Up, Up & Away – 7 Tips to Help You Afford Your Next Holiday

Travel. It’s in our blood. If you’ve ever been on an overseas holiday, you’ll be familiar with that unshakeable feeling that there are, in fact, more Aussies outside of Australia than in it. Personally, I’ve visited 55 countries in my time. While I’ve never been offered a Vegemite sandwich by a 6-foot-4 bodybuilder in Brussels; whether it’s ambling down Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, Paris’ Champs Elysees, New York’s Times Square of Tokyo’s Ginza, it’s fair to say that there are few corners of the globe in which I haven’t had someone bump into me and copped an “Oh, sorry mate!” in response.

Summer is fading into the rear-view mirror, and some of us are popping our cosies away for another year. Many are dreaming up new plans to get away and scratch that itch that never completely goes away. If you’re in the latter category, but a quick review of your bank balance has you groaning in despair, then perhaps it’s time to try some of these creative strategies:

Travel Off Peak

When you travel during peak tourist season, absolutely everything costs more. Prices for accommodation, food, transport, attractions and pretty much anything are frequently jacked up during the busiest times of the year, and drop when things are slower. While traipsing through Europe or Nth America in the middle of winter might not sound appealing, the cold and snow can provide a stunning backdrop that can be better enjoyed without the crushing summer throngs of visitors, at a drastically reduced cost.

Food for Thought

You gotta eat, and sampling the local cuisines is one of the great thrills and pleasures of travel. Nevertheless, cutting down on your food expenditure can make a significant dent in your budget. Food prices in and around the most popular tourist locations are almost always criminally inflated. In many countries, it’s not uncommon for restaurants to have one menu version for locals, and a second for tourists with higher prices. Harness your spirit of adventure and explore areas off the main tourist trails to find eateries frequented by locals. If there’s no English menu and no tourists, you’ve probably hit the jackpot. You might have no idea what you’re ordering, but 9 times out of 10 it will be mind-blowing, and most likely half the price.

To take your travel food game to the next level, you can save a packet by ducking into a local supermarket or farmer’s market and picking up some fresh bread, fruit, veggies and condiments and putting together a picnic lunch or dinner. Over time, this can save you hundreds.

Surf’s Up

It’s no secret that accommodation is a massive cost when you’re travelling. Even hostels can start to add up after a while. While it’s not necessarily a solution for everyone, couch-surfing can be a massive money saver. There are numerous couch-surfing websites offering a free place to stay by and for like-minded globe trotters. It’s crucial to go into any such arrangement with your eyes wide-open and make sure that your hosts are trustworthy, particularly for females.

Rockin’ the Suburbs

Another effective accommodation strategy is to look for accommodations outside of the main tourist areas, or even outside major cities. While this may entail some additional time on public transport to see the sites, you can easily shave a packet off your hotel bills to offset any minor inconvenience.

Work It

You might not realise that there are, in fact, 34 countries that offer Working Holiday visas to Australians. That list includes some pretty amazing, exotic destinations in Asia, Europe and the Americas. If your wanderlust has you jonesing for a somewhat extended adventure, this arrangement will allow you to legally work up to a certain number of hours per week or month, which will help you fund your travels. Most countries that have reciprocal working holiday arrangements with us provide resources for visa holders to find short-term work so you can hit the ground running when you reach your destination.

Have Wheels, Will Travel

Local transport can be a significant hidden cost when touring. In most destinations, taking cabs or using Uber will drain your budget. Public transportation is frequently a much more economical option and a great way to immerse yourself in the local landscape. If you’re up for the adventure, take the next step (literally) and walk wherever possible. You will be amazed at what you can discover on foot, even in the most ordinary looking neighbourhoods. Alternatively, over 1000 cities worldwide have bike-sharing programs that allow you to get around quickly, speedily and at little or no cost.

A Helping Hand

If you’ve drawn up the budget, analysed the costs, crunched the numbers and you’re still coming up short, never fear, help is at hand. Rather than hitting up your bank for a personal loan at higher than necessary interest rates, you’re far better off applying for a fast, small loan of up to $2000 with Speckle. Speckle is a fair and safer alternative to toxic payday loans that offers significantly lower fees and reasonable repayment terms. We can do this because we’re here to empower and help people, rather than trapping them in a cycle of debt to maximise profits. Not everyone is eligible for a Speckle loan, so check out our criteria to see if you qualify. If it’s a fit, apply today and hopefully you’ll be on your way to the airport before you know it. Bon voyage!