Want to explore the world while spending the least amount of money?
To start off there is a significant difference between travelling and going on a holiday. When travelling you want to keep expense as low as possible, while during a holiday you are treating yourself for all the hard work you have done.
I am currently in Sardegna, Italy, for a week and will be sharing my expenses for this trip and how I made my decisions during this week here.
As I also work while abroad I prefer to have my privacy, so shared rooms and hostels are not an option. This could cut down costs even further.
Decide your location depending on the costs of travel
Instead of looking for the cheapest option to a specific location you have in mind, look for cheap travel opportunities and let the location be a result of what is available. You can of course look in a certain part of the world, like a warmer climate.
I use skyscanner.com, they offer a map showing all prices from your departure airport and you can pick the month you wish to travel. I also let the length of my stay depend on when the cheapest return ticket is.
My ticket price to Sardegna: 58 euro
Cook your own food
This is mostly catered towards travelling in Europe, for Asia street food is quite cheap in general. Instead of booking a hotel look for an apartment, via Airbnb for example, where you can cook your own food. This does not mean you should not eat out, since food a big part of experiencing a different culture. Just do not eat out every day ;)
Two bedroom apartment with wifi for 8 days: 122 euro
Walk
Instead of using taxis use public transport as much as possible, even better is walking. Walking not only allows you to see more of the place you are visiting it is also healthy. This only works for cities where there is enough to see since your range is not that far. Since I am currently on an island with only a handful of small cities I have rented a car for 8 days. Before booking my trip I always check the price of the flight, apartment and a rental car, if needed. Based on the combined cost of all 3 I will decide if a destination is worth it.
Small car for 8 days: 35 euro
8 days Sardegna
- flight: 58 euro
- apartment: 122 euro
- rental car: 35 euro
Fixed costs: 215 euro
This only leaves groceries, gas and maybe some regional costs like tickets.