Financial Strategies for Young Travellers: How to Travel on a Budget and Invest in Experiences

So, you are travelling the world as a young buck? Your whole life is ahead of you and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel. Well, first of all, congratulations – there aren’t many teenagers who are able to do what you are doing, so savour the moment, and count your many blessings. Travelling alone for the first time can definitely seem to be daunting, what with the uncertainty, fear, apprehension and curiosity that goes along with travelling? It definitely can be slightly disheartening to look at a large voyage and not feel even a little concerned. We aren’t here to fully set your mind at ease, as we know only too well that travel can be scary. What we are here to do, though, is offer you some financial insights that we have gathered over the years of globetrotting that will at least make sure that you don’t burn a hole in your pocket before the journey has even begun.

Before we get into our list of financial tips for the wanderlusting youngun, allow us to first recommend an affordable, yet highly reliable transportation option. We are talking about the friendly folk over at AtoB Transfer. With years in the business, they are your best option for getting to and from the airport, and even beyond. They offer a wide range of vehicles, all of which can be fully personalized to meet your Gen-Z specifications. Let’s say you are in Sweden, and the following thought crosses your mind “airport taxi Gothenburg Landvetter airport”; we would firstly recommend you learn to put your sentences together better, but would then remind you that you can easily book your ride by airport transfer through AtoB’s easy to use website. We won’t be mentioning this particular airport again in this article. You stay classy.

Budget

Daddy may have given you a few bucks to get your trip started, but that doesn’t mean you should blow it all on the first day of your trip to buy that limited edition Taylor Swift CD and a family-sized bucket of KFC. No siree, you should be saving every penny and only making wise purchases.

As you need to eat and drink in order to survive, these two should be your only priority when travelling on a tight budget. Try and spend only a few dollars on the former, while re-filling a reusable bottle from drinking fountains in order to wet your whistle. Don’t waste money on alcohol or expensive meals; in the long run, it will only make your trip less comfortable.

Try your best to get freebies. Lots of people are happy to give away food and drinks, as long as you are polite when asking, and definitely not begging. Rather, if you are out somewhere, you should try and go and make friends with a large group who are eating, they will more than likely spare a few hot dogs.

Couch Surfin’ and Hostels

Accommodation is definitely important, but that doesn’t mean you need to stay at the Ritz Carlton. We definitely don’t recommend sleeping at the bus stop under the bridge in a dodgy part of town either, but rather, you should try to find something in between. This is where hostels come in. They are usually incredibly affordable and can even be booked on the same day. You will likely be sharing a room with multiple other snoring hounds, but hey, you’ve saved a few bucks.

Couch surfing is another option, which you could likely combine with the friend-making for food option we stated above. If you make friends with a group of people, ask if you can crash on one of their couches, and they will likely say yeah.

Ride Sharing

Obviously travelling in the back of Rolls Royce, with a professional chauffeur is not going to be the best option for saving dough. With the AtoB airport transfer option offered above, you can actually share your ride with friends and split the bill between yourselves. If that still seems a little too pricey, then use ride-sharing apps to find cheap transportation between cities. If you book well in advance, you can also find cheap train and bus tickets through their respective websites.

Planning is key when it comes to transportation and airport taxi and carefully planning your trip beforehand will guarantee you always get the best price.

In closing, we would like to instil a small pinch of wisdom into you, young traveller; if you are careful with your money, your money will be careful with you. Don’t make unwise purchases, and try to adequately budget every element of your trip. Eat cheap, book your AtoB airport transfer in advance, refill your water bottle and surf a few couches. Most importantly, though, enjoy yourself. Happy Travels!