Most “budget travel" advice still assumes you’re dropping $30 a night on hostels and sipping oat lattes every other day.

But that’s not the kind of travel that kept me on the road for years.

If you REALLY want to stretch your money (and stretch yourself a little too), there’s a whole other side to travelling that most people skip.

This email’s about that side. The real broke backpacker side.

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A Hand Full of Tools 🤚

One, two, three, four, five. That's a handful!

We're gonna dive right in with 5 great things you can do to keep your bank account happier when gallivanting around the globe.

1 - Dumpster Diving: 100% Food, 0% Shame

This one tends to shock the most sensitive souls. But it doesn't have to be as extreme as the image above shows - and it usually isn't.

Dumpster diving is not glamorous, but it is smart if you know where and how to do it safely. It also isn’t just about saving money—it’s about reducing waste, staying resourceful, and eating surprisingly well (sometimes better than hostel kitchens, honestly).

➡️ Read full guide​

2 - Busking: Sell Your Skills, Not Your Soul

Busking is a great tool if you've got a performative skill of any sort: think music, dancing, magic, hula hooping...

I’ve met people who’ve busked their way across the world, making enough for food, hostels, and the occasional beer. And you're always bound to meet some interesting chaps, for the street is where it all happens.

➡️ Read full guide​

3 - Couchsurfing: Crash at a Stranger's Place

Couchsurfing is an app that connects backpackers with potential hosts around the globe.

The gist is simple: as a traveller, you get to stay at a local's house for FREE, and you experience a destination in a way you just wouldn't be able to replicate in any other way (aka through the lens of someone that actually lives there).

➡️ Read full guide​

4 - Work Exchanges: Work Your Way to Freedom

Work exchanges and workaway-type programs are a broke backpacker's best friend. You exchange a couple hours of your time to help out a project and in return you get a free stay and usually AT LEAST one free meal a day. We break this down pretty extensively on the blog.

➡️ Read full guide​

5 - Van Life: Your Next Best Life

Travelling in a van is a step up from everything you thought you knew about freedom.

There is a bigger investment upfront, but then you get to travel everywhere and sleep for free in places you never thought would be possible. And if you work remotely, then my friend, let me tell you... you just hit the jackpot.

➡️ Read full guide​

Wrapping Up 🎁

That was a lot! So let's slow down a bit and go over what we've just gone through. You can read more about all of this on the blog.

Tools to help you travel cheaper:

1. ​Dumpster Diving​
2. ​Busking​
3. ​Couchsurfing​
4. ​Work Exchanges​
5. ​Van Travel​

Now go on and explore, Reader.

Not all of these tools are fit for everyone - but all of them are bound to teach you something.

Pick whichever sounds best and give it a try, explore the limits of your (dis)comfort on your next trip, I promise it'll be worth it :)

If you're booking a trip soon, check out our favourite resources.

• Book your hostel with Hostelworld​
• Book your hotel with Booking (20% OFF)
• Book your insurance with SafetyWing​
• Save on bank fees with a Wise card​
• Stay connected with a Jetpac travel SIM​

Take care!​
- Will Hatton