Let's face it, not everyone can afford to hit the road for months at a time. We'd all like to have a million bucks in the bank and be able to travel at our leisure, but luckily there are ways that you can see the world without wreaking havoc on your bank account.
Budget backpacking can sometimes be more fun than extravagant spending. It's the art of the penny-pinch, the Tao of frugality. It's all about stretching your dollar as far as it will go, while still getting the most out of your trip.
With that in mind, here are a few tips to help get you on the road, regardless of your account balance.
Freeloading is Free
Hostels are a great way to travel on the cheap and meet some cool people, but it's even better to travel on the free. Talk to locals and try to make friends with them. If you're especially charming, you can sometimes get friendly locals to open their homes and their lives to you. A better (and probably safer) strategy is to use a website like CouchSurfing.com or GlobalFreeloaders.com. These websites are basically huge databases of people willing to let you stay at their house (usually on their couch) for free. When you freeload, you not only get a free place to stay, but you also get a local who can tell you where to go, and sometimes even give you free tours of their city!
Bootleg a Tour Guide
This is one of my favorite budget travel techniques.
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