5 Ways to Maximize Your Savings While Traveling Abroad, According to a Digital Nomad

Traveling full-time seems like a glamorous lifestyle—and while it certainly has its perks, I’ve found that being financially conscious is the only way one can make it work in the long term. I’ve been a full-time digital nomad for about three years now, and I’ve learned the hard way that making travel a sustainable lifestyle looks a lot different, financially speaking, than going on a prolonged vacation.

The following budgeting tips are what I personally practice in order to make regular travel work. And for the record: My budget is modest. I’ve picked these tips and tricks up while traveling as a digital nomad, but they can just as easily translate to making any trip a little bit more affordable.

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Avoid Airport Cash Exchange Bureaus

The first thing to avoid once you get off the plane is exchanging currencies at the airport. I tend to use mainly credit and debit cards when I’m traveling—but if I know I’m going to be somewhere that has a lot of cash-only venues, I will always wait until I’m in the city center before exchanging any cash. This way you’ll get to compare exchange rates and avoiding being taken advantage of for convenience.

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Choose an E-Sim Over Your Home Phone

Depending on your home cell phone plan, roaming fees while abroad can cost anywhere from $5 to $20+ per day. I’m not suggesting that you forgo using data while traveling; I couldn’t imagine being without Google Maps and WhatsApp while on the go.

Instead I always opt for an e-sim over using my data from back home. I use the brand Airalo, and while the prices vary based on the country I’m in, I’ve never spent more than $10 for an entire trip. The best part is that the sim is automatically added to your smartphone, so you don’t have to worry about tracking down a physical sim card while abroad.

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Find Out What Locals Eat and Drink

Hotel food and drink is tempting—rooftop bars, colorful brunch menus, and room service are always a fun experience. However, hotel food and tourist restaurants in general are always way more expensive than going to the local haunts, or eating the way locals do.

For example, while living in Istanbul, I always bought my morning simit (Turkish bagel) from a street seller, the way my local friends did. It cost me less than a dollar to have an authentic Turkish breakfast, whereas Turkish breakfast restaurants in tourist areas can cost upwards of $50+.

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Capitalize on Credit Card Points

I’m not suggesting you go over budget just to get credit card points—but I’ve found that putting everything on my credit card and paying it off in full at the end of the month has been a great way to rack up points that can go toward free flights.

You’ll want to make sure you opt for a co-branded airline credit card to make the most of this and shop around before opening anything, as many credit cards offer great welcome bonuses (as in, enough bonus points for multiple free flights).

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Book Accommodations With a Kitchen

It doesn’t matter if I’m traveling long term or short term—I always try to book accommodations with a kitchen. It doesn’t mean I always cook while I’m traveling, but having the space to store things like coffee, wine and beer, fresh fruit, and even breakfast pastries, means that you won’t be as tempted to spend on unnecessary food items while out and exploring.

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