Do you often find yourself dreaming about traveling some place grand like Dubai or Turkey or literally anywhere, and then the thought of your little budget pinches you awake? This annoying but unfortunately realistic scenario happens to most of us, and then having to abandon all thoughts about our travel plans feels like a knife in the heart. Not having a reasonable budget to travel with is a horrible obstacle which most of the time prevents people from exploring the beauty of this planet. If you’re one of those who have always wanted to travel but can’t make it because you’re short on money, then you need to follow these tips on how to travel on a limited budget:

Avoid Peak Timings

Every tourist destination has a time or month when it gets incredibly busy, and people from all over the world are pouring in. This time when tourism peaks, bring surges in prices which can make traveling pretty expensive. If you’re looking to travel anywhere, avoid peak months and hours; travel only when the place is the least busy, and you’ll get good prices for everything.

Travel Rewards

Travel rewards are a thing, and here is why you should use them: many places and many touring companies offer travel rewards or bonuses to frequent customers and visitors; some offer a discount on local prices; some offer a reduced transport fare, and some offer redeeming codes for anything. If there’s one thing better than traveling, it’s knowing you’re going to be rewarded for it, and looking into travel reward programs is one step you shouldn’t miss out on!

Expensive Hotels Aren’t Always A Good Idea

We know you can’t resist the idea of staying in a luxurious hotel, but if you’re traveling on a budget, you’ll have to overcome the temptation. It isn’t as bad as it sounds; you can find plenty of good places to stay where it’s both cheap and luxurious. We even suggest looking at nearby apartments or hostels; these two options are relatively cheaper and better and are also most commonly situated in hot touring areas. So, you won’t have to worry about long routes either. You can even look out at Airbnb or Couchsurfing!

Try Something New

Almost all tourist spots have a well-formed path (often quite literally) to direct tourists toward good destinations and must-see points. However, you don’t always have to go for the typical; you can experiment and go off on a beaten and unused path and sightsee better places. The logic behind this tip is simple; most tourists will follow the same itinerary and route and will likely meet expensive tour guides and shops en route, but if you choose to wander off a little and explore on your own, you’ll definitely get behind cheaper places. And who knows, you might even discover something new.

Don’t Invest in A Visa…Unless You Need To

What most travelers are unaware of is that they can often ignore a visa. Yes, that’s true! Most countries have visa specifications, so make sure to give them a read; you’ll be surprised to know how many countries are willing to welcome tourists without a visa. Of course, this depends on how long you plan on staying and which country you’re from, but most of the time, you’ll find the money you’re saving for a visa won’t even have to be spent!

Go Local or Rent Cheaper Transport

Unlike some places you’ve been to, you don’t always have to hail a cab or a taxi to travel. If you find the local transport like buses cheaper to travel with, then don’t waste your time and money on a cab. If you find your budget is much lighter and you can’t take the buses on a regular basis either, then try to rent a bicycle. This way, you’ll pay less and won’t have to bother with annoying wait times or handing out unnecessary cash.

Be a Chatty Cathy

By saying be a Chatty Cathy, we don’t mean drive the other person insane, but there is a lot of emphasis on talking to other people, locals, and travelers. Most people are very cooperative and will listen to you when you ask them about travel tips or budget tips, and you might even learn new things from them. Make sure to converse with travelers so you can gain insight on where to travel at a cheaper price, and surely your newfound knowledge will take you places (pun intended)!

Avoid Mondays

Everyone hates Mondays, right? They’re boring, long, the beginning of a long week, and expensive. That’s right, folks; Monday is the busiest day of the week which means not only are people rushing to their offices, but mass transit systems, national and international transport are at full capacity. You’ll even notice that the flights on a Monday are much more expensive than in general, so you should take this advice and avoid traveling or booking on a Monday altogether.

Make Your Own Lunch or Opt for Street Food

We know you may not have prepared your own lunch in a while but doing it for travel saves you a lot. International and foreign cuisine may be too expensive, and while you will indulge in little delicacies, most restaurants will be out of the budget. The best way to enjoy your trip is to prepare your own lunch or eat something from the local street carts. For instance, in Malaysia, they have food markets every day of the week at different places across the country. Instead of planning a fine dine, prefer eating from those markets. But make sure the food is fresh and clean. You’d not want to save money on food and spend it at doctors.

These traveling tips may seem little, but even the smallest things can make a significant impact. There’s nothing embarrassing about traveling on a budget, so don’t be upset if you have to. Remember, most travelers are looking to travel cheap, so it isn’t a risk to do the same. These tips for traveling on a budget will save you a lot of effort, time, and money, so there isn’t really anything to lose but much more to gain. Just follow these traveling on budget tips, and you’ll have a fun time.