There’s no doubt about it. When the travel bug bites, it bites hard. In fact, the venom of the travel bug has been known to induce a delirium which makes it so much harder to think about work and the quotidian responsibilities of daily life when we get home from our travels. All we can do is carry on obsessing over our next holiday and all the sights, sounds and experiences we’ll get to enjoy.
But working our way through our travel bucket lists can be a prohibitively pricey prospect. As the cost of living continues to climb while our wages stay the same, more and more of us are finding it harder to get the money to jet away and scratch that all-consuming itch that comes with the travel bug’s bite. Fortunately, even those of us on a modest income can find ways to pay for our travels and cut down the cost of getting away…
If you need to borrow, borrow smart
Many of us find it difficult to save enough to meet our travel goals when we want to meet them. As a result we can find ourselves leaning on loans and credit cards to fund our getaways. While there’s nothing wrong with this, if you’re going to borrow, borrow smart! Many of us, especially those of us with less than stellar credit ratings, can assume that we have limited options. However, you’d be amazed by how many sources of decent credit there are, especially if you have a guarantor. Use a guarantor loans calculator so that you know exactly what you’ll be borrowing, what the interests rates will be and how to factor them into your monthly budget. Or use a credit card with a 0% interest rate and keep switching the balance to different card when the 0% term expires.
Why leave it till the weekend?
We all relish the idea of jetting away on a Saturday morning, but setting off midweek can actually shave a significant chunk off your travel costs. Weekend flights tend to be more expensive than their midweek counterparts. Set off on a Wednesday or a Thursday and not only will you likely save money on flights, you may also be more likely to be able to get the time off work.
Give “hidden city ticketing” a try
Hidden city ticketing is a trick known only to travel veterans, but it can save you a lot of money with very little effort. What many don’t know is that flight prices are actually based on market demand rather than distance travelled. Thus, longer or indirect flights to even popular destinations can be significantly cheaper than flying direct. The only caveat here is that you will probably have to buy two single tickets rather than a round trip to get to where you want to go.
The bendier the better
Travel enthusiasts can benefit greatly by being flexible in their plans. If you can be adaptable either in your choice of destination or when you’re happy to fly out you stand a great chance of making some significant savings. If, however, you are able to be flexible with both you may find that you unlock a path to even greater savings. Essentially, the bendier you can be in your plans, the better!
With a little flexibility, smarts and knowhow, even travel junkies on a budget can see the world without drowning themselves in debt.
*This post is collaborative and may contain affiliate links
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