Introduction

If you are planning for a trip and are short of your budget, you need not feel disappointed. Making a trip to your favorite destination can fall into your budget if you plan your expenses wisely. There are various factors to consider much ahead of your travel plan so that you can enjoy your visit to the maximum. Further, it makes sense to utilize your travel budget in parts as you start booking your itinerary or buying stuffs that you want to carry with you on the trip, rather than making all expenses in one go just before your travel date. Following are a few travel tips to make your trip economical yet entertaining.

The thumb rule: Plan ahead for your travel

Many people fail to fix up everything before their travel date and therefore end up spending a lot of money on their trips. Therefore, it is important to make a plan for your trip much ahead of your actual trip - for example, the dates when you plan to travel, which destination you would prefer to visit, what things you would like to carry with you, and so on. Since you are looking to make an economical trip, ensure that your plan is flexible in terms of the destinations, dates, and modes of transport.

Now the tips!

Travel destination - If you wish to visit a place that is crowded during the peak seasons, it is likely that anything you need to visit this place thoroughly will be expensive. Therefore, you have two options:

• Fix a destination that is either less visited around the year and has no impact on the price with the onset of peak season or off season. Remember that you are on a low travel budget and so you may consider this option to be in your budget.
• Finalize on a destination that is less crowded during the off season. This will ensure that the prices for accommodation, transport, food, and so on will be less compared to the rates during the peak seasons. 

Mode of transport - Based on the budget you have, you need to figure out what transportation modes are available to your travel destination - flight, train, bus, or taxi. Compare the total cost of each mode of transport and decide what costs you the minimum. Also, keep in mind the travel time if that is a priority for you. Flights would take less time to reach your destination than a bus would take. Therefore, consider all such parameters and decide what suits your budget the best.

If you are fine to take a flight for your travel, check online for offers that flight operating sites usually have. Flight rates are usually on the higher side especially during the festive seasons or if you are booking your flight only a few days before your travel. During festive seasons, flight rates might be a little expensive but may have some offers going. Check for such offers if they are an advantage for you. If you are booking you flight tickets a few days before your travel date, you may try calling the customer services for that airline to check the best rates available. In such situations, it is good to have flexible dates in your travel plan.

Accommodation - The next big thing where most of your money may be spent is your accommodation at the travel destination. Therefore, the best way to keep it in your budget is to do some research on the Internet first. Look for hotel deals and check with multiple hotels to know that price and compare them to find the best. Now, your research needs to be more specific here since you want to enjoy your stay for sure. The kind of accommodation you need, the food types, the places in and around the hotel and other similar aspect would matter while deciding for an accommodation. Some hotels may have deals and offers related to booking, for example one more day and night free if you book for 2 nights and 3 days. You can opt such offers if that suits your budget and needs. In addition, also check for other kinds of accommodation facilities, such as room sharing in hostels, or even homestay facilities, depending your travel plan.

Note that you also need to keep your dates flexible as far as such reservations are concerned, since you may get a better deal on a weekday compared to a weekend. Also, if your travel plan includes flight as your transport, your booking for flight and hotel should go hand in hand so that you can calculate the total cost of transport and accommodation for multiple days and choose the best deals.

Luggage - One of the most important aspects to consider when you are planning to make your vacation economical is to make sure you are carrying everything essential in your luggage. You must not spend money buying stuff at your travel destination fall prey to the expensive items. At the same time, your luggage must not be so overweight that you spend paying to local transport wherever you need to go with your luggage. If you plan is to go trekking at your destination place, make sure to carry your shoes, necessary clothes, lightweight backpack, and enough water. Additionally, to make sure you do not make your luggage heavy, consider in which season you plan to make your trip and gather knowledge about the weather conditions during your travel dates. For example, in summers you do not need to carry woolens and need only warm clothes which are usually of light weight. 

Food - Another essential factor is your food items. If you are traveling to destination that is far from your city, it is wise to carry your own food that can last long. During your travel, you can have your own food rather than spending money on outside food and increasing the risk of health concerns. Further, you can also take some raw food items that can be quickly cooked at your destination place without you having to spend much time. Many homestays provide kitchen facilities where one can cook his or her own food, which is both economical and hygienic.

Places to visit at your destination - Avoid hiring the local guides and therefore do enough research about the places to visit at your destination place. If needed, keep a route map and a travel guide that has all information about the place you are visiting. This will help you save a lot of money from paying to the local guides who can charge you a hefty amount for a day's guide. Further, walk to places where it is walkable from the place of your accommodation. If you need to hire a taxi, try options where you can pool a few more travelers like you who would be willing to go to the same place, so that all of you can share the money to hire the taxi.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned tips on saving money from unnecessary expenses can help you make your trip an economic one. However, you can look for more similar option where you know you do not have to spend money. An economical trip can be equally enjoying and enchanting as long as you have set your plan and travel priorities wisely without spending money on something that can be avoided during a travel. Having all that said, it is highly recommended that you carry enough cash with your when you start your trip. There might be situations where spending money becomes a priority for your family members, especially when someone traveling with you is dependent on you.