Tourism Tricks to Keep it Cheap! (Part 2)

Woah there! Slow you're roll, haven't read 'Part 1' yet? Then what are you doing here? Go two posts back to read 'Part 1' which has tips 1-7 then come back here to continue your travel education with tips 8- 15.

8. Be early- Sometimes pre-booking online or being there before the doors open means you can beat the crowds and sometimes even get in at an off-peak rate.

9. Be late.- See now I’ve got you confused! Sometimes you can steal a bargain by being one of the last ones to hope on a tour or see a performance. Websites like www.lastminute.com/ have everything from shows to hotels waiting for those who dare to wing it.

10. Get yourself to a Uni or college- This one sounds weird, but many universities or colleges in major cities have their students become tourist ambassadors and offer free walking tours. The student gets credit for this and you get a tour from a super smart person; it’s a win win.

11. Avoid souvenir shopping- Let’s face it, not one of your relatives really wants an ‘I love Peru’ magnet. These things are bought in bulk from a factory and sold on to you at crazily inflated prices. Check on the bottom and most of it would have been made in China anyway and unless you’re actually in China what’s the point? Instead, let your photographs or little free pieces of your surrounds be your souvenirs. Or wherever you can, check out local markets and fairs to get beautiful, artisan crafts handmade by local people. Much better than a tacky ornament.

12. Ditch your mobile- This might scare a lot of you, but leaving your phone behind, along with the costly bills that come with using your phone abroad can save you a lot of money. Bring a small laptop or netbook instead, and use the free wifi in coffee shops and hostels to skype your friends and family back home. If you really can’t be parted from your phone look at buying a simple sim card when you are out there to cut down on costs.

13. Do as the locals do- If you can befriend a local, you’ll have an un-bias opinion of what’s worth doing and when and how is best to do it. They may know of great cheap places to eat that won’t appear in big, fancy guide books. A place doesn’t need a 5 star rating to be amazing and everything’s more fun with new friends anyway!

14. Reign in the food frenzy!- It’s easy to get carried away while on holiday when the allure of eating out every night is so tempting. But the truth is, even if you are only going to have fish and chips each night, this will seriously eat into your budget… and possibly push your cholesterol through the roof! Divide up your meals between cooking at the hostel or hotel, fast food and other cheap venders and treating yourself to fancier meals out.

15. Your budget is your bible- Budget travel is, (in my opinion,) about seeing opportunities and self-discipline. Working out and physically writing down what you can afford to do every day in advance will help you massively. Work out ahead of time how much you can afford to spend on one day. Be sure to factor in attractions, food, transport, snacks and accommodation for that night. There may be some days that you don’t do as much which means you have more money to put towards a bigger day with more costly attractions. If you are strict with yourself, you will have the ability and the confidence to enjoy yourself and the holiday without fear that you will run out of cash and become stranded.