Category: Tips and Tricks

Recently we posted an article revealing our number one tip for budget travel. And it got us thinking, while our tip has worked great for us, it’s only one of the many awesome budget travel tips out there. We took to our favorite travel blogs asking them the question; what’s your best travel tip for saving money and traveling longer?

Join us as we hear about the best budget travel tips from some of our favorite travel bloggers!

Learn how to score crazy deals on flights – Backpack ME

If you travel with a limited budget (or just want to be smart about your expenses) it is important to keep an eye on the things you pay for on a daily basis. But, more than that, it’s essential to try to save on the major expenses as that is exactly what will make a difference in the big picture! For us, and many other travelers, that translates into booking the best deals on flights.

Flexibility of schedule is key on scoring the best prices on flights: if you don’t limit your search of flight to a specific date, but instead a period of time, you are much more likely to come across sweet deals. Other than that, be prepared to face long lay-overs or not so straightforward routes if you want to save more money. After dozens of flights on all sides of the world, we’ve perfected some techniques to score crazy deals on flights no matter where we go.

Bargain your way through the world – Bunch of Backpackers

One of the best ways to save money during my travels was to bargain. In tourist areas this is almost always possible, wherever you are in the world! I bargained for tours, souvenirs and accommodation. So, what’s the secret to great bargaining? The number one rule is ‘Be friendly’. A smile can make the difference. It’s important that the person that you’re bargaining with starts liking you and eventually is willing to help you out. So, now let’s move on to the more practical tricks. Everyone knows the walk-away technique. When the owner calls you back you know you were close to a ‘reasonable’ price. If not, you may have aimed to high. But no worries, you can always go to the next shop/stand/hotel.

This is also essential: always check different places and do your research to get a rough feeling for the price. When you shop around don’t carry too much money with you! The chances are that prices rise once they see your big banknotes. Another tip is to try not to be disappointed once you closed a deal. It’s tempting to think ‘Ow, I could have maybe gone a bit further down’, but there is really no point in that. Ask yourself how much you think it’s worth for you and just be happy that you already bargained some of the price down, and maybe grant the owner a bit of extra profit! Final tip: don’t be shy, you can always try!

Think in local currency – The Crowded Planet

Whenever people ask us how we manage to stay on the road for months at a time, our answer is always this: start thinking in the local currency. If you’re traveling around developing countries it’s very easy to fall into the trap of converting to the euro or dollar, thinking everything is so cheap and splashing out on swanky dinners and pricey drinks. Don’t get me wrong; there’s no problem with the occasional splurge, but it must be occasional! What we usually do, in the first couple of days somewhere new, is ask around to get a rough idea of costs; hotels, food, local transport and so on. This way we can keep track of what we spend and avoid being overcharged. And of course, we never, ever convert. You’ll think twice before parting with 250 rupees, but 3.11 euros? I guess not.

Finding the best food – Mytanfeet

A few of our best budget travel tips are about finding food. Yeison and I love to eat and try new foods,but we believe that you don’t need to pay a ridiculous amount of money to eat authentic and tasty food. Whenever we’re in a new place we ask the cab drivers where the best and cheap place to eat is. Cab drivers always have to eat out, so they are a great resource for cheap and tasty local food and they usually know which ones are open late or are twenty-four hours.

For grocery shopping, we always ask the locals to find out where they do their shopping. Buying North American or European brands in Central America is always more expensive, so to cut down on grocery money we try to buy local brands as often as we can. It helps to do some research online before you go, but you can’t always find that information so it’s best to ask the locals when you get there. For a few minutes of asking around you can save a lot of money by finding out which one is the (normally) cheaper local grocery store compared to the expensive tourist one.

Have you got something different you’d like to share?

If you’d like to be a part of this ongoing series send us an email at contact@dontforgettomove.com

Recently we’ve been getting a decent amount of emails from readers asking for travel tips and advice. The number one question we constantly receive is “how do you afford to travel?” which really translates to “how can I afford to travel?”


Well, listen up because we’re about to divulge our best budget travel tip. This simple tip will not only save you a ton of money, but will actually bring you a more authentic travel experience. Okay, I’m starting to sound like one of those pop up ads that promises you can melt belly fat with one weird trick. But seriously, if there’s one secret that has saved us from wasting our money while backpacking, it’s this: live like a local.

Too simple? Hear me out.

Even the cheapest countries can be expensive to travel in if you live like a tourist. Restaurants, hostels, tour companies will take advantage of any opportunity to gauge the price up at the sight of a gringo.

Living like a local not only means saving a ton of money, but truly experiencing a country, as well. So how do you live like a local? Try eating at a hole in the wall restaurant and ordering whatever delicacy is featured on the menu (or more likely, hastily described to you by the ladies behind the counter). Find a friendly local who will offer you a spare bed/couch/ space of floor to crash on. Ask that friendly local where he buys his beer and then sneak that beer in a water bottle so you can drink with his friends on the steps of the main plaza. While you’re drinking like a local, your backpacker counterparts will be spending 3 times as much on overpriced shooters at the gringo bar. Suckas.

{ enjoy some vending machine beer! }

Living like a local is not for everyone. It takes guts and a sense of adventure. You might have to wake up at 4 am just share a seat in the back of a pickup squeezed in between a chicken and a curious toddler. Of course you could be kicking back in an air-conditioned van, but then you’d be $30 short and wouldn’t have met Pedro, your friendly new local tour guide.

Living like a local means traveling authentically. This is where that whole tourist vs traveler idea comes into play. There’s nothing wrong with taking a vacation, spending your days lounging by the resort pool drinking margaritas, but you’re not really seeing the country. Unless you’re taking advantage of a strong currency exchange, why bother traveling across the world to do something you can do in your own backyard?

Not that there’s anything wrong with a vacation. Everyone needs a few days poolside. But traveling, real authentic, living like a local traveling, is so much more than that. It’s not all beautiful white sands and pristine rainforest. It’s smoggy gritty, moto-taxi filled streets, people yelling in different languages, stomach churning food and harsh realities.

Living like a local means not shying away from those parts of a country that make you feel uncomfortable and squirm in your seat. It means examining those parts head on and experiencing them wholly because visiting somewhere as a foreigner means taking that place as a whole, with its good and bad.

So if you’ve got the guts, give it a try. Skip that party hostel and try Couchsurfing instead. Eat the street food, no matter what you’ve been warned. Hop on a local bus, even if you don’t speak the language. Pedro is waiting!

1) Eat, Pray, Love.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This is a great chic-lit book to kick back by the pool with. Easy to get through and a quick read. Her book is all about trying to find herself after a painful divorce by becoming immersed in the cultures of Italy, India and Indonesia. Unfortunately, her introspective narrative borders self-absorbed. She is praised for her courage in leaving her life behind to explore new territory. But should we really be applauding this upper-class white lady for taking a cushy vacation with a book deal in tow? She desperately tries to find herself through travel, but instead of allowing each country to change her through personal experience, she tries to impose her already established idea of who she wants to become and how she wants to get there. The sub characters in her book read like stereotypes and end up revolving solely around her, forced into her preconceived notions of how each country will influence her as a person. If I wanted to read self-centered gushing about foreign men, I’d dig out my first travel journal.

2) Marching Powder

So for the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I never actually finished this book. Even with its fast pace and shocking details of life in San Pedro, a Bolivian prison, it did not hold my attention all the way through. The book recounts the true story of Thomas McFadden, a young British man caught smuggling cocaine out of Bolivia. He gets locked up for 5 years and slowly works his way up the pecking order of the prison to the point where he gives prison tours to thrill-seeking backpackers. The book describes Thomas as charming and charismatic, but it just didn’t come across that way. He develops a “poor me, I got caught smuggling X amount of cocaine because I was ratted out by my accomplice and now I have to go to prison” attitude. Sorry, I can’t really sympathize. He complains about the unfair conditions of the prison, even when he is allowed outside visitors, a girlfriend comes to live in his cell with him and he gets to have day trips to eat, drink and party in the outside world. And he “admits” to readers that his first experience trying cocaine is inside the jail. As if a large scale drug smuggler would never have tried his product before. Yeah right. Which only makes it more difficult to believe his outlandish tales. In South America I saw a copy of this floating around almost every hostel, so when I spotted it in a book exchange, I thought I had snagged some hot property. I totally get the appeal of the true story of seedy Latin American corruption. I just don’t need it told to me by a twat who thinks he should be above the system.

3) On the Road

I wanted to love this. I wanted to carry this from country to country like my own personal travel bible. I wanted to relate to Kerouac’s free spirit and unsettled roots. I wanted the spontaneity of their destinationless road trips to inspire me to sell everything and drive across America. But it didn’t. And I’m not ashamed to say that this book sucks. The narrator thinks he’s on some important journey, “sympathizing” with the American working class because he chooses to live like a bum, all the while idealizing his best friend who is really just a mooch and womanizer. You either love this book or you hate it. If you must read it, it’s best left for a sleepless night fueled by coffee and cigarettes, consuming it all in one go. Picking up and putting down this book while traveling just gets confusing. And as cool as you think you look with a beat up copy of On the Road under your arm, you just look like a tool.

4) Life of Pi

“This book will make you believe in God” reads the prologue of Life of Pi.
Whoa, Yann Martel, big effing claim. Well, needless, to say it didn’t. This book is like a really long session on the Stairmaster. It’s feels like a century, but when it’s over you feel proud and can convince yourself it was worth it. The beginning of the book was gorgeous and kept me intrigued, but the middle, despite focusing on a talking Bengali tiger, dragged on and on. Even though this is a popular backpacking book, it’s not really a travel-inspiring story. It’s more of a gruesome survival tale with a twist ending. The book deals with the themes of truth and faith, a bit heavy for a travel book. In the end the author subtly presents the reader with 2 options: believe in God and live in a fantastical world full of excitement and adventure, or don’t believe and live in a boring reality of misery. As an agnostic, I felt a bit cheated.

5) Your guide book

Yep, that’s right. It’s not that they aren’t a wealth of information, but in this day and age everything you could ever want to know about a place is online. Besides, every restaurant/hostel/bar that has been published in the Lonely Planet has become half as good and twice as expensive from it. Okay, maybe that was a big generalization, but still, keep your $25, ditch the weight and check out the online resources of Matador Network, Rough Guides and of course, Don’t Forget to Move.

The Art of Haggling for Travel

Haggling for prices in foreign countries isn’t just about savings a dollar, it’s a full blown tactical sport. Natural competitive instincts kick in, you size up your target and attack it with a well thought out game plan. Sometimes the shear thrill of the chase can take over and become the best part. But before you hit the local markets and souvenir stands to try your luck you’ve got to have a strategy. Going in unprepared is the fastest way to watch those precious travel savings disappear. If you’re a seasoned veteran then most of this stuff will be common knowledge, but for those new to the art of haggling this will give you a good grounding in a very vital skill. Like reading a chapter out of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, this article prepares you with an appropriate battle plan, because you’re going to need it!

Learn the Local Language

Even a basic knowledge will get you started on the initial negotiation. If you can’t haggle in the language they’ll pin you for a sucker straight away, no matter how decent you are at getting the job done. You’d be surprised how far knowing the numbers and some really basic conversation skills will go. Vendors are used to foreigners having zero language skills, so you’ll impress them into some great travel souvenir bargains. If you’re cruising around Latin America be sure to check out some of the best choices for a Spanish school in Guatemala.

Do Your Souvenir Research

If you come into a negotiation with a rough idea of what you should pay it will make it a lot easier to whittle them down. Visit a few places selling the same things and practice before making a purchase. Work out an average estimate and start with that. Know how much you should paying and then work on it from there.

The Walk Away Tactic

Never disregard the power of the walk away. If you find yourself in a little stand-off with someone over a price, try telling them politely ‘no thanks’ and walk away. 90% of the time you’ll get them down lower. Even if they decide not to budge on the price, you can always give in and go back if you really want the item. Don’t let pride get in the way of a decent travel memory.

Know Your Transport Costs

Always pre-settle transport costs before getting in a taxi, bus, etc. Once on the road you’re in their world and abide by their prices. Don’t be surprised if it costs more than you thought when you ask them at the end of a trip. A lot of the time if you ask how much it is, chances are you’ll pay more. Be confident with your price knowledge and tell them how much it should be. Maybe even start lower just to rattle them.

The Bulk Deal

If you’re interested in buying a few items never tell them straight away. Haggle your first item down, and then start round two on the next item. Ask them for a discount if you buy 2 or 3 and I guarantee they give you one. If you and a friend are thinking about buying some items be sure to shop together and bundle as much into the deal as possible. Any smart vendor will start dropping prices for the next few items if you’re interested in purchasing a new wardrobe.

The Best Haggling Method

Try your luck on different things and see what works for you. You’d be very surprised just how negotiable prices are. Ask for discounts or to round prices off with a friendly smile. I’ve managed discounts at pharmacies, set menu restaurants and even clothing stores. It’s not about being cheap, it’s just ensuring you get the best price available so you can travel longer.

Don’t Fall for the ‘Special Price for You’ Trick

Before they’ve even met you they’ve opportunistically pumped up the prices. As soon as you show your face they’ll ‘drop‘ it for you out of good fortune. Their salesmanship charm can be a little cheesy at times, but they’re only trying to turn a buck. The price that is special is usually the start of the negotiation process, so don’t think you’ve already got them down too much. There’s still a little juice to squeeze.

Don’t Show Too Much Initial Interest

If you go in guns blazing they’ll see you as a walking cash machine right off the bat. Don’t walk into a store with wallet in hand and an eager look that says ‘I want to spend shit loads of money‘. Leisurely cruise in, ponder over items, hum and ahh and examine things you might not be interested in. If you act casual they’ll try harder to put the sale you on and start the bargains before you even ask.

Find the Balance: Don’t Become the Rip Off Yourself

At the end of the day there’s a definite line between haggling, and becoming the rip off artist yourself. Some people will drop their prices lower than they should because they’re desperate, and you shouldn’t take advantage of that. Haggling is a bit of fun, and in some cultures is part of the purchasing process. Next time you aim to pay record low prices, remember that a 50 cent savings for you won’t go as far as an extra 50c for them, especially in developing countries. You’re already traveling in their country for a fraction of the price, don’t be a tight ass on everything.

Happy shopping! And if you’ve got some other ideas please feel free to add them to the comment list. You can never have too many strategies!

You’ve all heard the horror stories in the past about taking an overnight bus in Latin America. Whether it be in Murderous Mexico, Cut-Throat Colombia or Gruesome Guatemala. Back home your country’s travel advice warns against even visiting these countries, let alone get on a bus in the middle of the night. Stories of kidnappings, robberies and crashes play havoc on your mind.

But is there anything to really be scared of? Media beat up is prominent around the world, but nevertheless there are still some precautions to take. Taking over night buses on a budget not only saves you on a nights accommodation, but it also means you get to see more during the day. Plus they can be a lot of fun. Where else would you get to watch poorly dubbed and ridiculously inappropriate movies shown to young children, like Crank 2 or Machete?

After countless overnight buses in the last few years I can tell you it doesn’t get less worrisome. But it’s not about being paranoid, it’s just about being prepared. While I can’t guarantee you won’t be robbed, take note of these tips to best prepare yourself for the ride.

1. Bring on extra clothes to rug up. While it has nothing to do with being robbed, it’s probably the most useful thing you’ll need to know. No matter what the climate, bus drivers will find a way to tap into subterranean temperatures at night that make you beg for the suffocating hot air of the day.

2. Carry the important stuff with you on board. It might feel safer underneath, but at least up top you can keep a constant eye on it. Stops in the middle of the night can be the perfect opportunity for someone to slip in and grab your bag, or ruffle through it. If you’re awake always pop your head out the window at stops to to have a quick peek.

3. Avoid putting anything resembling valuable luggage in the designated space above your head. This is an easy way to loose your things. Additionally, be careful with your luggage on the ground. In some places people have been known to slide under your seat from behind, slice open your bag with a razor and take anything they can. It’s a long shot, but be aware. I usually sleep spooning my bag, zippers facing inwards.

4. Pre-pack some food. Some companies feed you on the bus, but don’t expect anything too delicious. Especially if you’re a vegetarian, there isn’t much choice. Stale ham and cheese sandwiches with a sickly sweet dessert are the usual go to. If the bus is lucky enough to stop along the way, you still won’t find much. Pack some bread rolls and fruit as a last resort.

5. Don’t be judgemental. You don’t have to suspect every shady looking person as a potential thief, but always keep yourself alert. If someone is eyeing you off they might not be interested in your luggage, they might just be interested in you.

6. If you make a stop for the bathroom or food always take your stuff with you. Never leave anything on a bus, no matter how long you’re off it.

7. If you’re paranoid about losing your travel photos you should separate the memory card. A camera can always be replaced, but the photos on your card can’t. Stick your memory card into your undies and you’ll be fine.

Travel safe amigos!