10 Budget Friendly Travel Tips from One Gen Z to Another

There is nothing more exciting than creating new opportunities for yourself as you become an adult. Things that we used to plan with our besties in middle school and highschool are actually coming to fruition and I am loving that for us. That being said, whether you were well-traveled growing up or are taking on this new hobby as an adult. There are a few things you can do to create a beautiful and safe experience with friends, family, or even solo.

1. Safety Comes First

It’s a no- brainer that with new experiences comes the possibility of new dangers. I am the first one to be planning a trip to an exciting destination (even when I’m not sure how I’m going to afford it..), but your safety is number one, no matter where you're going. 

Luckily, with advances in technology, there are so many ways to keep yourself protected – one of them being safety apps. One’s like GeoSure and Noonlight are great ways to keep your loved ones informed about your location. Geosure for example, offers so many great features like hundreds of thousands of safety scores around the world. You can also do things like receive notifications for travel advisory alerts and check in with your contacts. Best part of it all, is its super affordable! I love a good bargain and at $4.99/month, that is something I can definitely fit into my budget as someone who is new to the workforce.

2. Start Close to Home

If you're just beginning your traveling journey and you're feeling incredibly overwhelmed about the currency difference, language barrier and uncertainty of an area outside of the country just know you're not alone. Those are very real and sometimes scary things to think about when you’ve never left the country before or have only traveled with trusted family members. I am here to tell you, it’s ok to start small. There are so many things to see and places to go especially if you're from a country like America that has such a large population with a meld of cultures, terrains, sights and foods. You could probably travel for a year straight and still not experience it all! 

So if leaving your country is too daunting, plan a flight to a nearby city or heck, maybe on the opposite side of the country! Not only will it be good to add to your travel expertise, but you will gain a new found appreciation for your homeland and its people.

3. Research, Research, Research

If leaving your country sounds like the perfect plan to you, then I am all for it. It’s amazing how enriching experiencing different cultures is. I fully believe it is so important to immerse yourself. It breeds understanding which leads to compassion and kindness and our world could definitely use a bit more of that.

A big part of these types of trips is doing the proper research. Yeah, I'm sure searching for the best local restaurant or historical monument will make the journey amazing, but what will make it even more amazing is knowing you won't spend the next 3 months trying to get your country to bail you out of jail because you didn't understand the laws. It’s kind of obvious that when traveling to a new place there will be different laws, that's not a surprise. What is surprising, is the amount of people who don't actually know the laws of the land they are visiting. Make sure to do your due diligence. Go to websites like travel.state.gov and find free, reliable and up-to-date information about many countries including customs, emergencies for situations like detention or missing legal documents, and even for events like getting married or having a child abroad.

Remember, at the end of the day it's your own responsibility to take care of yourself. It’s a lot harder to be saved than you think, so put in the effort now to explore your resources and prevent ruining an experience you worked so hard for.

4. Scams

What a perfect segway to talk about a tourist’s worst nightmare. Scams. Now, scammers aren't anything new. It’s been affecting billions of lives since the dawn of time, but it's one thing to be scammed from a false company text message or getting “scam likely” phone calls while you're just trying to live day-to-day life. It’s another thing to be scammed while in an area far from home, where trusted people and funds aren't easily accessible. Don't get caught with your pants down. Stay vigilant. Research common scams for the area you're planning to visit, never tell anyone plans that have not already happened, be aware of your surroundings at all times and make sure to secure your belongings. It's probably a smart idea to not be too flashy especially in more impoverished countries. These are musts when traveling anywhere.

5. Travel with Back Ups

I’ve read too many horror stories (and honestly can’t help but be over prepared) to know that you should always travel with backup everything. Backup photos of your driver's license, passport, and cards. Another great thing to do is have two wallets. Fill one with your most used cards and some cash and your drivers license. Then have another wallet with emergency debit and credit card, with more cash and your passport. This just might save you in the event your stuff is lost or stolen. Never put all your eggs in one basket. Help yourself now, so you wont have to pay even more later.

6. Book that Main Cabin Ticket

I am one of the first people to search high and low for a bargain. I never think something is worth what it is priced for, unless it is unusually affordable for a great product/service which in that case, I become a “ride or die”. Not only is booking a main cabin ticket nicer in terms of comfortability and experience, but it’s absolutely the smart thing to do and I will die on that hill. If you're paying $250+ one-way for economy and you don't get to choose your seat, you're stuck in the back, board last and you can't even get credit if you miss your flight for whatever reason--please stop punishing yourself. Book that ticket early and select the main cabin for a few dollars more, you will be so glad to know that in the event you need to cancel, you can re-book.

7. Frequent Flyer Miles

My boyfriend hates signing up for things using his email because he doesn't like when his inbox is full of spam, but when he told me he wasn’t signed up for the frequent flyer program and we were about to fly to Hawaii, I nearly croaked. Mind you, we lived almost 5,000 miles away..one way! I was not about to forfeit 10,000 miles because of some silly spam (hmm..ironic), so I signed him up IMMEDIATELY. If you want to be as frugal as possible, that is definitely one way to do it. 

For those who may not know, frequent flyer miles is part of a program pretty much all major airlines provide to their customers in order to let people collect miles that they have already flown (think cash back), which then they can use on another flight for free. For example, flying to Hawaii and back would be 10k miles. The 10k miles gets added to my account online using a unique code like K98JDf and then when I want to travel again to somewhere closer, I can find flights that might be worth 8k or 9k miles (miles do not equal physical distance in this case, but hold monetary value so 1 mile might equal 5 cents. It varies on the airline) and book that flight for free. So, now you understand why it's so important to be a part of the program.

8. A Lookbook for the Insane

Now, I am nowhere near a type A girl, but one thing about me is–I’m going to look cute. My bestest friends are the type to send a rsvp link for group phone calls, like, it’s just part of life at this point. If you don't know, a lookbook is a collection of photos and inspiration that you put together for different outfits. It's an AMAZING way to plan, especially if you intend on taking hot girl or hot boy (I see you, King) pictures. Every creative magazine company does this to have a well thought out plan and make the vision tangible.

Typically, I start with Pinterest (< follow me here!). I save pins to a hairstyle board, nail board, shoes board and outfit board. Once I’m feeling inspired, I take some of those photos and put them together to create looks based on my destination. Canva is absolutely perfect for that type of thing. Lookbooks not only give you a peace of mind about what to wear, but it makes shopping for pieces a heck of a lot easier and keeps you from wasting money buying random pieces. Try it out, your next ensemble is callingggg.

9. Plan It Out

Since we're on the topic, might as well talk about it… We need a planner friend in the group. Is it your calling? I don't know. I’m thinking so because you're here. I’m a planner, you're a planner, we are essential. We are the brain, the masterminds behind all vacations. 

Creating an itinerary doesn't have to be hard. The most important thing is to categorize. Categorize by day and then break it into subsections which will be food, transportation, activities and rest. Don't forget the rests! You can be as intricate or lackadaisical as you want, but ultimately it is up to you and the group. If you're like me, then you love free templates. 

Click here to download free itinerary templates for all your planning needs.

10. A Guide to Creating Guides

Here we are, the last and final tip. This is possibly one of my most helpful and practical strategies when planning a vacation, but also for everyday life. I love making my own restaurant/bar guides for the cities I’m visiting. I watch instagram reels and read yelp reviews. Once I find a place that sells something yummy and has the reviews to back it up, I go into my Apple Maps app (if you have an android you can use yelp) and I search the establishment’s name. Click the “more” button with three dots and then click “add to guides” and create a new guide under a name of your choosing. I like to categorize by city and then whether it's for food or drinks. For example, “Seattle Bars”.

Voila! A free place to store all your must-try restaurants and bars, while also being able to view prices and menus . You can even apply it to nightclubs, spas, movie theaters–the world is your oyster. Bonus, when you go into the guide, you're able to choose the venue and check the distance from your location including the driving instructions. They even have pre-made guides, created by established foodies and bloggers.

Let’s be real—travel isn’t always sipping cocktails by the beach or posing effortlessly in front of ancient ruins. Sometimes it’s sprinting through an airport with one shoe on or surviving solely on the previous day's lunch because you had too much to drink that night. But despite the chaos, the currency confusion, and the mysterious rashes (don’t ask), it’s all so worth it. I feel incredibly lucky to have had the chance to see so much of this wild, beautiful world—and even luckier to share the weird little lessons I’ve learned along the way. If any of these tips saved you a headache or made your suitcase lighter, then I’m calling that a win. Thanks for hanging out here with me—stick around, because I’ve got more travel tales and hopefully-helpful advice coming your way soon!

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