Traveling is one of the most fun things you can do – it’s a great way to see more of the world, learn more about yourself and of course meet a lot of people. However, many people struggle with saving enough money for their dream trips and understandably so. Here are some top travel tips for saving money that will help you travel cheaper and longer:

1) Collect Points
Chances are you have a credit card, so why not use that to your advantage? Find one that offers a good rewards system, whether it is in air points directly or other points that you can redeem for travel. What’s better than travel? Free travel. The important thing is not to get into the habit of spending just to collect points and instead just spending what you usually spend and collecting points anyway. The points can add up really quickly, especially if you’re spending a lot.

2) Stay in Apartments
Staying in apartments when you’re traveling is one of my favourite travel tips because not only do you save money, but you get to live more like a local would. There are two main ways that you save money when staying in apartments when compared to hotels. Firstly, the price per night is generally substantially cheaper, so that’s an obvious financial saving. The other way you save is because apartments generally have a kitchen (and hotels generally do not) so that means you can cook some meals at home, rather than ‘having’ to eat out for every meal. Food can be really pricey when you travel so this is a great way to keep travel costs down and your bank  balance looking good.

3) Couchsurf
This is a great option, especially if you want to meet local people. Couchsurfing is a concept that basically means you stay with strangers for free – on their couch. This might not be right for you if you want a private trip, aren’t really interested in meeting new people or have rigid plans you want to follow. It is a great way to meet people and experience the local way of life all while saving money, so might be worth looking into.

4) Shop Around
As with almost everything to do with travel you can find big price variations across the board. Use flight comparing websites like Adioso and Skyscanner to find the most competitive flight prices. Use last minute hotel booking sites to get great deals. You can even utilize VPN software technologies to change your IP location to find better deals.  There are lots of options, the main thing is to not settle for a price you see straight away and see what’s on offer.

Traveling doesn’t have to be super expensive, especially if you combine a few of these tips to save you money.

What is your favourite tip for saving money when you’re traveling? Share  in the comments below.