By Andreas Gkoumplias,
Summer vacation is by far the greatest time of the year. People get to relax, get together with old friends and new ones alike, spend much-needed time with their families, pick up a new hobby, visit new places, and so on. However, often these holidays come at a cost and that cost weighs heavy on the shoulders of people, especially those having a hard time either getting by with their expenses, needs, and necessities or those having a hard time having a steady income to back themselves up. More often than not, people choose to completely skip or ignore a great part of the summer holidays in order to be within their budget and so as to not face financial difficulties.
Being a student in the university myself, I totally do understand this. I do not have a steady income because I do not have a steady job, so practically I find myself along with many other people close to my age struggling to work with a very tight budget. As a result, I did a little research and gathered some alternative suggestions in order to give some ideas to the people struggling with the same issue.
Starting off with some general advice, it should be said that it is always wise to plan carefully when planning a vacation, and one should try to include as many variables as possible. Flights and hotels tend to actually get pricier the more time goes by, but they can be really cheap if booked early on. Also, hotels are more expensive than motels or AirBnbs, so these are two cool alternatives for people on a stricter budget. In the event that you have a friend in the place that you plan on visiting, it is also a good idea to ask to crash at their place for the night and save a good amount of money!
As in most cases, location is everything. The same goes when traveling. Generally, famous locations tend to cost more than less famous ones; however, that does not mean they are not approachable to people who are working with a tight budget. Right timing and right planning can provide excellent opportunities to visit places that are even considered expensive, like Paris or London. Being on the lookout early on for discounts and offers is key to booking a cheap vacation.
Of course, apart from that, a good suggestion is to try to discover places that are not that well known. A place that does not have way too many visitors yearly tends to be cheaper, as the only frequent customers are the permanent residents of the area. Each country has its own little “hidden corners” where there is a lot to see, and the price is affordable, so be on the lookout for those.
Now, for those that are actually choosing to not leave the country, or else stay local, there are opportunities for them as well. Short trips inside your own country can be just a very refreshing and rejuvenating experience! A good idea is to look for a place with a lot to see at once; that includes archaeological places, museums, exhibitions, and so on. In that way, there will be plenty of things to do for an affordable price. Another good idea is to look for same-day trips. Usually, the costly part of a vacation comes when you have to pay for a place to stay overnight. That is a problem that can be solved in the event that someone decides to look for places close by to where they live to visit them and return later that day.
Staying local could be interpreted also as taking time to discover places that are close to your home. A good and of course for the most part cost-efficient alternative is that you take the time to explore nature or places that are close to you since you will not have to pay for transportation, a place to stay, or food. That is also an excellent idea for those who have very strict time schedules or are working even in the summer.
To sum it all up, being on a strict budget is not fun at all, yet is a sobering reality that many of us have to face. There are, however, a lot of opportunities to have some fun and get to know new places and new people. It is up to everyone to find them and make the most out of each one.
References
- 6 Expert-Approved Ways to Travel on a Budget, time.com, Available here
- Seven underrated benefits of travelling you should know, candorblog.com, Available here
