You’d be forgiven for thinking that holidays and tight budgets hardly go hand-in-hand. In many respects, holidays are a luxury, and there are many times when it can be a struggle to save up for them. They are, however, well worth the investment, and allow you to relax and unwind, expand your curious mind, and broaden your horizons in many ways.

Compiling a list of reasons why you should holiday and explore the world will take you an awfully long time, as the pros far outweigh the cons. For top tips on how to budget, save money, and spend less while away, here is your essential guide.

Begin saving ahead of time

If you take one tip away from reading this guide, let it be this one: begin saving money in preparation for your holiday even earlier than you think you should. There’s simply no harm in putting money aside each month and adding to your holiday fund. You can start off small and gradually increase how much you deposit, but what’s important, for now, is that you’re making a real concentrated effort to save money each month and have money on your mind.

Save cash in small practical ways like making coffee at home instead of buying it out, packing your own lunches, eating cheaper cuts of meat, and trying to limit expensive bad habits like drinking alcohol and smoking. Your wallet, as well as your body, will thank you.

Search for deals

It’s easy and enjoyable to search for the best deals that can be located online, as you know they’re there; you just have to look for them! You can find some spectacular deals for a fraction of the full price, providing you look early, know what you’re looking for, and work out loop-holes here and there.

You can save money by looking for travel bundles that include accommodation and flight costs in the overall price. Know when to book accommodation and the weeks and months that see most of a price nose-dive. Villas in Kefalonia can be found reasonably priced, for example, as can ones in Crete. Greece offers travellers unbridled opportunity to enjoy a relaxed pace of life, to bond with the extraordinarily friendly locals, and dine on Greek cuisine that needs little introduction.

Ask to borrow

Before going away and locating new parasols, walking shoes, toiletries, passport holders, and suitcases, why not ask your friends and family to see whether they have any that they can lend or, or give to you if they’re recently surplus to requirement? Ask in advance, and explain that you’re trying to save money. Many will appreciate you asking them, and want to help out in any way they can.

Limit spends

Here comes one of the most tricky parts of enjoying your holiday on a budget, as you will have to be careful about what you spend your money on while you’re away. Limit spending money by figuring out which restaurants around are the best value for money, resist the urge to buy overly-prices trinkets, and use the bus and other forms of public transport in the place of ordering costly taxis.

If you have kids, then give them a spending limit, and ask them to begin saving their own money in the run-up to your departure date. Explain to them that they will see trinkets and keepsakes that they’ll want to bring home and give to their friends, so provide them with an allowance, but stick to your guns about it. Limit spending money further by looking around for gifts first and then deciding to buy from the most reasonably priced vendor at the end.

Negotiate

In order to save those all-important pennies, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for a lower price when buying items out, and when it comes to getting the keys for your room at your accommodation. It feels good to be frugal, so extend this tip to car hire companies too, and ring them in advance to ask for a price reduction. What’s the worse that could happen? They’ll say no.

Engage your bargaining brain, and ask for more for less in whatever capacity arises. When eating out at restaurants, look for coupons and vouchers ahead of time, and try to secure a deal that can take money off the price of your final bill. Try not to overtip, as this then means that you’ll have to part with far more money that you want to. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t tip, but you’re well within your right to tip the minimum amount.