How to Travel on a budget Stress Free

The Stress-Free Frugal Traveler’s Guide: How to Travel on a Budget

Time off for the holidays, but you’re bougie on a budget? Does the thought of spending too much money hinder your ability to enjoy a family vacation? If so, this blog post on how to travel on a budget is for you!

If you want to live a luxurious lifestyle, but don’t want to break the bank – or rack up credit card debt – there are tons of ways you can travel with a small or very limited budget. We just got back from an amazing, adventure-packed vacation visiting family in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Our plans to visit the UAE went from a far-away unreachable dream, to a realistic trip to paradise. Surprisingly, there are many affordable methods in traveling stress-free, even when you’re not swimming in dollar dollar bills, y’all.

For those of you that don’t already know, I gave up my full-time, corporate America job to be a stay-at-home mom. I work from home doing Marketing and Graphic Design. With my husband’s full-time income, we try to budget for one big vacation a year; it’s important for us to get away from time to time.

Having a “family escape” to enjoy the fruits of our labor and, most importantly, enjoy time with each other is vital in strengthening our bonds with one another. Our trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai was hands down one of the best and memorable vacations we have ever done.

We follow these tips and advice to aim to have a stress-free vacation by learning how to travel on a budget.

Travel on a Budget: When Is the Best Time to Fly?

Firstly, did you know that there are best days to fly? Flights tend to be more expensive during the weekends, due to more people being free to travel. Try and fly during the week, Tuesday through Friday if possible for a cheaper alternative to stay within budget.

If you are planning on leaving the country, it’s important to know when is the best time to fly to your location. Depending on your final destination, there are busy seasons and off-peak seasons.

Aim to plan your travel when it’s not the busiest season and during off-season. This allows you to find plane tickets within your budget.

Research to see when peak season is and what the weather will be like, to see if it aligns with your vacation desires. For example, if you are aiming for beach weather, try for the end of summer. Prices are more inexpensive but still warm enough to have salty hair and sandy toes.

You can visit your destination’s official website to discover more information on weather conditions and any events that you might find relevant in order to catch them on your vacation.

Visit Family Members or Close Friends Overseas

If you are fortunate enough to have family or friends in a location you’ve never been to before, go visit them! There are some places that are naturally cheaper than others to travel to, but if you have the advantage of crashing with the fam, then by all means go and enjoy! Knock out two birds with one stone by having family time as well as indulging in a new place.

Our magical adventure in Abu Dhabi and Dubai would not have happened had we not been able to lodge with our loving and generous cousins overseas. They allowed us to stay in their guest room and eat and drink all their juice and snacks.

The amount of money we saved simply by being able to live at their loving home was THOUSANDS for a two-week stay in the UAE. Talk about a stress-free, living-on-a-tight-budget answered prayer!  

Uncertain if you can stay with someone you know? Another route to traveling on a budget is to find housing for much cheaper than a hotel. Airbnb is a great alternative to a hotel, as it offers multiple variations of lodging and activities.

I have personally used them multiple times. We book housing and activities for our whole family to stay. Some places are pet friendly, where I’ve been able to bring my German Shepherd dog, Leo, too. This helps me stay within budget by not having to spend money on dog boarding.

Book Well in Advance to Travel on a Budget

Booking in advance really helps you save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Not only do you get the best deals when booking so far ahead, but you get additional options or promotions that might not be available to you if you procrastinate.

Take advantage of being able to pick which possibilities work best for your family and budget by planning months in advance.

Although last minute deals can be a great surprise, often times booking ahead of time allows you to find cheaper transportation, activities, and accommodations all of which permits you to stay within your travel budget.

Pack Light but Clever

When it comes to packing, I suggest to pack light but clever. Most of the time, you won’t use everything you pack. Think of clothing items that have multi-purpose use that you can wear several times. Airlines charge extra if your suitcase is overweight or if you have too many bags to check. That’s why it’s important to pick a good travel bag to store all of your things conveniently.

It’s important to look up your baggage allowance with your airline company so you know the weight and the luggage pieces allowed before you get to the airport. There is nothing more stressful than having to move items around and/or pay extra because you didn’t check the terms prior to boarding.

Conversely, although you should pack light, it’s vital to still take everything you need so you are not wasting time or money trying to find something you forgot at home. Here are some ideas for simple things that you can take with you to save money later on:

• Medicines and vitamins
• Phone and portable chargers/plugs
• Laptop, tablet or a Chromebook if needed
• Camera (or a smartphone if you are tight on space)
• Reusable water bottle (Make sure it’s empty when going through security)
• Antibacterial wipes/hand sanitizer
• Lip balm, toothbrush, toothpaste
• Books to read on the plane
• Noise-canceling headphones for entertainment
• Clothes that you can mix and match
• Smart shoes that are comfortable to walk in
• Sunblock, hat, swim suits, sunglasses, etc.

Ask Locals for Ideas on What to Do

There are plenty of free experiences you can partake in, but you have to research and know the best spots. In my experience, asking locals for their opinion on what to do has been a great source of budget-friendly knowledge.

Don’t be scared to meet new people and ask what local things are worth doing. There are plenty of art galleries and museums that are free, or charge a small entrance fee for visiting.

Places like beaches, hiking trails, and city monuments tend to be free of charge as well, depending on where you visit.

Find Reasonably-Priced Restaurants or Pack a Lunch!

Most hostels, rooms for rent, Airbnb’s, and some hotel suites have access to a kitchen. By eating in, you can save money by stocking up on groceries and cooking at home.

This option is so much cheaper than when going out for a night in the town and eating out. You can eat breakfast at home, then pack a lunch if you’re on a tight budget and go explore!

However, if eating out is an important part of your vacation and experience, you can still eat well on a budget. I highly recommend checking out restaurants in advance.

You can read google reviews, find an online menu, and even check out prices ahead of time to see if the new food spot falls within your dining-out budget. Again, ask locals where they like to eat for traditional food that doesn’t break the bank!  

Shop at Local Markets

When traveling abroad, the well-known malls and plazas tend to come to mind or may be much easier to find. However, shopping at local markets or souks tends to be much cheaper.

Not only can you find better prices, but you’re more likely to find homemade products where you can support locals and their small business. Asking for a deal if you buy in bulk is always a nice way to save a little money, but definitely recognize when a price is fair and worth their hard work and craftsmanship!

Shopping locally allows you to have a closer experience with people who actually live where you vacation. A lot of small businesses are family owned. They are ecstatic to share their products with someone who appreciates their work.

Local shopping allows you to feel good about saving money, but also support ethical, smaller entrepreneurs.

In Conclusion

To wrap it up, if you put a family vacation on hold because you can’t afford it, please know there are viable options that you can take to travel on a tight budget! Don’t procrastinate and find good deals in advance.

Check different days for flights, seek lodging with friends or family, and shop local for a true, authentic experience. Please remember, it’s not the worse thing in the world if you end up using your credit card (within reason) to enjoy an amazing, lifetime experience.

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