c/budget-travel-hacks

DIY hostel breakfast kit saved me $12 a day in Dublin

I was sure packing instant oatmeal and a reusable cup was overkill but after 3 mornings of paying 8 euros for toast and jam I caved. Has anyone else found a hostel breakfast hack that actually works long term?

That hostel booking hack with the 24 hour cancellation window saved my tail in Madrid

I booked a hostel in Madrid last month for 4 nights through a third party site. Got to the place and it was a dump. Like mold in the bathroom and the AC didn't work dump. I remembered reading somewhere that if you cancel within 24 hours of check-in, some hostels will refund you. Turns out my booking had a free cancellation window up to 6 PM the day before arrival. I cancelled right then at 3 PM and rebooked a much better place two blocks over for 12 euros less per night. Has anyone else found that certain booking sites are better about these last minute cancellation policies than others?

That time a hostel in Barcelona saved me 60 euros on laundry

I was three days into a two week trip through Spain and my clothes were starting to smell. The hostel wanted 8 euros just to wash and dry one small load. So I asked a local at the front desk where she gets her laundry done and she pointed me to a lavanderia self-service three blocks away. Cost me 3.50 total and I even used the hostel's free detergent from the shared kitchen. Has anyone else found a hidden cheap laundry spot abroad?

The 5am flight vs the red-eye debate - which actually saves more?

I started trying to save cash on flights last year and found two camps online. The early birds swear by 5am departures because you avoid surge pricing on tickets and can nap on the plane. But I tested both on a trip to Denver in February - the 5am flight cost $89 but I spent $35 on coffee and breakfast bars at the airport to stay awake. The red-eye was $78 but I crashed at a buddy's place instead of paying for a hostel that night. So which strategy has actually worked better for you guys - the early riser or the night owl route? I'm trying to plan a trip to Austin in June and want to know what really saves.

TIL using a hostel kitchen saved me $400 in one week

I was traveling through Austin last month and staying in a cheap hostel. Instead of eating out every meal, I started buying groceries and cooking in their shared kitchen. I tracked my spending for a week and realized I spent $45 on food total. My buddy eating out every day dropped $120 on just dinners. That $75 difference over a week blew my mind, especially when I was making stuff like tacos and pasta that tasted fine. Anyone else had good luck cooking in hostel kitchens to save cash?

My friend swore by booking flights at 3am, I tried it and something weird happened

So my buddy Dave, who travels like 4 times a year on a shoestring, told me I had to book flights at exactly 3 in the morning because airlines supposedly drop prices then. I thought he was nuts but I set an alarm for 2:45 last Tuesday and sat there half asleep refreshing the Delta site for a trip to Denver. At 3:02 the price on a round trip actually dropped from $280 to $215 for about 12 minutes. I grabbed it but then the confirmation email took over an hour to show up and I panicked thinking I got scammed somehow. Turns out it worked fine but I was so wired after that I couldn't fall back asleep until 5. Has anyone else tried this middle of the night trick and actually seen real deals or was this just random luck?

Hostel bunk vs overnight bus seat - one was way worse than I thought

Last summer I tried the overnight bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai to save $15 over a hostel bed. Figured I'd sleep fine on a reclining seat. Big mistake - the AC froze me solid, the driver hit 3 potholes every mile, and some guy snored like a chainsaw 2 rows back. The next morning I paid double for a private room just to crash for 4 hours. Has anyone else tried this and regretted it?

Found out rental car insurance is a total scam at the Vegas airport

Last month at the Las Vegas rental counter, the guy tried to upsell me on their $35 a day insurance. I almost said yes until I pulled up my credit card benefits on my phone. Turns out my Chase card already covers collision damage for free as long as I decline theirs. I saved about $245 on a 7 day rental just by reading the fine print on my credit card terms. The rental guy actually got annoyed when I showed him the coverage limits. Has anyone else had luck fighting these upsells at the counter?

That old woman in the Vienna hostel who gave me a free transit map

I was in the lobby at the Wombats hostel in Vienna last fall, trying to figure out the U-Bahn on my phone. This older lady, maybe 70, noticed and just handed me a folded paper map. Said the battery dies but paper never does. She was staying there too, doing some kind of solo trip. It's been six months and I still use paper maps sometimes. Has anyone else gotten a random tip from a stranger that actually stuck with you?

Why do people keep booking through third party sites for flights?

I was at a travel meetup in Denver last night and someone mentioned they saved $12 on a flight to Portland by using a sketchy reseller, but then got stuck with no refund when the flight got canceled. I've seen this happen like 5 times this year alone, people chasing tiny savings and ending up paying way more in hidden fees or lost tickets. Has anyone else noticed this trend and do you actually trust those sites over booking direct with the airline?

Serious question about hostels vs Airbnb in Porto

I'm heading to Porto for 5 nights next month and I'm stuck between a $18/night hostel in the Ribeira district or a $55/night Airbnb near the gardens. I went cheap on a hostel in Barcelona last year and got stuck with a snorer who kept me up three nights in a row. Has anyone tried a private room in a hostel there, or is the Airbnb worth the extra cash?

Stop booking flights on Tuesday just because someone told you it's cheapest

I keep seeing people in travel groups swear by the Tuesday booking rule like it's some kind of law. But I actually tracked my own flight searches for about 4 months last year, checking prices on different days for the same routes to Chicago, Nashville, and Portland. Turns out the cheapest deals popped up on Wednesdays and Saturdays way more often than Tuesdays for me. The whole Tuesday thing is just leftover info from when airlines used to post sales on Monday nights. You're probably leaving money on the table if you're only checking one day. Has anyone else actually tested this and seen different results?

That chat with a hostel owner in Portland made me ditch my credit card rewards strategy

He told me he saved over $400 last year just by booking directly and paying cash, so I ran my own numbers and realized those airline miles I was chasing only netted me $60 in actual value after fees and minimum spends - has anyone else looked at what their points actually cost them?

My bag broke in Barcelona airport last month. Should you splurge on a pricier travel bag or does cheap and replaceable make more sense?

Got scammed by a rental car place in Prague for a scratch that was already there

I was in Prague last June and rented a tiny Skoda, when I returned it the guy pointed to a scratch on the bumper I swear was already there before I left the lot. He charged me 200 euros on the spot and I was too tired to argue after a 6 hour drive from Vienna. Has anyone else dealt with rental places pulling fake damage claims and found a way to fight it?

Found out the average hostel in Europe charges 35 euros a night now, not the 15 euros I remember from 10 years ago

I was planning a trip to Portugal for next spring and checked Hostelworld out of curiosity, and it blew my mind how much the prices jumped since I backpacked in 2014 has anyone else noticed this or am I just getting old?

Pro tip: check the expiration on your travel insurance before a trip

I bought a policy for my trip to Portland last fall, but when my bag got lost at the airport, I found out the coverage had expired two days before I left. The agent at the claims desk basically said tough luck, and I ate the $150 replacement cost for clothes and toiletries. Has anyone else gotten burned by an insurance fine print detail like that?

Overheard a flight attendant say carry on fees are coming to all budget carriers by summer

Was grabbing coffee at the airport last week and heard two crew members talking about how Spirit and Frontier are testing $50 carry on charges at the gate starting June. They said the trick is to pack everything in a personal item that fits under the seat, like a 16 inch backpack max. Anyone know if the discount airlines overseas already do this and how passengers get around it?

Stopped buying travel insurance after 15 years of never using it

Had to cancel a trip to Nashville last year because my cousin got sick. Called the insurance company I had been paying $60 per trip to for 15 years. They denied the claim because her doctor note wasn't specific enough. Never once filed a claim before that and got absolutely nothing back. Now I just put that $60 into a separate savings account instead. Has anyone else stopped paying for it after getting burned?

Booked a hostel in Prague for $12 a night and it was a total scam

I thought I was being smart finding this crazy cheap spot in Prague last summer. Turned out the address was fake and the 'hostel' was just some guy's cramped apartment with bunk beds in the living room. He had like 20 other travelers stuffed in there with no lockers or working wifi. The whole thing felt sketchy so I left after one night and found a real hostel for $18. It was still cheap but with proper security and a kitchen. How do you guys tell if a super cheap listing is legit before you get there? I'm trying to avoid that mess again.

Hot debate: planning every meal vs. winging it on the road

I used to map out every single meal for a road trip, like I'd plan breakfast at a diner in Flagstaff and lunch at a taco joint in Albuquerque. Now I just hit grocery stores and make sandwiches in the car, saving about $40 a day. When did you stop overplanning and start just eating whatever's cheap? Which side saves more money in the long run?

Used to think hostels were the only way to save money on lodging, but I was wrong

I always figured hostels were the best budget option for places like Europe or big cities. But last year I needed a place near Yosemite National Park and the hostels were charging $60 a bunk. I found a small motel about 20 miles out for $82 a night. That got me thinking, so I started checking something called "last minute hotel apps" that a friend told me about. Turns out, I saved $150 on a 4 night stay in Portland by booking the day before through one of those apps. A motel room with a private bathroom beats a dorm room with snoring strangers any day. Has anyone else found motels cheaper than hostels in certain areas?

Hostel vs. Airbnb in Lisbon - hostel was way better for half the price.

I paid 45 a night for a private room in an Airbnb in Lisbon that had no AC and a broken shower, then switched to a 20 euro dorm at a hostel near Time Out Market with free breakfast and walking tours. Has anyone else found hostels actually beat budget Airbnbs in Europe lately?

Burned $60 on a city tour bus pass in Rome last summer

I figured the hop-on-hop-off bus was the smart move for seeing all the sights without spending a ton on taxis. But the lines at each stop were like 30-40 minutes long in the July heat, and half the audio commentary was broken. Ended up walking most places anyway and felt like I just threw that money away. Next time I'd just get a metro pass for like 15 euros and plan my own route. Anyone else had a city tour bus that was more trouble than it was worth?

Rental scooter broke down in the middle of Bangkok and I had no backup plan

Last month I was in Bangkok for a budget trip and rented one of those cheap scooters for $8 a day. Everything was fine until I got stuck in traffic near Khao San Road and the engine just DIED on me. No warning, no lights, just dead. I had to push it half a mile to a shady repair shop where the guy charged me $30 just to look at it. Turns out the battery was completely shot and the rental place knew about it but didn't tell me. I ended up missing my afternoon plans to visit the Grand Palace because I was dealing with this mess. Has anyone else had a rental vehicle fail on them abroad and what do you do to avoid getting stuck like that?