6 Secrets To Travel the World on a Shoestring Budget

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Traveling on a shoestring budget is an affordable way for people to make travel an ongoing part of their lives. For people who love to meet new people, see new places and live life to the fullest, traveling in this way is the perfect lifestyle to create. 

For those who are ready to travel on a tight budget, here are some tips to get started.

Stay Longer

Along with flights, accommodations are probably one of the biggest expenses you’ll have when traveling. Even the cheapest hotels and Airbnbs in the most affordable places can eat up your budget fast. 

Take the historical city of Athens, Greece, for example. Instead of trying to book a week in a hotel, try doing a short-term rental on an apartment for a month. According to Budget Your Trip, hotels in Athens typically cost between $69 and $130 per night, or between $483 and $910 for a week. However, it will cost you $1,353.73 on average for a monthlong rental, per Citizen Remote. That’s just a bit more than the cost for a hotel for a week — and you’ll get an entire month.

Get a Local Job or a Digital Nomad Hustle

In many countries, you can get a temporary work visa to pick up some work locally to earn extra income for your trip. You can get a job in a local bar, bookstore or clothing shop, and live like the locals. 

You can also consider remote work. According to Deel, some countries with remote work visas include Australia, Brazil, Germany and Greece.

Be Flexible 

You may not be able to visit certain high-cost cities if it’s not in your budget. If you’re flexible, however, you many be able to stay somewhere comparable and get a similar experience. For example, if Athens isn’t in your budget, you could consider visiting Istanbul, which is just across the Mediterranean Sea. You’ll get vibes similar to Greece’s at a fraction of the price. 

Of course, the more flexible you can be with flights, dates and even times, the better deals you can get on your travels.

Be open-minded, start researching and head out for your next adventure on a shoestring budget. 

Eat In

This one feels like a no-brainer because it’s common money-saving advice in general: eat at home. Eating out is likely going to be more expensive no matter where you are. So hit the local market and buy fresh food and staples, and you can feed yourself for a week for a lot less than eating out every night. 

You might even sign up for a local cooking class and learn to cook like the locals.

Try Hostels

Instead of booking an expensive Airbnb or hotel, consider staying in a hostel. Often, you can save a ton of money. In most hostels, you can book a private room for a bit more money, but you’ll likely share a restroom. If you’re open to saving more money, you can usually bunk in a shared room. 

It’s definitely an adventure. 

Start Close to Home

Not quite ready to book a flight? That’s fair. They can be expensive. But you don’t have to fly to the Ivory Coast for your first excursion. You can start in your own area, whether that be your city, somewhere in your state or somewhere else close that you’ve never been to. 

There’s a lot to explore right here in your own area, and it can make you feel a bit more anchored while still feeling like you’re traveling without breaking the bank.

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