How to Save Money While Traveling

How to Save Money While Traveling Theres a wealth of resources out there about how to save money to travel, but there are few resources about saving money while traveling. Contrary to popular belief, you can travel without blowing through your bank account and even save mora money while doing it. (Sometimes you can even make money traveling)I know that to be true because Im currently backpacking Southeast Asia,putting away money that Id otherwise be spending on rent and the everyday costs of living. Here are my secrets to buildinginstead of breaking thebank while traveling the world.1. Hostel hop.Hostels in most parts of the world are going to be cheaper than the cost of your rent even if you stay in hostels every night for a month. You can opt for a private room, so itll feel like a hotel without the price vierundzwanzig stunden of one, or opt for a dorm, which is usually cheaper, but you get what you pay for. There are usually free tours and breakfast offered to guests, as well, so youll save somemoney there. And some offer free ground transportation to and from airports, too.2. Think Food is fuel.On average, Americans spend about $53 per week getting lunch, according to a survey of 2,033 people by Visa taken in July and August. You canspend a fraction of that on the road, when you think of food as fuel. Sure, traveling is largely about the food in new places, but bemindful aboutwhatit is that youre eating.Eat cheaper street food or actually buy groceries like you would at home, and then save for one bigger,nicer dinner or lunch a day so you can enjoy that part of the travel experience. In most Southeast Asian countriesand a lot ofSouth American countries, for example, you can eat meals out for under $5 USD. In Thailand, for example, you could eat out for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week for an average cost of just over $30.3. Use multiple modes of transportation.When youre home, chances are that youre spending a chunk of your change on gas or public transportation to commute to and from work. When youre traveling, youll still be spending money on transportation, but rather than having a monthly expense, you can save money by finding the cheapeast routes from Point A to Point B. Flying from Switzerland to Italy might be quick, but options like the Eurail are much more cost-effective, for example. A global pass will allow you access to trains in 28 European countries for up to three months of continuous travel for as little as $351 USD. Thats a fraction of the cost of one flight, and its about the same cost of the a subway pass for three months in New York City except youll have access to 28 countries across Europe and not just the five boroughs.You can also save money by taking ferries and sleeper buses, which are ideal for long trips since some offer beds and youll cut costs on accommodation for a night, too.Rome to Rio is a resourcefulapp that helps users find the best (and most cost-affective) alternate routes fr om Point A to Point B via any gestalt of transportation.4. Be wise about where and how you exchange your money.While the U.S. dollar wont get you quite as much as it did in certain spots around the world even just six months ago, there are still a bunch ofplaces where the exchange rate will be your friend most of Asia and South America,plus places like New Zealand, Norway and more. This means that the cost of living for an American traveling could besignificantlycheaper than the cost of living at home.Just be mindful about exchanging your money.Typically, the first currency exchange booth youll find is the one in the airport. While it may feel like a good idea to go change your dollars before heading out, airport exchange booths will often offer the worst rates thats because they know that virtually everyone there needs to exchange their money for the local currency. Sometimes, youll need to exchange your money there, as youll need cash to pay a taxi or for a train ticket to get y ou to where youre staying. But if you can pay on a credit card, do it and look for an exchange booth once youre in the city.Also, if youre traveling to multiple destinations, take out only as much cash as you think youll need. For one, you dont want to be wandering around with a wad of cash on you. And for two, changing your money from one currency to the next to the next and so on might lose you money in the long run. Thats because sometimescurrency values change and booths can charge fees for exchanging your money.5. Use credit cards intended for travel.At home, were not spendingquite as much money on hotels, hostels, transportation and eating out its just because weve got our own places to stay, sometimes our own cars, and our own kitchens. But spending money on that stuff while traveling could actually earnyou money, too if you use a credit card intended for travel, that is.I havetheCapital OneVenture Rewards Card, through which I have obtained 40,000 bonus miles after spendin g $3,000 in the first three months.I get two points for every dollar spent on travel (cabs, ride shares, subway tickets, flights, hotels, etc.), and that equates to a rewards rate of two percent if I choose to redeem for flight miles. I can also use those points to purchase gift cards for hotels and restaurants, or I can redeem them for cash. Its how I purchased my flight from New York City to Bangkok, Thailand for just $7.Plus, witha credit card that doesnt charge you a fee for foreign transactions, you can rest assured that you wont find any random dollar amounts on your statement at the end of the month. Other noteworthy travel cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard or the Capital One VentureOne Rewards card.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solotravel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.