30 surefire ways to make the most of your travel budget

Backpackers are, by definition, very frugal travelers. They use a number of strategies to save money along the road so that they can prolong their journey for as long as possible. Below is a list of 30 tips from the thriftiest of the thrifty (the backpacker population), regarding budget travel. Leave any additional budget travel tips you may have in the comments section so that we can add them to this list!

Please do not forget to be mindful of safety when using the following tips. Safe travel should always be your number one priority. It's not worth putting yourself at risk just to save a few dollars.

1. Talk to the local women: No matter where you are in the world, I guarantee the local women are the ones that really know how to manage the money. Ask them for advice: where to shop, what to cook, where the clean/cheap restaurants are, how to get around, where the deals are, etc. These women can give you more site-specific tips than a guidebook could ever dream of!
2. Research a site BEFORE you get there: Know where the cheap hostels are, how much food will cost, what the associated transportation costs will be, etc. You this information to come up with strategies to minimize costs.
3. Visit inexpensive destinations: This is an obvious point, but an often overlooked one. If you are traveling on a budget, do some research ahead of time and plan to visit the more inexpensive destinations. Try to minimize your time in big cities, limit the number of expensive, touristy, locations you visit, research the cheapest travel routes, etc.
4. Use your numbers: If you are with a small group of travelers, use that to your advantage. Bargain for group rates and discounts at hostels, with tour companies, buy food in bulk, etc. *Traveling with a group definitely has its downsides, but it WILL save you money. See 5 Tips for Traveling in Large Groups
5. If you don’t have numbers, hook up with other travelers: If you aren’t traveling with a group, try to form one. This way you can use your numbers as a bargaining chip. *Traveling with a group definitely has its downsides, but it WILL save you money. See 5 Tips for Traveling in Large Groups
6. Make friends with the locals: They can give you all sorts of advice about saving money, will often invite you over for meals, while also greatly enriching your overall travel experience.
7. Avoid booking tours, hostels, guides, etc. from abroad or on the internet: You will find more options and cheaper prices if you book these services locally.
8. Get out of the “tourist” areas: If you see tourists, rest assured that local business have raised their prices. Restaurants, hostels, gift stores, etc. are almost always cheaper in the non-touristy sectors of town.
9. Spend more time in one place: Instead of trying to cross destinations of your “must see” list as quickly as possible, relax and spend some more in just a few locations. You will save money on transportation, plus you can get a much more in-depth look at the region and its people.
10. Make transportation part of the fun: Don't just whizz from one destination to the next in a plane, train, or bus. Instead, rent a mountain bike, horse, or even trek from point A to point B. You will save a fortune on transportation costs, and find the actual journey a lot more enjoyable.
11. Explore: Get off the beaten track and explore the lesser known sites of the region you are traveling in. You will save a small fortune by not having to pay inflated tourist prices for the “must see” locations, plus you can find some real gems out there, that have not yet been exploited by millions of tourists.
12. Avoid hiring a guide: If you can safely avoid hiring a guide, do so. You will save money, and your trip will be much more of an adventure if you do not have someone holding your hand the whole way.
13. Use public transportation: First time travelers often fall into the trap of only using taxis or private transportation to get around. It’s easy, you tell the driver where you want to go, and they take you there. Unfortunately, they also usually charge you 10-20 times what the same trip would have cost using the local bus, subway, or train system.
14. Make friends with people who own cars: This tip was taken from taken from Brave New Traveler's Budget Travel Tips You'll Never Read in a Guidebook. A lot cheaper and less stressful than having to take taxis and buses everywhere.
15. Utilize night transportation: Take that 6 hour bus or train ride at night. This way you can sleep during the ride and save a night’s hostel fare.

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