“The world is a book and those who don’t travel read only a page”

Augustine was not wrong when he said this. Travelling not only builds perspective, it is essential for a person’s growth in terms of character and willpower. However, most people believe that it is a luxury of the rich and that a travel expedition is going to cost them a fortune. Due to this outlook, India today has become one of the most vacation-deprived countries in the world. One of the reasons is that people don’t know how to travel on a budget.

Travel does not necessarily mean that you need to burn a hole in your pocket or win a lottery. If done right, you can have the time of your life without spending much. I for one, have met travellers with no steady source of income but down with a serious case of wanderlust. Here are a few tricks on how to travel on a budget that might come in handy for you when you plan you much-needed detox:

• A well thought out plan never goes out of style
  

  Now you need not break down minutes of your trip or even hours or days. All you need to do is plan and travel on a budget. You should also focus on a feasible timeline. For starters, a few questions that might help would be, Are you going with a few confidantes or riding solo? How are you going to pay for your expenses? Which are the best travel cards available right now? These questions answered today might save you a lot of time and money while on the trip.

• Research away
  

  About the place, the best means of transport to reach, alternate means of transport to reach there, calculate the difference in the costs, compare for the best offers on travel expenses. Only reading about the place and the experience of fellow travellers can help you there. There are also several travel bloggers who break down their trips’ itineraries which might prove to be very useful for a fellow traveller.

• Book travel tickets and hotels in advance
  

  Tickets are always costlier if you book them on the spot or even close to the travel date. It is better to be a little flexible with your travel dates and timings to get the best prices on tickets. Don’t forget to check for any coupons or offers to further reduce your expense. Using a credit card like the Yatra SBI Card might prove to be a blessing as it offers vouchers worth Rs.8,250 and amazing deals on hotels and ticket bookings.
  Bonus hack: Use a private browsing window and clear cookies, as the prices are sometimes manipulated by previous searches.

• Eat outs eat more than you think
  

  There is no limit as to how fast can you eat your money away with more and more restaurants opening up daily. But the best chai at a restaurant can in no way compete for the local tea shop while you are relishing in the arms of nature. And Citi Cash Back will spoil you with choices as it offers 15% off on dining across 2000 partnered restaurants because you can not fully enjoy any experience on an empty stomach.

• International layovers? Be smart

  We have all booked tickets with long layovers to save some cash and we feel you. But the smartest thing you can do in such a situation is to look for credit cards that come with an option of providing you with free access to lounges worldwide.

  So, there you go. Live your travel dream and see every corner of the world. And we at IndiaLends wish you never have a dull moment in your life. Until next time!