All of my friends ask me how I can afford to travel so much. The secret is that it’s NOT as expensive as people think.I started working online full-time about 5 years ago so that I could travel even more, while not having to take time off. You can travel on a dime anywhere in the world but this article is going to focus on cheap travel within Mexico
Accommodations:
Couchsurfing : Stay for free with hosts in cities around the world. Check out hosts´ profiles on the website and read references from guests or other hosts. Accommodations range from a couch in a shared setting to a private room, depending on what the host has available. I have both hosted guests on this platform and have been a guest in foreign countries and have always had great experiences. I recommend this option for people traveling alone, as a couple and without children. If you plan to work, it is considered rude to use this platform since it is meant to include social interaction between the host and guest.
House sitting: Many house sitting websites are available to connect sitters with homeowners. This may or may not include taking care of pets. You can also advertise as a housesitter on local Facebook groups. Many people with vacation homes use house sitters in Mexico to take care of property maintenance and avoid being robbed when they are in their home country.
Airbnbs: You can rent a room in a shared house, an apartment or an entire house through this platform for much less than a hotel room. I usually choose Airbnb when traveling because I need residential internet to be able to work online. Most hosts also offer weekly and monthly discounts. I have stayed in private rooms for as low as $10 USD per night and rented entire apartments for under $20 USD per night. (If you plan to use this option, please use my referral link to sign up and you will receive $40 USD off your first stay.)
Local businesses: If you are a spontaneous traveler, try to find accommodations upon arrival and take advantage of last minute discounts or negotiate a better rate. It is not uncommon to find budget rooms in hostels, posadas or hotels for under $10 USD a night. Many of these places will not advertise online so you won´t find them on Hotels.com or other booking websites.
Food:
Instead of paying a premium rate for a hotel with free breakfast, I will either stay somewhere with a kitchen or eat breakfast at a local market. I can make a typical breakfast of 2 eggs, toast and bacon for under $1 USD if I can cook at home. If I go to the market, I will spend between $1.50 and $3 USD.
Another tip is to eat out twice a day, instead of 3 times. I will often have a large breakfast and then have a late lunch, around 3 PM. In Mexico, you can find comida economica or comida corrida in any city. These are local establishments with homemade food. The menu changes daily but typically includes a choice of soup, a main dish (there are always chicken, beef and fish options) with salad, rice and beans on the side, tortillas, salsa, dessert and a drink. Prices range from $2 to $3.50 USD. There is usually enough food for me to eat half for lunch and I take the second half home for dinner.
Even if you decide to eat out every meal, it’s easy to find budget options to keep your food costs under $10 USD per day. If you can cook where you are staying, you can spend under $5 USD per person, per day.
Transportation:
Travel on budget airlines can be as low as $40 one way within Mexico. Mexico´s budget airlines are opening up new international routes all the time, offering fares under $100 each way. Just make sure to read the fine print regarding luggage and purchase your checked bags with your ticket to avoid paying steep fees at the airport.
Public transportation is cheap, safe and reliable in Mexico, so I always forgo the car rental. In addition to the insurance, gas and tolls are expensive and it’s always much cheaper to travel by bus, or on a budget airline if you are traveling alone or with just one other person. Buses in most cities are under .75 cents each way and if you are in Mexico City you can take the metro anywhere you need to go for under .50 cents.
There are several long-distance bus services that operate in the country, depending on the location. My favorite one is ADO, which offers different levels of service and routes from Mexico City to the Caribbean coast. If you purchase ahead of time, you can receive 50% off the ticket price and they also have special deals on their APP. If you aren’t in Mexico yet, you can have someone pre-purchase the ticket in your name and you can pick it up on arrival with your picture ID. I often use the discount to be able to travel on their luxury Platino line for the price of their basic service.
Overall:
Depending on your choice of accommodations, meals and transportation needs, it´s very easy to travel within Mexico for under $20 USD per day. If you end up in a walkable city, with a Couchsurfing host, and able to cook your own meals, you can do it for under $5 USD.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed some of my ideas to save big on your travels. Using these platforms and strategies, my daughter and I are able to take 6 to 8 budget trips or vacations a year, instead of one to two expensive ones. If you have additional ideas on how to travel on a budget, leave them in the comment section below.
Teacher Sara Tyler 