Budget Travel Tips

Ah haah!

At some point of time, you might Google "Budget Travel Tips" and there are millions of websites, pages, and everything that is available on the internet. But here are the Lady Travel Bugs version. It works for us and it definitely will work for you!

The Golden Rule: Plan Early!
Planning early and well in advance for your travel will give you a lot of advantages, from flights to accommodations (ideally, 10 months to a year ahead, or worst case, 3 months!). Some people might say they are able to get cheap flight tickets at the very last minute (two weeks or less before you leave), but hey, how about your accommodations? :P It will only work if you are bunking at your friend's or family's place. 

Be smart 
You can save on fares by traveling mid-week, or choose the off-seasons. Avoid the school holiday season if you want a stress free holiday as it would be too crowded and you'll have to queue up for practically everything!

Another point to take note is to coordinate your traveling dates with your preferred season because different people have different preferences. For instance, summer may be a bliss for one but a torture for  another. For us, the Lady Travel Bugs definitely prefer to travel during Autumn or Spring...where the weather is just nice! ;)

Check the local tourism websites to find out when their off-season starts. Be safe though, we do not advise choosing a typhoon season, cheese!

Make friends
A friend in need, is a friend indeed. Always share a room to save ka-ching$ as double occupancy is cheaper than booking two separate rooms. If you're a little bit more adventurous,we would recommend you to try  Couch Surfing (for bunking in at people’s house at no charge) and Airbnb (people renting out their apartments for short period of time and the rate is usually cheaper than hotels).

Another plus point for Couch Surfing and Airbnb is that your hosts will be able to recommend cheap and good restaurants or shopping in the area, and sometimes even offer to be your tour guide for a day or two. Some tourist attractions can be overrated so if you're lucky, you may find hidden gems that only the local knows! Who better to take advice from than your hosts who should know the place at the back of their hands? ;)

However, especially for Couch Surfing, you would need to plan well in advance to introduce yourself to the couch surf community and find the right people to host you. And it brings us back to the golden rule – plan early.

Travel is the food to soul. Going on a trip doesn’t have to burn a hole in your wallet and yes, you can have a wonderful vacation even without breaking the bank. Cheers!