7 Simple Habits to SAVE Money While Traveling

If you've been following me on instagram (@runningwhitehorses) you would have known that I spent 25 days traveling all around various cities in Western Europe during my winter school break. I went to a total of 9 cities and 4 countries.

Traveling non-stop for 25 days can be a little too overwhelming, especially if you're going to a new city every few days. In all the excitement and novelty, it is especially hard to keep your spending in control, especially since everything is new and interesting. Whats more enticing though, is the food... (This is MY personal downfall) Oh the food! When you have the opportunity to try all kinds of different food - Bratwursts and Schnitzels in Germany, Pasta and Gelato in Italy, it's incredibly hard to restrict yourself to a specific budget much less to SAVE money.

Through the 25 days, I have found that certain simple little habits J and I adopted had helped us to save in terms of expenditure, and if you're planning to go on a long trip, do try some of them out. It really does make keeping to your budget a lot more manageable.

Plus, if you do good and spend under your budget, that means you have more reserves for your next trip!



1. TWO MEALS A DAY
Let me first say, no, you don't have to starve. Potions in Europe tend to be really big. Too big for one person but too little for 2 people to share. EAT BRUNCH, and then have an early dinner.
Sometimes you get buffet breakfast with your accommodation. If that is the case eat your fill and then spend more time looking at attractions/ exploring the city then having an early dinner (before 7).
Having dinner early means not having to queue up and wait for too long for your food. Remember to eat sufficient else you'd be hungry by 11pm.

I tend to get hungry a lot so sometimes I get biscuits / snacks / juice for the night - they can double up as pre-brunch stomach fillers as well.

2. DO A HALF TRIP EXPENSES ROUND-UP
During the trip, it's a good habit to record down your expenses. You could use the app called Expenses to record all your expenses diligently, and half way through the trip, take a good look at it, transfer it to excel if you want and see if you're going over budget. If you aren't, good for you! But if you are, look at where you spend the most amount of money on and try cutting down on those expenses.
This habit proved to be surprisingly useful. During my 25 days Winter Trip with Jerald, he did the recording on Expenses, and halfway through the trip, I did a round up on excel, and that really helped us with keeping our budget in check. Today, I use that app today to record down my monthly expenses before transferring them to excel at the end of the month!

3. PROPER CALCULATION!
When I was in Milan, it seemed like a good deal to get a 2 day pass which costs 8.50. However Jerald and I realized that we only needed 2 single trips and a full day ticket which worked out to be 7.50, because we had one free trip (the station near us has problems dispensing tickets)
So remember to do proper calculation when you're opting to buy day passes! Make sure you make good use of them when you do buy.

4. WALK
I honestly think going on free walking tours is probably one of the best ways to get to know the city!
In almost all major European cities like Berlin, Prague, Munich, Paris, London.. You have many companies conducting free walking tours. Jerald and I try to go for a lot of these tours. Those that are conducted by Sandemans never disappointed. When you stay in hostels, sometimes the hostel would have their own guide.
Technically, it isn't free because I believe you should tip the guides because most of these tour guides are freelancing. But the good thing is you're in control of how much you want to give. If you feel a little tight on cash its fine to give lesser, some guides openly say they don't mind if you don't give them tips. Just remember to top up with a good review on tripadvisor and let the guide know you appreciate his/her efforts.

5. AVOID SHOPPING AREAS
I was doing good buying anything for myself and not spending on shopping, but one ever ning in Milan, we headed down a shopping street and I stepped into h&m. I convinced myself I needed a €10 pair of leather gloves that were half off. I actually don't need them. Damn.

6. ALWAYS BRING YOUR STUDENT ID
Bring your student ID with you at all times to take advantage of student discounts available. Always ask at the counter before purchase as such information aren't always displayed.

7. BRING YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLE
Consider getting/investing in a filtered water bottle, and bring it along if you already have one.
You will be surprised how much money it saves you from not needing to buy water. Of course you should always refill your bottle only from reliable sources of potable water (it's a no no to drink from the taps on trains).

And there you have it. 7 easy habits to adopt that will save you quite a bit of money while you're traveling. If not for the fact it worked for me, I wouldn't be sharing it.
Honestly, I'm not the most budget/money-wise person when it comes to traveling. But i've been getting better along the way. If I can keep within my budget and save money during my ravels with these simple tips, I'm sure you can too!

If you have any more suggestions on simple habits that can help reduce expenditure while traveling, yet does not comprise the quality of the holiday, leave them down below! I would love to know (and try them out when I go on my next trip!)

Remember, you don't have to be rich to travel! Check out my other post on travel and money.

Photos from a day out in London and my travels around Germany.