How To Travel For Dirt Cheap

Sometimes, the best films are created on a tiny budget. You know why? They have to think outside the box creatively because of money constraints. The same goes for travel. You'll need to think outside the box, but the stories you'll make because of that are priceless!

Here's how you can make your $$$ stretch whilst galivanting across the globe. 

Flights ✈️

• Always, always search for flights in an incognito window. Based on the cookies in your browser, flights you search for repetitively can rise in price so that you're panicked and feel the need to buy them ASAP! Rude, I know.
• Suss out a flight search engine that works for you. The best ones are Kayak, Momondo, Google Flights, and Skyscanner. I'm a real Skyscanner gal because I froth that you can see flight prices over a whole month and find the cheapest day! So handy.
• Speaking of, being flexible is the best way to nab cheap as chips flights. Flexible with your time and location.
• The sweet spot for a time to book flights is normally 4-6 weeks out.
• Choosing flights on weekdays will normally be cheaper.
• Booking a round ticket is oftentimes more exxy than booking two separate legs. 
• Since we're in the ass-end of space here in Aus, flying anywhere will make your wallet neg and will take foreeeever. But, if you're planning on going for a long trip and hitting a few countries up, look into round the world tickets. Instead of trying to piece together individual flights between points A, B, C and D, a round the world flight is a seamless journey that makes its way in one direction. For example, I once travelled from Australia to Thailand, Thailand to London, Germany to Canada, Canada to Australia. And it all cost $1800... A steal.

Accommodation 🏨

• The better the location, the higher the price. Duh. Finding accom on the outskirts of the city that still has good transport ops is the way to go. You don't wanna be spending even more money and wasting your time trying to get into the city. 
• I love hostels. They're cheap, they're everywhere, some offer free brekkie, you'll meet people from around the world, there are always events and activities... the list goes on. I've always relied on Hostelworld to find a good hostel (always check the reviews!)
• Booking.com always has deals on hotels, motels and everything in between. When searching, press "lowest first".
• Airbnb's are also bangin' and can sometimes end up cheaper than a hostel if you're in a big group. Always try to negotiate prices with hosts by directly contacting them, especially if you're staying for a while.

Food 🍕 

In a lot of destinations, food isn't an issue. In Thailand, you'll be paying $3 for lunch. Buuuut in others, having your three meals a day adds up!

• Capitalise on free breakfasts. Seriously. Like I said before, a lot of hostels have free brekkie. Say your hotel offers bagels for brekkie. Pocket one for lunch. Two meals for free.
• Make your meals ahead of time. Pack a salad or sandwich in your backpak and Bob's your uncle. Also sorry but I love seeing grocery stores around the world - it's fascinating.
• Ask locals for the cheap and good places to eat.
• Bring a water bottle everywhere! Ew to buying plastic bottles every day - that's exxy and bad for the environment.
• Of course, you'll wanna splurge every now and then - I mean, you're travelling after all! You need to take in the cuisine! 

Transport 🚆

• Taking overnight transport saved me a bucket tonne. Pop in some earbuds, rest on a pillow and catch some z's. You're killing two birds with one stone by combining accom and transport!
• Look into train passes. In Europe, for example, a Eurail Pass can offer you unlimited transport allllllll around the continent and is cheaper than just individual tickets. Plus, you'll stumble across unique places you wouldn't have even heard of! 
• Same goes for metro passes. Grab one for a few days or a week. You'll save in the long run.
• Suss out budget buses like Flix bus. You can nab some unreal deals.
• Random side note. Free walking tours are the GOAT. You'll walk around a city and get accustomed with the transport options, food, culture and history and it's ughh... free!?!

Work 💼

Obviously, there are so many options for you to work abroad. You could bartend, be an au pair, be a waitress... Whatever floats your dingy! If you aren't looking to commit to a working holiday visa though, you can work for short stints. Some unreal ops are: 

• Workaway: Keen to help build sustainable hotels in Chile? Fancy relaxing at a beachside tent resort in Hvar? Wanna help out a family with their restaurant in New Zealand? You can do all of this and more through Workaway. You’ll have your accom and food provided in exchange for a few hours work a day anywhere in the world, so it’s great if you’re strapped for cash!
• WWOOFing: WWOOFing is a bit like Workaway, except on farms! Get your accommodation and food taken care of in exchange for your work in the fields. This can be done all around the world, or in ya backyard in Aus!
• Hostel staff: If you know you want to spend an extended period of time in a country, working in a hostel will mean you get free accom and some meals in exchange for a few cruisey shifts a week. 

So no. Don't you even think about saying "I can't afford to travel". All you need to do is start thinking outside the box. 😉