Secrets of a stingy traveller: 10 things I’ve learnt about travel on a budget

Luxury travel is a luxury I’ve rarely been able to afford. The closest I’ve come to it is an aisle seat on a plane with no one sitting next to me. Something which, on my budget, is almost priceless.

But don’t play your tiny violins for me just yet. This is a feature of my life, not a flaw, as the less I spend on trips, the more I can spend on travelling.

While there is temptation in private transfers, lie-flat seats, and hotel rooms that are bigger than the apartment I left back in Australia, I’ve found great joy in being a stingy traveller.

I’m not stingy with my time, generosity, or affection for a country, but with what I believe to be the superfluous bells and whistles of travel.

The guided tours and the buffet breakfasts, the high-end hotels and the fancy restaurants: these are the kind of add-ons that make travel more comfortable, but in doing so, they remove us from the heart and soul of our destinations.

I’ve learnt more about Thailand from a 30 baht ($1.30) meal on the side of the road than any brick-and-mortar restaurant could teach me.

Likewise, there wasn’t a single bar in Bologna that beat sitting in a plaza surrounded by locals with a €2 bottle of wine. Austerity breeds creativity, and while it might be tempting to throw money at your travels, working within its limits can open up fantastic possibilities.

With this in mind, I’d like to tell you the first secret about being a stingy traveller: you might actually have more fun. So join me on this third-class carriage of an article, have a beer in my metaphorical park and learn the secrets of how to be a budget-savvy traveller.

In the air

I’m not sure what food they serve in hell, but I’m fairly certain it comes wrapped in foil with a stale bread roll on the side. Likewise, I have no interest in watching a terrible movie on a tiny screen with headphones that make my ears feel like they’re bleeding.

Given that I use next to none of these services, it’s rare that I’ll ever fly a full-service airline. I’m a low-cost man, and I’ve found that most people who fly on low-cost carriers are trying to spend as little as possible.

The trick to maximising your experience on these flights is to pay a slight premium, upgrade your seats and get full-service comfort for half the cost.

I use Scoot for this, as paying for their Scoot-in-Silence gives you just as much legroom as Qantas. There is also a seat on Scoot’s Dreamliner where you can get what is essentially an exit-row seat at the price of a standard upgrade, although I’ll let you sniff around for this one yourselves.

Put Netflix on your phone, skip the in-flight meal, and remember, as Anthony Bourdain once remarked, nothing tastes better than arriving in a country with an appetite.

On the ground

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, chances are you’re going to want to leave the airport. And while hurling your bags into the back of a taxi might be the easiest thing to do, there are almost always cheaper ways to get where you need to go.

Take Bangkok, for example. A taxi from the airport will cost you anywhere from 300 to 500 baht ($23). Instead, take the BTS Skytrain, which is only 45 baht ($2). It might not drop you right outside your hotel, but you can always hop off after a few stops, switch to Grab (a ride-sharing app) and then spend all those delicious savings on Singhas.

The advent of ride-sharing apps has been incredible for the budget-savvy traveller, but my heart belongs on public transport.

This is because I’ve been robbed in taxis twice, and I can’t say the same has happened to me on a train. It can be fun, too, to stick out like a sore thumb among the locals, to be curious just as much as you are a curiosity.

Another thing to remember is what I call the “order of affordability”: buses, trains, then planes. And while yes, that Ryanair flight might look cheap on paper, once you add the cost of your bags and getting to and from an airport in the middle of nowhere, costs start adding up.

Choosing a destination

If watching democracy unravel wasn’t enough to keep me out of the US, then the US dollar, tax, plus tip would certainly finish the job.

But no matter how much I love affordable countries like Thailand and Vietnam, there really are only so many times I can go to Hanoi and eat Michelin-worthy food for less than a dollar.

My new way of picking destinations isn’t necessarily to avoid countries with higher price tags, but to find out which countries our dollar performs well against. As I have no understanding of how the economy works, I outsource this to smarter, seasoned travellers than me and, as much as it pains me to admit it, our new AI overlords.

In doing so, I’ve discovered that destinations such as Turkey, Mexico and South Africa are all in a budget sweet spot right now, along with Japan, which has improbably become everyone’s favourite budget destination.

But if you’re unfazed by exchange rates, another cost-saving tactic is to think about countries laterally.

Everyone loves Italy, but the beaches in Albania are twice as nice at half the price.

Likewise, Japan might have the Shinkansen, but I’ve caught the high-speed trains in South Korea and the only difference I noticed was the one to my wallet.

Choosing a city

If you go to France and you don’t visit Paris, can you say you went to France at all? Absolutely, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

A country is bigger than its most famous city and when you give yourself permission to not be beholden to it, travel becomes remarkably more affordable.

I’ve long believed the best way to experience a country is by visiting these less popular cities. They give you a better insight into the country’s heart, soul and character, as opposed to the pre-packaged versions you get on the tourist trails.

I’ve had better times in Nagoya and Kumamoto in Japan than I’ve ever had in Kyoto, and it’s all thanks to the way I’m viewed by the locals: like a guest, not a burden.

In my quest to get off beaten paths and discover lesser-known destinations, I’ve inadvertently discovered an unintended consequence. They are, undoubtedly, almost always significantly cheaper than their more popular counterparts. Hotels are cheaper, food is more affordable and the people are way more likely to shout you a drink.

They don’t call it tourist pricing for nothing, and once you remove yourself from the tourists, the prices drop accordingly.

Where to stay

I know what you’re thinking – don’t dare suggest staying in a hostel. But I, too, have no interest in sleeping with nine snoring strangers in a room that smells like damp towels and cheap deodorant.

My hostel days are long behind me, and I won’t subject you to the horrors I witnessed in those dorm rooms.

What I will say is that there is no secret hack to finding a cheap hotel, at least not one I’ve discovered. The way I approach accommodation is to understand what I’m willing to sacrifice: comfort or location.

I’ll happily stay in a room the size of a broom closet when I want to be right in the thick of things, or I’ll head to the hills when I feel like sleeping in a bed where my feet don’t stick off the edge.

Then you have Airbnb, a morally bankrupt product that I use religiously. This is because I’m living the life of a digital nomad, and so am subjected to spending hours working on the worst hotel chairs known. To spend six hours writing while perched like an exotic bird will make anyone embrace the dark side of holiday rentals. And sure, having a kitchen to make an affordable breakfast every once in a while doesn’t hurt, either.

What to eat

Some of the best meals while travelling I’ve had on the side of the road. I’ll be sitting on a tiny plastic stool, my knees around my ears, with a bowl of something in front of me. Maybe it’s pork, maybe chicken, maybe it’s best not to think too hard about what went into it and focus on the important thing: how it tastes. And yes, it’s delicious.

This is food for the people. It’s the €2 slice of pizza or that delicious bowl of bun cha, egalitarian dishes that anyone can eat and everyone loves.

Sure, there might not be air-conditioning, and they might be washing the bowls down with a hose and bucket, but you don’t stay in business by poisoning your neighbours. I’ve had more stomach bugs from hotel breakfasts than any street food vendors.

So don’t be afraid to pull up a stool. It will cost you significantly less and connect you far more with a country than any restaurant ever will.

Supermarkets, too, are the museums of our time, where you experience a culture through their shelves.

My favourites are in Japan. Somehow, a casual neighbourhood supermarket will sell better sushi than we get from restaurants in Australia, and if you go after 7pm, you’ll find 20-30 per cent off stickers on all the best bentos.

What to drink

As a young backpacker, I had two budgets: one was for alcohol, the other for just about everything else. Guess which was bigger?

I’ve grown up a lot since those days, but I clearly haven’t grown up quite enough, as I still love sniffing out a bargain on drinks whenever I travel. The good news is that when you leave Australia, there are few countries that make drinking feel expensive.

Even in Singapore, a place notoriously expensive to down a few, you can still find good deals. I like to start with a cocktail happy hour before moving on to a hawker centre, where you can buy a long neck of Tiger for a tidy seven bucks.

Elsewhere, it’s about doing as the locals do, embracing the notion that drinking in parks or plazas isn’t just something for teenagers but for all people on a budget. Some of the best wines I’ve drunk have been out of plastic cups, and when I look back at those hazy memories, it’s the people I was surrounded by that linger.

Another tip is to look for university students. Wherever a university exists, cheap drinks are sure to follow. The post-work crowd, too, are good to watch out for, as nothing makes you need a cheap drink quite like slaving all day.

Getting the timing right

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes, and if you pack your bags accordingly, you can enjoy great deals in a country that might have otherwise been cost-prohibitive.

One of my favourite places to do this is in South-East Asia, a region already notably affordable. I’m one of those fools who think that nothing is more romantic than South-East Asia in the rainy season. The way the world inverts, the ocean falls out of the sky, and you’re forced to take shelter underneath the nearest bar.

I don’t like pina coladas, but I do love how much more affordable these countries become when you’re willing to dance in the rain. The secret to the rainy season is that more often than not, the rain comprises a heavy afternoon shower, and I’ve spent whole off-seasons without seeing a single drop.

Of course, you can’t control the weather, and be forewarned that rolling these dice might not always fall your way.

It’s also always advisable to check for holidays, both school and public, as flights have demand-based pricing and they’ll jump through the roof during these peak periods. It’s also good to avoid local holidays, like Chuseok in Korea, for example, where people flock back to their home towns and snap up every morsel of available accommodation.

Staying entertained

There are plenty of ways to entertain yourself in a country without bankrupting yourself.

Cultural events are almost always free, and sometimes these extend to heavily discounted entry at museums, parks and other significant sites, so always check guides to see what’s on.

But if you’re anything like me, then the last place you want to go is a museum. I went to the Hermitage in St Petersburg, Russia, once and after looking at paintings of inbred royals for seven hours, I saw a wheelchair stacked against the wall and got jealous.

The way I like to approach my budget-friendly entertainment is to combine entertainment with transportation.

In Tokyo, one of the first things I do is rent a Tokyobike, which costs about $25 and will not only uncover parts of the city that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen, it will also provide me with a whole day’s worth of enjoyment.

Hiking, too, is another great option, and any city worth its salt will have some sort of walking trail to follow.

Also, don’t discount bad seats at a great event. You can watch a baseball match in Seoul for as little as 10 bucks and while you might not get a clear view of the bases (or the ball), you’ll still get to experience the killer atmosphere and spectacular riot that is Korean baseball.

Gratuities advice

There are a few elephants in this article, and tipping is one. It’s a cultural practice I abhor, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t tip 20 per cent with every meal when I lived in Los Angeles.

If a culture calls for it, then you damn well better put your hand in your pocket and pass it on to your server. The best way to avoid tipping is to do so when you’re booking your tickets, choosing a destination where the cost of everything is in the receipt.

The US is out, obviously, but what about somewhere like Argentina? You’re not obligated to tip but in the face of their continued economic uncertainty, a few extra pesos might go a long way. Or not, who knows? Their currency is a roller coaster.

It’s a good reminder that being a stingy traveller doesn’t mean being cheap. It means understanding what you’re willing to sacrifice for the privilege of travelling abroad.

It means skipping the souvenirs in favour of bringing home memories, of chasing cheap eats instead of white tablecloths and remembering that even as a stingy Australian traveller, you’re still luckier than 90 per cent of the world.

Five countries where stingy travellers revel

Vietnam

This is one of those countries where, no matter how much money I try to spend, my wallet always gets off lightly. The best meals I’ve had here have also been some of the most affordable, and when you’re sitting at drinking bia hoi, beers that cost roughly 20¢, you’ll be hard-pressed not to order another.

Laos

Yet another affordable (and fantastic) South-East Asian destination. It can make even the lowliest backpacker feel like a prince and the people here are some of the nicest I’ve met anywhere. Make sure to visit Si Phan Don in the south. It’s a bit harder to get to but is the closest I’ve been to paradise.

Albania

One of the last bargains you’ll find in Europe has some of the best beaches in the region, and you can experience them at a fraction of the cost of their more popular neighbours. It’s also one of the few places in the world where hitchhiking is a legitimate mode of transportation and not the realm of serial killers.

India

A country you can visit a hundred times and still barely scratch the surface of, India is also affordable enough that you could, theoretically, visit it a hundred times and live very comfortably while doing so. Catching a train here is a particularly special experience that you can still have for less than a couple of bucks.

Georgia

The birthplace of wine, and they sell it for the same price other countries sell their water. This is terrible news for your liver but fantastic for your wallet, which gets off quite lightly in the Caucasus. The pours here are particularly generous so remember that ordering one glass can sometimes mean drinking one-third of a bottle.