How to Travel on a Budget

Words by Britton Grossman, who studied abroad with ASA in Maastricht during the spring semester of 2020. 

We all have this dream to visit every single country on the entire continent when we are
abroad. Especially if we’re in Europe. I was the biggest dreamer when it came to this, and I did everything I could to make it a reality. However, it is very easy to blow through money when you’re abroad.

Here are some of the things I did to save money and travel on a budget:

1. I SAVED MONEY IN MY HOST COUNTRY. I knew I was going to be in the Netherlands for
(originally) 5 months, so I had time to explore the food and shops there. My two best friends and I decided to save money by cooking together every night during the week and
splitting the grocery costs for dinner, because everyone knows it costs more money for
dinner for one than it does for 2-3 people. I ended up spending $15-20 a week for
groceries, which was very cheap. I used the rest of my budgeted food money for
restaurants when I was on excursions, so I could try different restaurants while in
different countries, since I knew I wouldn't be cooking while I was on an excursion.

2. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!! The best way to save money while traveling is to do
research ahead of time. Every excursion that my friends and I went on, we researched to
find the safest and cheapest hostels to stay in, the cheapest mode of transportation, and
the cheapest yet good places to eat. We saved lots of money by looking into our options ahead of time. For example, is the 5-hour train cheaper than the 1-hour plane ride? We went for the train ride. Even if it took more time to get to where we were going, it was worth it in the end to not spend so much money on travel and hostel stays.

3. I PACKED LIGHTLY. I know this is weird, but let me explain. Every Ryanair plane seems cheap until you add the extras, one of them being an extra bag. By taking one bag and
consolidating your items, you save $20 or so on what would have been spent on an extra bag; you’re welcome.

4. I BOUGHT CHEAP SOUVENIRS. This saves money and space. I chose to buy a postcard for
every city I went to. Each one cost $1 or less, saved space in my bag, and I was still able to buy something to remember each country and city I visited.

5. I BUDGETED AHEAD OF TIME. Pick what you are going to spend your money on while you are away, and stick to it. You know you will need money to get there, for food, a place to stay, and a couple of activities that you will do on the trip. Try to find some free activities to
further save! My friends and I wanted to see more of Ireland than just Dublin. We researched ahead and found a $40 day trip to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher. This was
worth every penny and was such a fun memory. By planning trips ahead, as well as budgeting your expenses, you won’t feel like you are wasting any of your money, but you will still be doing stuff on your trip.

6. I TRACKED MY EXPENSES. This is my least favorite thing to do, but it was one of the
most important things I did. I had a budget tracker app with all the money I spent, along
with what I budgeted for myself for the trip. Of course, there are some unexpected
expenses, and you may go over, but try to stick as close as you can to your budget!

Money can be one of the biggest stressors while studying abroad, so make it easier on yourself by planning ahead and budgeting your money wisely so you can enjoy yourself during your excursions!

Thanks, Britton!