ask them!
For many people walking up to a stranger and striking up a conversation can feel unnatural. Follow me on social media and keep an eye on this blog to learn ‘how you can easily talk to a stranger’! – Pepijn DC
I’ll go over some of the main aspects of any trip and how you can share these costs with others. If you have any other creative ideas or want to share experiences, let me know in the comment section!
Sharing Transportation
Not all methods of transportation are costs that you can share. While plane or train tickets will often have a price per person, you can easily share a taxi, uber or any rental vehicle. In this post I will focus on sharing costs, but there many other ways to reduce transportation costs that will be revealed in a later post!
Let’s give a concrete example: your flight is over and the plane touches down at the destination airport. Usually airports are located some distance from the cities they are associated with. The moment you exit the airport you and most other passengers have a shared goal; find some way to get to the city centre. Playing in on this need, cab drivers will be waiting for you the moment you leave the exit gate.
Here’s what I will do in this situation and how you can start saving money!
First I will check if there is a local uber service available because those prices will be much more agreeable than what the cab drivers offer.
I will look around for fellow travellers leaving the airport and usually it won’t take me long to find some that show any of the following signs that they have the same goal as you:
Focusing on the cab drivers, indicating they did not arrange any pick-up yet.
Staring at their phones, using uber or map apps trying to figure out their next step.
Looking completely confused or disoriented.
If you see travellers looking in the distance while refusing cab offers, or if they look like locals, these are signs that they probably already arranged pick-up and might not be suitable candidates for sharing costs.
Once I see travellers that show the right signs, I will approach them and ask if they are also heading towards the city centre. Once they confirm, ask if they want to share a cab or uber. You should be answered with some happy smiles and nodding.
We can all work, but together we win!
In this way I have saved quite a bit on transportation costs, sharing with travel companions but also with people that were complete strangers until the moment I walked up to them. And you can do it anywhere, ask around in the lobby of your hotel or homestay if anyone else is planning to go to where you need to go. Who knows you might even make a friend or two!
Try it out and let me know how it goes! I’ll be happy to hear your stories as well.
Sharing the cost of Attractions
While many attractions will have an entrance fee per visitor, there are practical and clever ways you can lower this cost by working together with others.
Group discounts: often attractions will have discounts for groups reaching a certain number of people. Some places have lots of people lining up at the entrance. So why not talk to a few of them, suggest that you want to buy tickets together and everyone can pay less? It can make a big difference. If you never thought of it before, you will now! Be sure not to forget other available discounts such as student/local reductions as well.
When you see attractions or tours where no clear price is displayed, this usually means that there is room for bargaining and another vendor close by might be selling the same. In this situation having more people join is a strong way to lower the individual price.
Sometimes the price is not determined per person but by ‘service’, for example renting a boat or guide. It is self-explanatory that sharing this service with others, even those not in your travel group, will allow you to share the cost and the experience while meeting new people!
Sharing Lodgings
Hotels and homestays use up a big part of your travel budget. You can greatly reduce this cost by sharing the price of any room with your travel partners. But there are even ways you can use the help of strangers to save money! There are several platforms and apps out there such as ShareARoom that bring travellers with this goal together. Or if you want to experience the local lifestyle, you can always share a room with local people. A well-known platform for this is couchsurfing.
Sharing Food
You read it correct, food! Even here I’ve found that there are ways to share costs that might at the same time even improve your health.
While the main benefit of sharing dishes is that you can try different tastes and experiences, I have learned that sharing one meal at a time before ordering the next one will result ordering less overall and having fewer leftovers. But what is even more interesting is that after your first meal you can evaluate if you are still hungry enough for another round. And guess what… you might be surprised to notice that often you’re quite satiated.
Sharing Economy
Just a quick word on the ‘sharing economy’. This refers to organisations that facilitate the sharing of goods and services between individuals for a price. This price will usually be lower than what is commercially available, or it might even be in the form of a trade. Some examples of this are:
Airbnb: This platform is great for finding budget-friendly alternatives to hotels. Locals rent you a room and often give you travel advice about the area as well. I have found some great budget-friendly places that were even nicer than the expensive hotels in the area that I will share in my travel guides! Click this link to make your Airbnb account and get €30discount on your first booking (while supporting this blog as well!).
Housesitting: Another great example of sharing economy is housesitting, where people offer their houses as lodgings in return keeping an eye on their place. Or how about taking care of a pet in return for a free room? Check out sites like housesitmatch.com to find opportunities like these all over the world!
Tracking apps
When you go travelling with others it is useful to have some way to keep track of the expenses made. In the past it could be time-consuming and impractical to settle these expenses if for example some of your group didn’t have the right cash on hand. Fortunately there are several good (and free) apps out there nowadays such as Splitwise or SettleUp that make it easy to keep track of expenses and settle them smoothly.
I hope this advice gives you new insights on how to save money while travelling! Let me know what your experiences are and enjoy roaming the world budget-free! – Pepijn DC
Whenever people tell me they dream of travelling around the world and I ask them why don’t go for it, I usually get the same answer… money.
I’m here to show you that you don’t need a big budget to follow your travel dreams. In this article I will give a short summary of the main guidelines you can follow to travel budget-free, and for each one I will add a link to the detailed post withpracticaland concrete examples where I reveal how to be successful at no budget travel. Enjoy reading and I’ll see you somewhere around the globe!
An introduction
We all like to travel in our own way, some will plan an intense jungle trek and others prefer to relax on a beach with a cocktail. Some will travel all over the globe and others choose to stay closer to home. But one thing we can all agree on, travelling creates memories and experiences that stay with us forever and allow us to grow as people.
Those benefits are invaluable and you cannot put a price on that. Unfortunately there is almost always a price and it can be difficult to follow your dreams when you don’t have the right budget for it. But money should never be the reason to stop yourself from following your dreams, whether they are travel-related or not! I will share with you what I’ve learned and how I am able to travel budget-free, hoping it inspires all of you to go out there and follow your own dreams too!
The Guidelines for No Budget Travel
1. Share travel costs
Starting with the most important and often overlooked way to soften the financial impact of any trip; travel or engage with like-minded people and share costs. There are many advantages to travelling with others and the financial aspect is not even the most important one. But it is a simple fact that everybody likes to pay less if possible (win-win) so this practice will allow you to save a lot of money. Even if you are travelling alone, there are still many situations in which you can walk up to your fellow travellers and help each other out!
“Every travel expense is linked to people, who sell a product or service. One should never forget the human factor and the value of interpersonal skills.”
Think about the place where you’ve lived your entire life. If you care about your finances, then by now you know hundreds of tips and tricks that allow you to spend your money wisely. You know where to get the best prices, who to ask if you need help and in what way other locals value goods and services. Now imagine you didn’t know any of those things, that you were dropped in a strange place and had to figure things out on your own. You might be paying double or triple the value of anything for a while before you discover you are being overcharged or there is a cheaper/free alternative. But you are not alone on this planet and I have learned that by default people like helping people. Engaging with locals doesn’t only allow you to better understand the culture of any place you visit but they can often help you save big sums of money. And all it takes is a simple hello and a smile, two things that many of us find so difficult to share nowadays.
There are many advantages to meeting locals and learning from them. In turn, we are all locals ourselves and should help our fellow humans in the same way. In a later post I will share experiences and go into detail on how interacting with locals can help you save a lot money and give you unforgettable memories. So be sure follow my social media to get updates!
When we travel, most of us want to discover the places and have the experiences that our chosen destination is best known for, and rightfully so! I will not be one of those people giving the advice to ‘avoid the tourist places’, because that would make absolutely no sense! You want to be able to discover these wonders and share that experience. But this doesn’t mean that you should stay there all the time. I have often experienced that going out of the tourist areas can create the best memories and offer many interesting opportunities. Having a meal in any main tourist street can be 2-3 times more expensive and only half as delicious or well-prepared. A less-known attraction might give their best effort to ensure that you spread the word and help them grow. I have found many of these opportunities all over the globe that are usually cheaper or even free and I will share these hidden gems with you in my various travel guides on this blog. Be sure they check them out and let me know how your experience was!
This is an well-known marketing practice for many enterprises, such as airline companies offering cheaper flights during the midweek or certain attractions that might even have one free day every month . But there are many less-obvious opportunities out there that can really help save lots of money. Finding or recognizing them is the challenge, so I will share specific examples in the blog post linked underneath this paragraph and tell you where to find these special offers in my various travel guides. Once you know how to spot them, you will see them everywhere and your required travel budget will greatly decrease!
Please follow nobudgettravel on instagram and facebook to receive notifications when this detailed post is available and stay up to date on other secrets that will forever improve your travels! – Pepijn DC
This last guideline is the one where everyone will have different standards, so I’ll put it at the end of this post and it is up to every one of us to decide where we are on this scale. Ask yourself, which luxuries have only very little added-value but which comforts are we not willing to give up? With me for example I don’t need a lot of luxury but I won’t sleep in large dorms with many beds and people, even if that’s the most budget-friendly option. It is evident that the more people can embrace the ‘No-Budget’ lifestyle, the less budget you will need. And if you can reach a certain level, you will be able to travel without having to care much about budget at all.
But I want to share one realization that many travellers can agree with: life only begins at the end of your comfort zone. Try to push your boundaries even once and see how it will open your eyes to new possibilities and experiences.
In summary
These are the five guidelines for ‘No Budget’ Travel. Keep them in mind and check my other blog posts and social media to find out how we can all apply these practices in specific situations to save money and greatly improve our travel experience!
Have many wonderful budget-free travels, thank you for reading! – Pepijn DC
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