A 12 point guide to budget backpacking

When you are backpacking for months, every coin counts. Over time, being careless with your monies could build up and you could be left severely overshooting your allocated budget. Besides, the more you save, the more you can travel. Planning ahead makes for smoother journeys. So here’s a 12 point guide to budget backpacking:

• If you arrive late (or alternately have to catch a flight in the wee hours of the morning) at far flung airports, you might want to save time, effort and money by snoozing at the said airport. Many airports are sleep-friendly. The new KLIA in Malaysia, for instance has designated carpeted areas where weary travelers can catch forty winks. Carry a travel blanket/ compact sleeping bag not only for comfortable naps at the airport but for also on long bus/train journeys.
• Use websites (hostelbookers or hostelworld) for cheap hostels. Airbnb has also caught on with travelers looking to rent rooms or entire houses even for a more local experience at bargain prices. There is always the zero cost couch-surfing for penny-pinching budget travelers who are looking for both authentic experiences while saving on wallet unfriendly accommodation.
• Figure out local transportation routes. Local people working at airports are not going to be using expensive tourist shuttles to commute to the airport on a daily basis. You can save as much as 50 dollars or more when you use local transport instead of expensive cabs that many airports push as the only option, particularly when airports are located at the edges of cities. Research and be aware of scams. Beijing for example is notorious for the black taxi scam where tourists are ripped off through rigged meters. Don’t be a sucker.
• Use low cost airlines. Set an alert for sales. Find out the budget carriers of every country you visit. With the advent of budget airlines, many times air travel becomes not just the quickest but also the cheapest mode of transportation.
• Pack light. Buy and discard inexpensive tees at every destination. With a lighter backpack, not only is it easier on your shoulders, you can cut on paying for additional check-in bags. If you are a woman, consider carrying an oversize handbag to pack in extra socks or whatever else. Have a couple of Ziploc covers handy at all times to carry travel size toiletries in your carry on. Also, make sure to pack some rainproof gear and clothing.
• Use local sim cards for inexpensive local/ international calls and data plans. International roaming on your home country sim, more often than not, can be a heavy/unnecessary drain on your pocket.
• Carry sunscreen, insect repellent and bedbug spray. Inadvertently, hostels – however clean- are susceptible to bugs. And in tropical areas humans are fair game to all manner of insects. Bring sunscreen from home if you can. These can be surprisingly expensive to buy in some countries.
• Most hostels offer free breakfast. Tuck in and you are done with the most important meal of the day. Other cheap food options in most countries is to dig in at budget friendly street food carts and trucks.
• Do not be tempted to make arrangements for one city or area, in another, through tour operators. Travel agents make money through cuts, ergo, it follows: more middlemen there are in the chain, the higher the price quoted. However hard you bargain, you are usually bound to get a better deal if you go straight to the source. Also, bargain, bargain, bargain for everything.
• Equip yourself with an International driver’s license. Motorbikes and cars can be economical transport options. To cut costs even further, share rides with other travelers.
• Last – but by no stretch – the least, do not forget to pack international multi-country converters and adaptors especially if you are country hopping.