10 Tricks to Budget Travel

Celyn Resort, Kundasang Ranau Sabah.

Love to travel, but always have excuses to travel? Stop procrastinating. People often asked me these questions and some even talk about me like these:

1) How do you plan for your own travelling?

2) She got a lot of money, that's why she can travel.

3) Her company provide her a lot of annual leave, I don't even can have one.

4) She is different, I am poor.

Wrong!!! Obviously, I can't control the time ticking. I don't even have time to travel seriously. But I do have time to rest, some annual leave, public holidays and there are times you need a long rest! There are some tricks.

1) Plan your vacation. If you like to travel, it is not necessarily to travel to foreign country, start from your own country first. This will helps you to avoid the feeling of - I'm the only one in this earth who loves travel but never get our of the country. At least, make a record that you have visited all the state in your own country.

2) Earn and save for your dream vacation. Some people they invest their money for the future. Some may die before they can enjoy it. Remember, we can have several accounts. When I was studying, I always have this secret chamber called, the dream and the emergency chamber. The chambers are sort of piggy bank. I save any amount of money in my dream chamber and saves a fix amount in my emergency chamber. So, when I want to go for my dream stuff, for example go to Manukan Island, I will count the money from the Dream chamber, if not enough, then the Emergency chamber will be opened.

3) Work hard and play hard. When you work too hard, you will enjoy your holiday harder because when you work very hard, you will forget the time passed and when it reach your holiday time, you will feel, aaw! It's holiday! And jump for joy. Just be careful not to waste on your money in foreign country.

4) Be smart, sharpen your maths, careful with the exchange rates. This is the first thing you have to consider before visiting other country.

5) Prepare and Surf. Just like wedding, you must have a date first, before you finalized your date, of course you want the good whether, the season, what to avoid during the day in order to make it successful right? Then only you can decide when is your flight dates.

6) Know your destination well. Where are you going? To the beach? Or jungle? Or the city? Or all? You must plan your own itinerary in order not to waste your time in just one place. If you go in group, please be consider not to let other people waiting for you on bargaining for one little thing.

7) Backpacking. This is the best type of budget travel. Google it if you not sure about it. I experienced it in my own country, Singapore and Bali, and I still can say, the internet are my best friend.

8) Look for best packages. Not sure, ask more than 3 people. There is no harm asking and if you felt threaten, avoid asking and move away. Better be safe than sorry. When you ask, be polite and you might get a free package. Who knows. ;)

9) Spend wisely. This is a warning, do not try to spend more than 30% of your budget in your first day, try to minimize your spending. If you feel the souvenir is very cheap, you may buy it but always keep in mind that you still have another day to go and you may need the money for foods, don't die in other country.

10) Emergency kit. Always be prepared. Never spend your last cash in your last day of vacation. You might ended stranded in the airport and unable to go home.

Waterfront, Kuching, Sarawak.


Chinatown, Singapore


Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

Now that your have the tricks, let's go travelling!