c/budget-travel-hacks

32

the_uma•2d ago

TIL my uncle's advice about eating at the airport food court was actually gold

My uncle always told me to never eat at the airport itself. Said to grab something from a grocery store before heading to the terminal. I spent years ignoring him and paying $14 for a sad dry sandwich in a plastic box. Finally tried it last month before a flight out of Atlanta. Packed a rotisserie chicken and some grapes from a Publix near the hotel. Saved about $30 and the food was way better. Has anyone else found a weird pre-flight meal hack that actually works?

9

joel_patel•2d ago

Switched from Airbnb to guesthouses in Thailand and saved $200 in 2 weeks

I spent my first week in Chiang Mai booking Airbnbs and kept dropping like $35 a night. Then a local guy at a market told me to try guesthouses instead. I found this place near the old city for $12 a night with free breakfast and laundry. The room was basic but clean and the owner gave me tips on where to eat cheap. Has anyone else found guesthouses way better than Airbnb for certain countries?

17

calebm46•2d ago

Thought hostels were the only way until I tried couchsurfing in Prague

Spent 4 hours trying to book a cheap hostel in Prague and everything decent was booked solid. A friend pushed me to try couchsurfing and I found a spot in 20 minutes, ended up saving $85 over 3 nights.

14

alices16•3d ago

Lost my passport in a hostel in Barcelona and had to figure it out fast

I was three days into a two week trip through Spain and somehow my passport slipped out of my bag at a hostel in the Gothic Quarter. I didn't notice until I was about to check out and head to Valencia. Panic mode for sure. I ran to the front desk and they had a lost and found box but nothing. Then I remembered a tip from a travel forum: check with the local police station near tourist spots. Walked 15 minutes to the one on La Rambla and someone had turned it in an hour earlier. Cost me nothing but time and a lot of sweat. Has anyone else dealt with losing important stuff abroad and gotten lucky?

6

river_scott•3d ago

Hit 50 nights in hostels this year and saved over $2,000 compared to hotels in Europe

I was tracking my spending in a spreadsheet and realized I paid an average of $28 a night across Portugal, Spain, and Italy instead of the $80+ for even cheap hotels, and the free breakfasts at most hostels probably saved me another $300 on food alone; has anyone else crunched the numbers on hostel vs hotel savings for a full trip?

7

thompson.robin•4d ago

Hostel vs Couchsurfing in Prague - one was way cheaper

I spent a week in Prague last fall and tried both options for three nights each. The hostel cost me about $28 a night and I got a locker and breakfast included. Couchsurfing was free but I had to bring a bottle of wine for my host and take the tram 40 minutes from the center. Honestly the hostel saved me time and hassle even though couchsurfing was zero dollars. Has anyone else found that cheap hostels beat free stays when you factor in travel time?

15

white.alex•6d ago

Picked a hostel over a cheap hotel in Barcelona last week

I had the choice between a $25/night hostel dorm or a $45/night hotel room in the Gothic Quarter. Went with the hostel. Shared a room with 5 strangers. Got a free walking tour and breakfast out of it. Saved $140 over a week. Would I do it again? Yeah, but only if I pack earplugs next time. Anyone else feel like hostels are hit or miss for sleep quality?

2

allen.cole•6d ago

Can we talk about how rental car companies at Denver Airport got together and decided to charge $15 a day just for a second driver?

I asked the counter girl at Hertz about adding my wife to the rental and she said it was policy, no exceptions, so I just drove the whole trip myself which is fine but kind of defeats the purpose of a family vacation when you're the only one who can drive the minivan.

24

kai_bennett•8d ago

Hostel vs Couchsurfing in Barcelona - I made the wrong call

I spent $40 a night on a hostel in Barcelona last month instead of hitting up Couchsurfing, and I ended up paying double for laundry and breakfast. The hostel had a curfew at midnight too, which killed my plans. Has anyone else had better luck just finding a free couch in Europe?

2

andrewt41•9d ago

Compared hostels vs capsule hotels in Tokyo for 10 days and one was way better

I spent 10 days in Tokyo last month and tried both hostels and capsule hotels to save money. Stayed at a hostel in Shinjuku for 4 nights at $25 a night and a capsule hotel in Akihabara for 6 nights at $30 a night. The hostel had a common room where I could cook my own ramen and meet people, which saved me about $15 a day on food. The capsule hotel was quiet and had a nice private space but no kitchen and no social area at all. I ended up eating out every meal there and spent way more than I planned. The hostel was clearly the better deal for my style since I could meal prep and chat with other travelers. Has anyone else tried both and found the same difference?

30

abby_henderson•11d ago

My backpack zipper died halfway through a trip in Portland

I was walking through Powell's Books downtown and the main zipper on my 25 liter daypack just gave out. Everything fell out onto the floor, three people helped me gather up my stuff. I ended up buying a roll of duct tape at a nearby hardware store for $4 and taped the thing shut for the rest of the trip. Has anyone else had a bag fail on them mid-travel and had to MacGyver a fix?

9

torres.jason•11d ago

Just overheard a guy at the hostel bragging about booking a flight through a third party site because it was $50 cheaper

He ended up stuck at the airport for 14 hours because the airline changed the schedule and the third party site never forwarded him the email so he missed the whole window to get rebooked for free, has anyone actually had a third party site come through for them in a pinch?

-1

paul_thompson67•12d ago

Just realized 'house sitting' travel hack backfired on me hard

Ngl, I thought staying in someone's house for free in Portland last month was genius. But the owner's cat got sick on day 3 and I spent $200 at the emergency vet. Then the fridge broke and I had to call a repair guy. Tbh, it ended up costing me more than a cheap motel would have. Has anyone else had a 'free' travel arrangement totally blow up on them?

5

valsullivan•12d ago

Tried the 'sleep in the airport' hack for a layover in Denver

My Denver layover was 11 hours. I bought a $5 inflatable neck pillow and camped near gate B32. Found a quiet corner behind a vending machine. Fell asleep for maybe 2 hours. Woke up to a janitor vacuuming six inches from my face. Scared me so bad I kicked over my water bottle. Soaked my backpack and half my clothes. Learned that airport floors are way harder than they look. Plus that janitor shift starts at 3 AM sharp. Anyone else get wrecked by a budget sleep hack gone wrong?

3

the_uma•13d ago

Hostels are actually cheaper than Airbnbs if you check the cleaning fees first

I ran the numbers on my last trip to Denver and the hostel was $28 a night versus $62 for a private room after all the junk fees, found that stat from a breakdown on Priceonomics last week, anyone else notice Airbnb fees are getting out of hand?

-1

milar46•14d ago

Met a guy at a hostel in Lisbon who changed how I pack

I was staying at this 10-bed dorm in Lisbon last spring and my bunkmate was this older guy from New Zealand, maybe 60 years old. He had this tiny 20 liter backpack that looked like it could barely hold a change of clothes. I asked him how he was traveling for two months with that little thing. He just laughed and said I only bring three shirts, one pair of pants, and I wash them in the sink every other night. He showed me his setup, a dry bag for washing clothes and a clothesline that packs down to nothing. I thought he was crazy but after a week I realized I was carrying around stuff I used maybe once. Has anyone else run into one of those ultra-minimalist travelers who made you rethink your own bag?

24

finley_bennett28•14d ago

I found out hotel breakfast buffets are way cheaper if you bring your own Tupperware

So last month I was staying at a Holiday Inn in Cleveland for a wedding. I noticed the breakfast buffet was $15 per person, which seemed like a lot for some eggs and cereal. Then I saw a guy filling a small container with yogurt and fruit to take for later. I asked the front desk about it later and they said as long as you're a guest, you can take food from the buffet for later in the day. This got me thinking about how much money you can save on lunch if you grab extra at breakfast. Has anyone else tried this at other hotels or chains?

15

skylercooper•15d ago

Hit 50 flights in 6 months and it changed my packing game

I flew 50 times on budget airlines in half a year. Southwest and Spirit mostly. That's when I realized paying $40 for a checked bag 50 times is $2000. Now I fit everything in a personal item bag every single trip. Anyone else stop checking bags after they did the math?

13

torres.jason•19d ago

My buddy swore by booking flights on Tuesday at 2 AM - I called his bluff

I always heard that Tuesday thing was a myth, but last month I tested it for a trip to Austin. I set an alarm for 1:45 AM on a Tuesday and snagged a round trip from Denver for $89 total on Southwest. The same flight was $160 when I checked back later that morning. Has anyone else actually caught a deal doing the late night refresh thing or did I just get lucky?

17

angelac63•24d ago

Pro tip: Stop booking flights on weekends and save $50+ every time

I used to always search for flights on Saturday mornings because that's when I had free time. Then I noticed my buddy kept getting cheaper tickets for the same routes by booking on Tuesdays around 3pm. I tested it myself last month for a trip to Denver and saved $63 on a round trip. Airlines post their sales early Tuesday and by the weekend prices creep back up. Has anyone else found a better day or time for booking?

19

spencer_moore39•25d ago

Hostel dorms vs. capsule hotels - which saves more for solo trips?

I used to always grab a 6-bed dorm in hostels for $25 a night, but after a trip to Tokyo last spring where a capsule place cost $30 with better sleep, I'm leaning toward capsules for peace. Now I'm wondering if the extra $5 is worth it for noise-free nights or if I'm just getting soft. What's your take on paying a little more for quiet over dirt cheap dorms?

0

charles_coleman•29d ago

That $200 'discount' flight finder app was a total scam

I saw ads for this app that promised to find hidden cheap flights, so I paid $200 for a year subscription. Ended up just showing me basic Google Flights results I could get for free. When I tried to cancel after a week, they made me jump through hoops and wouldn't refund me. Has anyone else had luck with those cheaper flight alert services or are they all garbage?

4

robin489•1mo ago

Ran into an old guy at the bus station who made me rethink everything

I was waiting for a Greyhound in Portland last month and this retiree sat down next to me. He saw my backpack and started talking about how he used to hitchhike across the country on $10 a day back in the 70s. Said he never booked anything more than 2 hours ahead and just trusted strangers for rides and places to sleep. It got me thinking about how much safety gear and planning I pack into my trips now. Has anyone else ever had a random conversation that made you question your whole travel style?

0

the_jason•1mo ago

That $12 bus ride from Denver to Moab saved me $40 over the train

Last month I needed to get from Denver to Moab for a quick canyon trip, and I found a bus that runs twice a week for only 12 bucks. The train wanted 52 and took longer since it goes through Salt Lake City. Has anyone else found random bus routes that totally beat the usual options?

23

elliot_grant38•1mo ago

Met a guy at a hostel in Lisbon who saved me $60 on laundry

I was about to drop $12 on hostel laundry when this older traveler at the sink showed me his trick with a dry bag and some soap. He scrubbed all his clothes in 5 minutes and hung them on the balcony. Anyone else use this method or just me?