c/budget-travel-hacks

Booking two one-way flights saved me $120 on a trip to Chicago

I was flying from Detroit to Chicago last month and the round trip price was $280. On a whim I checked booking two one-way tickets on different airlines and it came to $160 total. I ended up flying Southwest out and American back, which was fine since I just had a carry on. Why do more people not look at this? Has anyone else found big savings doing the same thing?

The day I stopped paying $40 for airport sandwiches and started packing my own

I used to hit the airport food court every single trip and drop like $15 on a sad soggy sandwich and a drink that cost more than a six pack back home. Then about 2 years ago I was stuck at JFK for 6 hours and spent $42 on two meals and a coffee. That was the breaking point. Now I bring a soft cooler bag with sandwiches, granola bars, and an empty bottle I fill after security. I also started packing instant oatmeal packets and asking coffee shops for hot water for free. My last trip to Chicago cost me maybe $3 in food total. Anyone else got a go to item they always pack to save money at airports?

Stop paying for hostels when you can camp for free

I keep seeing people drop $40-$60 a night on hostel dorm beds in places like Portland or Denver. Last summer I spent three weeks camping on BLM land outside Moab for zero dollars a night. Buy a decent used tent for $50 and a camp stove for $20, and you've saved money after two nights. Has anyone else switched to camping on road trips to cut their accommodation costs in half?

Ran into an older couple in Osaka who changed how I pack luggage

I was struggling with my giant suitcase at a train station in Osaka last spring when this Japanese couple probably in their 70s came up to me. The husband showed me how he rolls everything - even shirts - into tight little tubes using these mesh bags he got at a 100 yen store. His wife laughed and said they've been traveling with just one carry-on each for 20 years. I switched to rolling everything after that and now I fit twice as much in my bag without breaking the weight limit. Has anyone else tried that mesh bag method or do you just use rubber bands?

Found out airlines can change your seat for free even after you paid for an upgrade...

Happened to me last month on a flight out of Denver. Paid $45 for an exit row seat, got to the gate and they moved me to a middle row in the back without telling me. Said it was 'operational needs.' Called customer service after and they said nothing in the booking guarantees your seat assignment. So basically paying for seat selection is just a gamble now. Has anyone actually gotten their money back from an airline when they pulled this?

Hit 50 nights in hostels across Europe this year and I'm split on whether it's worth it anymore

I dropped $20 on a reusable water filter bottle in Bangkok and it paid for itself in 3 days

I was buying plastic water bottles every time I left my hostel, spending like $2-3 a day. Picked up a LifeStraw Go bottle at a 7-Eleven for $20 and just filled it from hostel taps. Saved me from buying 30+ bottles over two weeks. Anyone else use filter bottles in places where tap water is iffy?

My hostel in Lisbon was a total dive, then I paid an extra $5 for a different room and it felt like a luxury hotel

Am I the only one who thinks the $25 dorm bed and the $30 private room in the same building can be completely different worlds, or is it worth gambling $5 to find out?

Pro tip: My carry-on broke mid-trip in Barcelona and I saved with a garbage bag

The zipper on my cheap duffel gave out at a metro station in Barcelona, so I grabbed a heavy-duty trash bag from a corner store for 1 euro and used it as a liner inside a tote bag I found at a secondhand shop. It held up for the rest of the trip through three more cities. Anyone else MacGyvered their luggage on the road?

I finally figured out why my backpacking meals were always soggy

I'd been using those pre-packaged dehydrated meals for years on trips around the Pacific Northwest, always adding boiling water straight to the bag. Last month on the Olympic Peninsula, a thru-hiker told me to let the water sit for a minute before pouring it in, and my dinner actually had texture for once. Is there any other basic cooking trick that took you way too long to learn?

Hot take: Booking a hostel private room isn't worth double the price

I spent $80 a night on a private room in Lisbon last spring thinking I'd get peace and quiet, but the walls were paper thin and I heard every snore anyway. The shared dorms at that same hostel were $30 and people actually stfu at midnight. Has anyone else found that private rooms in hostels are just a waste of cash?

Rant: Lost my hostel reservation in Prague at 11pm with no backup plan

Lost $60 on that "last minute deal" site

Booked a hotel through one of those flash sale apps. Supposed to be 50% off. Got to the front desk in Phoenix and they had no record of my reservation. Spent 2 hours on hold with customer service. Finally got a refund but had to pay $120 for a room that night. Anyone else get burned by those discount booking sites?

Just hit 50 flights in a single year and it broke my budget brain

I was scrolling through my flight history (just out of boredom, really) and realized I've taken 50 flights this year. That number hit me hard because it's way more than I ever thought I'd do, especially on a budget. I'm usually the person who brags about finding $49 one-ways, but this adds up even with the cheapest hacks. My total came to around $2,300 just in airfare, and that's before airport food and baggage fees. It made me wonder if I'm actually saving money by flying everywhere or just fooling myself with low base prices. Has anyone else tracked their yearly flight count and gotten a reality check about what they're really spending?

Just realized I've been overpaying for flights by skipping layovers

Last month I was booking a trip to Denver from Chicago and noticed a flight with a layover in Salt Lake was $80 cheaper than the direct one. Out of curiosity, I looked up just flying Chicago to Salt Lake on that same airline and it was like $60 less than the Denver route. Now I always check if I can book a cheaper base leg and just skip the second part. Has anyone else done this or gotten caught by airlines cracking down on it?

The week I saved $200 by booking last minute flights to Nashville

So last month I had a free week off work and just felt like going somewhere. I checked flights to Nashville on a Tuesday night and the price was $120 round trip from Chicago. I booked it right then and flew out Thursday morning. The catch was I had to stay at a hostel called the Music City Hostel for $35 a night which was fine. I ended up finding a $20 concert ticket at the Ryman because the show wasn't sold out yet. The whole trip cost me $225 for 3 days including food and a rental bike. Has anyone else scored a deal by just booking something random on a whim?

Ran into a dude in Marrakech who taught me the plastic bottle trick for negotiating

He was selling rugs in the souk, and he told me to always carry a crushed plastic bottle in my bag to look like I'm hydrated and not desperate. I tried it at a spice stall, and the guy dropped his price by 40 dirhams on the spot. Anyone else use weird props to get better deals while traveling?

My worst travel day ever was in Paris last March

I saved up for months to finally take a budget trip to Paris, but one day in particular completely derailed my plans. I thought I was being clever by booking a super cheap hostel in the 18th arrondissement for $25 a night, but on day 3 I woke up with bed bugs all over my arms. The hostel manager shrugged and said it happens, but refused a refund. Then I tried to use a money-saving trick I read about online taking the RER B from the airport instead of a taxi. Well, the train got delayed for two hours because of a strike, and I missed my afternoon slot at the Louvre. To top it off, I grabbed a $3 sandwich from a corner shop that gave me food poisoning by dinner. The whole day cost me about $80 in wasted tickets and medicine. Has anyone else had a supposed 'budget hack' completely backfire on them like that?

Met a woman at a hostel in Barcelona who changed my packing list forever

I was staying at a cheap hostel in Barcelona two years ago and this older lady was traveling with just a carry-on bag. She told me she never packs more than three shirts and one pair of pants no matter how long she goes. At first I thought she was crazy but then I tried it on a 10 day trip through Spain. I saved about $60 in baggage fees and didn't even miss the extra clothes. She also said to roll everything tight and use a single packing cube. Has anyone else gotten solid travel advice from a random person on the road?

Debated the sleeper train vs budget airline for my trip to Prague

A few years back I had to pick between an overnight sleeper train from Vienna to Prague for 30 euros or a Ryanair flight for 15 bucks. I went with the train thinking I'd save on a hostel night, but the cabin was stuffy and I barely slept. Ended up spending 10 euros on coffee in Prague just to stay awake that first day. Has anyone else tried the sleeper trains in Europe and actually got good rest?

That travel blogger's "hostel dorm hack" almost got my stuff stolen

Some guy named Derek on YouTube swore you could leave your bag on the bunk with just a cheap luggage lock and it'd be fine. I tried it at a hostel in Barcelona for 3 nights. First morning I wake up, my lock is cut and my phone charger is gone. Nothing major missing but still. Hostel staff told me dorms get hit all the time especially near Las Ramblas. Anyone else had bad luck following these online "pro tips"?

Warning: That hostel in Barcelona that's $12 a night is a trap

I booked a supposedly cheap bunk at the Barcelona Backpacker Hostel last spring and ended up sleeping on a mattress that had actual springs poking through with no sheets provided. The staff tried to charge me an extra "cleaning fee" of 15 euros at check-in too - has anyone else gotten hit with surprise fees like that?

For years I swore by packing cubes until a guy in a Bangkok hostel changed my mind

I was at this little place on Khao San Road and this older traveler saw me stuffing cubes into my bag. He said just roll everything and use those cheap mesh laundry bags for dirty stuff instead of specialized cubes. I tried it on my last trip to Vietnam for 3 weeks and my bag actually held more and I didn't have to unzip a million pockets. Anyone else found a packing system that works better than the big brands?

Always booked hostels until a guy at the bus stop told me to try a monastery stay in Italy

I used to think hostels were the only way to save money in Europe... but this old traveler in Florence told me monasteries rent rooms for like 30 euros a night, quiet and with breakfast. Changed my whole approach for my Italy trip last spring. Has anyone else found a hidden spot like that?

My uncle the flight attendant told me to always book red-eyes on Tuesday nights

He said you can often snag a whole empty row to stretch out on, plus the fares are like 40% cheaper than Friday afternoons, has anyone else had luck with that or does it just depend on the route?