TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

While traveling, one of the biggest expenditures is food. Food can be pricey on the road or at a destination. There are many ways to save on food while traveling. Following the tips below will save you a bundle during your vacation time.

1) Pack a cooler- This is a great way to save money. Buy hot dogs, soda, water, juice, hamburger meat, lunch meat, and condiments. Pack them in a cooler and bring some bread and chips along. You can stop along the way and have picnic meals. Or eat while you drive.

2) When stopping at fast food restaurants, pick items from the value menu and buy cans of soda at the store. Since you can usually get a can of soda for around $0.65(as compared to $1.50 or more for the fountain sodas at the drive-thru), you save a bit of money. Everyone can get a $1 chicken sandwich or burger and a fry. Each meal then only costs about $2.65 per person.

3) If you plan on staying at a hotel, you could take a hot plate and cook your own meals. Purchase food at a local grocery store and enjoy home cooked food. This also works at vacation properties. They often come with full kitchens in which you can cook your own meals.

Traveling can be costly as it is. You can reduce the amount you spend on food quite a bit by instituting these ideas. Use them for most of your vacation, but always set aside at least one meal to enjoy local cuisine.

If you're looking to save some money while traveling, you might want to think about bunking down in a hostel on your trip. Be forewarned that you'll be getting pretty bare-bones accommodation and will likely have to put up with other budget travelers who are less than considerate. But you can really save some big bucks.

Most hostels have dorm-style rooms, so don't expect too much privacy. If you do intend to stay in hostels on your trip, you need to pack a good lock. Hostels do typically offer lockers for your bags, but you'd have to rent a lock if you don't have your own.

The idea of staying in a hostel may be a little unappealing, and though some can be real flea-bags, most hostels are clean and safe. There are many websites were you can find ratings and reviews on any given hostel before you book a bunk.

It's the hip thing to do these days, usually because people can't afford to go on real vacations anymore. Regardless of the economy, you could consider a staycation this year.

A staycation is when you take your holidays, but stay home. I'll bet there are lots of attractions right in your home town you don't even know about. Or sights you visited when you first moved in, and haven't bothered with again. Take a tour around your home town, and see the sights with a new pair of eyes. See the attractions that you take for granted because they are just a 10 minute bus ride away. Eat in new restaurants and spare yourself having to do the dishes.

You'll save a bundle, and probably have fun doing some stress-free exploring. Don't forget to send your friends a postcard.

There are many ways to save when you are going on vacation. The more you save on mundane things like airfare, train tickets, and hotel rooms, the more you will have for the fun things. Below is a list of the most common things you can do to save money when you vacation.

• Vacation in the off-season. Going on vacation when it is not the busiest time for a particular location is the number one way to save cash. Everything will be cheaper including dining costs, hotel rooms, and attraction prices. Not only will you not spend tons of money, you will also not wait in long lines.

• Use budget websites to get the best deals on airfare, hotel rooms, and car rentals. Don’t be afraid to shop around. The more sites you visit, the more likely you are to get a great price.


• Whenever possible, book vacation properties or hotels with kitchens. You can often find deals on rental properties that match hotel prices. This will enable you to make home-cooked meals instead of splurging on restaurants. You will also have more room to enjoy.

• Use economical transportation while on vacation. While abroad, a rail pass is a good option. Cheap fights can also be found in Europe to get from place to place.

When you're working out your travel budget, you need to be aware of more than just the exchange rate when figuring out what you're going to spend at your destination. Even after you account for the currency differences, some cities can be far more expensive than others. You might not notice when booking a hotel, since they are obviously catering to tourists.

But you are more likely to notice when you are eating at restaurants or doing any shopping. Transport within the city (buses, taxis) may also be much more than you're used to.

Cities in Japan and several Scandinavian countries are usually on the list of "most expensive cities to visit", though this type of thing changes all the time due to global economics. Lists are issued each year, so check online for the latest list of costly destinations.