How to Save Money for Traveling on a Tight Budget

How do you make traveling work when you don't have lots of money? Here's some free advice.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

When you travel full-time like we do, spending money on extras has to be kept to a minimum. If you’re moving around a lot, it could be really easy to spend hundreds of dollars a month on food, drinks, attractions, museums, campgrounds, etc.

There is SO much out there that’s VERY expensive. 💰 😅

But there are also plenty of things that are inexpensive or even FREE! And let me tell you I’m the pro at finding free and cheap. 😏

So I figured I’d share my top 10 tips for saving money while traveling on a tight budget.

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1. Do a Google search for “best free things to do in _____” for any town/city that you’re planning to spend time in. I’ve found some really cool things by doing this.

2. Purchase a North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association annual membership. It provides access to 1,500 institutions, including arts and history museums, botanical gardens, children’s museums, and more. It’s an upfront cost, but it saves hundreds of dollars over the year with that annual membership.

We’ve already saved $316 in museum visits this year by using that! They also have these for zoos, gardens, and science museums, so you can pick what you love and join. I want a zoo/garden one next.

3. If you can be self-sustained, don’t be afraid to boondock. Boondocking means camping without any hookups if you’re not familiar with the term. You can boondock in dispersed camping areas (federal land), rest areas (check state laws, as they vary), many big-box stores, travel stops, Cracker Barrel restaurants, and even hotels or hospitals sometimes. Asking permission is always ideal. Many places will let you park for free overnight as long as there aren’t laws restricting it.

And of course, Harvest Hosts is ideal for this as well. We have saved a ton with our membership and we love it! Please use our referral code to get a discount, which also helps us earn free time on our membership.

4. If you frequently use campgrounds, consider buying memberships that will save you money with discounts. Passport America offers an amazing 50% discount and you can find participating locations all over the country. There can be restrictions (weekends, holidays, peak season), but we’ve saved a ton with this membership. You can try it free for 4 months with our referral code.

Camping World offers its Good Sam program, and that’s one we’ve used a little. KOA has a membership, but its campgrounds are much pricier than those of many others. Just shop around and figure out what works best for you.

5. Use the GasBuddy app to plan for stops as much as possible. Sometimes the difference in gas prices from one town to the next can vary greatly. We got gas yesterday for $3.33 before we left town because the towns we would be going through were around $4.04 or more! (Honestly, we were SHOCKED to get that low of a price because we haven’t seen it below $4 anywhere in quite a while! It was a pleasant surprise!

6. Join gas station rewards programs. If you’re traveling all across the country, you’ll hit up all kinds of stations, so it’s nice to have them all. Some have better rewards than others, so know which ones will serve you best if you stop there. I have found Pilot and Love’s to be the best for fuel discounts.

7. Utilize brand rewards programs. Whether it’s a hotel chain you stick with or a credit card that offers travel credits, these types of things can save you tons of money.

We use Choice Hotels when we stay in a hotel because they’re budget-friendly, they’re everywhere typically, and they have different tiers so you can choose super cheap or splurge on a nicer place for the night. We also use a Capital One credit card to pay for everything. This accumulates points that we can use toward travel (or other things, but that’s how we choose to spend them). A few years ago, we almost completely paid for a trip to Alaska with credit card points. 🙌

If you want a Capital One card, we would love you forever if you use our referral link. We get extra points added to our account when you do!

8. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐢. These places are a great way to enjoy a nice, quiet, and FREE place to work during the day.

9. 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝. You can find some cool stuff at thrift stores, including clothes, gadgets, and books! I found a pair of Chaco sandals for myself a couple of weeks ago for $1. Yep - one dollar. And they were in GREAT shape!

10. Make a meal plan and cook your own food. We always prefer to buy groceries (usually from Aldi, Walmart, and Sam’s) and make our own food. Eating out costs a fortune these days. And it’s so unhealthy to boot. Your waistline and your wallet will thank you for it.

That’s it! These are my top money-saving tips. Let me know if this helps you or gives you good ideas for saving! 🫶🏻

And if you have advice, what would you add to the list?