Mon has already chatted through some great ways to start saving for your backpacker travels – but what about once you’re on the road?
Yup money will be at the fore front of your mind through all your adventures, but if you manage it and are sensible there’s no reason that it should ruin your mood!
I’ve been on the road for a few years now so I’ve picked up a few handy tips for saving money – so here’s 5 of my top tips for saving whilst you’re on the road…
Last Minute Deals
Last minute travel deals are a great way to keep your bank balance healthy whilst bouncing around. Things like standby rates on trips and accommodation are more common than you think so keep an eye out.
If time is on your side being flexible enough to accommodate a few days waiting around for a spot to open up can soon let the savings mount up.
Pre Booking
On the flip side of waiting until the last minute is pre booking things, which is something Sam mention with her pre travel tips. When I left for Australia I knew I wanted to complete my PADI dive course on the barrier reef from Cairns. Having this all paid upfront nearly 9months before I even landed meant it was a huge cost out of mind and I could simply turn up and enjoy the whole thing as it then didn’t form part of my budget.
Pre booking some things like bus passes also means you can take advantage of sales as they come up – take the Kiwi Experience for example, they quite often offer up to 50% off their bigger passes if you pre book…now that’s some serious discount!
Creating A Budget – And Sticking To It!
Having a solid budget always allows you to save on the road, it reigns in your drinking, makes you think twice about big spends and generally means you spend your money wisely.
Sticking to that budget on the other hand can be a bit more troublesome! It’s easy to say it doesn’t matter if you go over but it can quickly mount up.
A handy thing I’ve started doing is taking out your weekly spend in cash and keeping half in my wallet and half in my bag, that way I know exactly where I stand budget wise. If i over do it one day, I simply take it off of the next days spend. The trick is being strict with yourself!
Discount Cards
Sure a card that saves you a dollar everytime you spend heaps of money may sound like a waste of time – but on trip of a few months or more those savings can really add up and you’d be surprised how quickly they can snowball!
Whether it’s a hostel chain card, supermarket card, cram your wallet with some plastic and let the savings build up.
Group Together
One of the simplest things to do to save you money is bulk buying and grouping together. If a group of you want to do a tour approach them and negotiate a deal if you all book in one hit.
The same goes for booking two or more activities, there’s no harm in asking for a discount if you book them all in one go, whats the worse that could happen!?
If you plan on staying in a hostel for a while too ask if they offer a weekly rate or if they’ll cut you a deal for a longer stay – most hostel will be happy to reduce your room rate by a few dollars per night – happy days all round!
Any of you guys picked up some great ways to save on the road? Share the love and help your backpacker brethren out!
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