X
Travsolo Solo Travel Easier
Travel easier with 30% off your 1st month — Request a Coupon

How to Budget While Traveling Alone

By Chizoba





Looking for new places to go while on a budget? Glad you are!

But I want to travel alone. Still possible to save? Absolutely, as long as you focus on the key essentials!

Traveling, whether it be to a new town, city or country, requires money to book your flight, reserve a room or eat the finest cuisines your new surroundings has to offer. We all want to experience everything we can without feeling guilty, ashamed and regretful when checking our bank accounts — regretting every financial decision made post-trip. We all have been there where you try to find the cheapest items on the menu, in order to save a few buck without feeling you are missing out. While traveling alone allows you to completely make money-saving decisions on your own, it can be a bit more expensive at times.

Here are some things to consider when planning to save for your next solo trip.

Figure out how much your trip will cost you.





Pick out destinations you want to visit, see how long you want to be away for & see how much the trip will cost you in total — It is reasonable to cut your ideal trip by a few days if your budget is a bit low.; a flight to Vietnam or Indonesia may be expensive but the cost of living is pretty low — costing about $10 to $15 per day. From there, do your research on more local areas to stay in; they tend to be cheaper compared to touristy ones. Set up a daily allowance based on how much you need to spend on accommodations, food, & transportation — the top necessities for any trip.

Staying at a Hotel or Hostel





Just like choosing a new apartment, each option has their pros and cons. Hotels offers privacy, quietness you may need while Hostels provide the social environment to easily meet other travelers. While the latter is much cheaper, you’ll ultimately will be sharing a room with strangers who may or may have the best hygiene or mannerism. The former is more expensive, provides less social activities, & less likely to meet other travelers. Another option is to split a couple days between the two & see what works best for you. If you are truly looking to save I suggest staying at a hostel. Another option to strongly consider is an Airbnb rental, where you get the privacy you need & option to hang out with the local who rented you a room, if they are free to do so.

Getting Around





While there are many ways to get from one place to the next, some are more expensive than others. Using public transportation is by far the best way to really save, it may not always be the most reliable but at least you will have more money to spend for food, drinks and activities. Use this as an opportunity to sit back and view the scenery. If you find yourself in an unsafe area or feel uncomfortable late at night, a cab ride might be worth the few extra bucks

While some places do have cheap services such as South America, wish we can say the same for Europe. Good thing is Europe has some of the fastest & cleanest metro systems out there, with with easy commute. Hop on the train, bus or scroll around on a bike, great opportunity to ride with the locals, experience what they experience & check out new spots from different angles.

Food





We can all agree this is the most important part of the trip, because we all have to eat at some point right? No pressure to splurge on every restaurant you come across! Figure out how expensive meals are, many times you want to eat out, decide on your food budget & how often to cook inside on some days (easier to do at a hostel).

Activities





Choose what you are actually interested, rather than going to all of the places everyone is going to. Remember, your budget is different than other people. Just like food, we want to experience everything we possibly can & have the best time possible.

While there are free events around, the options are pretty limited most times. Google search “Free Tours” in the destination of choice  & a couple of names will pop for you to sign up. Check out hostels in your areas, as they usually throw free weekend activities. Put aside some money to try out new activities, you are in a new city so you should give yourself time to try out new things!





Final Thoughts

Even though you are less likely to split the bill with someone else you are able to control how much you want to spend, without worrying about a second opinion, feeling guilty about spending more or less than your travel buddy and feeling like you are not allowing yourself to have the best time possible. Once you have set up a budget you are able to understand your needs versus your wants — only thing left is to prioritize your happiness. You have come a long way planning your solo trip alone, jumping on a plane into the unknown & venturing off into a new culture — so ENJOY IT!

Thanks for reading!

For more, find us on:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

By Chizoba Anyaoha


What travel type are you? Tag us on IG @travsolo on your solo adventure.

Recent Articles

Traveling Alone

Sola Travelers: A Friend in Every City

The woman who warned me that “las mujeres nunca están seguras,” when I inquired about how safe it is for...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

Safety Tips for Solo Travelers

At TravSolo, we’re on a mission to spread the word about the joys and excitement of traveling alone. Whether you’re...
Read More
Budget Tips Traveling Alone

How to Budget While Traveling Alone

Looking for new places to go while on a budget? Glad you are! But I want to travel alone. Still...
Read More
Budget Tips Traveling Alone

9 Reasons Why You Should Never Travel Alone

Solo traveling is something everyone needs to experience in their lifetime. Once you travel alone for the first time you...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

How to Start a Travel Journal for Solo Travelers

Why start writing a travel journal as a solo traveler you ask? As solo travelers, we experience so much on...
Read More
Traveling Alone

7 Reasons to Travel Alone After a Breakup

We all meet that one person who creates butterflies in our stomach. You spend every waking moment together, talking on...
Read More
Growth Lifestyle Traveling Alone

9 Reasons Why Solo Traveling in 2020 Will Change Your Life

This is going to be the best thing you do for yourself in 2020. Do whatever you want Your time...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

How to Keep Your Solo Travel Vacation Glow When You Return From a Trip

Apply your “New City” mindset While in a new city or country, everything around me excites me - the street...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

How to Plan Your Perfect Solo Adventure Based on Your Travel Style

You finally found the courage to plan a solo trip, but then you realize you have no idea what you’re...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

Different Ways Other Countries Celebrate Their Independence Day

As we are all aware of, there has been a strong display of racial tensions and police brutality that continues...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

Taking a Solo Road Trip During Coronavirus

As we are all aware, travel for many of us has drastically changed. We are all trying to adjust to...
Read More
Traveling Alone

Afraid to Travel Alone? Here’s How to Start Slow

People have one of three reactions when I tell them that I am an avid solo traveler: “That’s so cool,...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

The 9 Best Countries for Digital Nomads in 2021

Remember those long meetings that could have easily been summed up into an email? Turns out our wish finally came...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

5 Friendliest Cities for Solo Travelers

Amsterdam, Netherlands If you hate bicycling, Amsterdam will change your mind. This friendly and upbeat city offers a welcoming environment...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

Solo Traveling During a Pandemic? Here’s What to Expect

With warm weather finally here, people are itching to finally break free from quarantine and solo travel away from school...
Read More
Tips Traveling Alone

Everything to Know About Solo Travel in Summer 2021

The sun is out, vaccines are out, and passports are starting to come out. As the world slowly begins to...
Read More
Tips Travel Stories Traveling Alone

Cheril Clarke – Explore. Enjoy. Surrender

To me, solo travel means freedom. It means adventure and uninhibited exploration. And it means opportunity. When I think of...
Read More
Budget Tips Traveling Alone

2021 is the Year to Solo Travel

We all saw what happened to the tourism industry in 2020. Cruise ships became ghostly quarantine pods, airline stock plummeted,...
Read More
Growth Lifestyle Traveling Alone

Psychological Benefits of Solo Traveling

No one foresaw that the COVID pandemic would pave the road for another, more persistent plague: mental health. A year...
Read More
Tips Travel Stories

Clarisse Viduya – Trusting Yourself

TravSolo aims to inspire people to solo travel more through authentic storytelling, by sharing real travel experiences Tell me a...
Read More