Top 10 Travel Hacks

Google Flights! Checking google flights for all flight needs is the best way to get cheap flights! There are no other travel apps that get you a cheaper deal, you can mess with dates to find the cheapest flights with Google Flights!
Get a group of people to go with you (ideally 3-4) to split the cost of groceries, car rentals, and stay. This makes things wayyyy cheaper.
Save $ on activities! Stay somewhere near a beach or mountains and all activities are pretty much free!
Open a credit card with an airline. We opened cards with airlines this summer before studying abroad and earned 100,000 miles with airlines, which paid for our trip to Australia! We recommend American Airlines, but there are lots of other options as well!
Book a hostel if you’re traveling alone– if you are traveling with 3-4 others you can rent an entire room out in a hostel. Airbnb is also another great option when splitting the price.
Get groceries! Going out to eat for every meal adds up. Go to the grocery store for most meals to save $
Use public transportation, or walk if you can! Ubers and taxis add up. If we can’t rent a car we always rely on public transportation or try to walk places to save money.
Find cool friends. Some of our closest friends have ended up moving to Australia, Hawaii, or California! We have met some pretty awesome people through a program we did in Hawaii and find any reason to go and visit them!
Get a job! You need money? Get a job. You can do whatever you want with your own money. We both work at Mamaka Bowls, an acai bowl shop, and pick up shifts whenever we can. Saving money in your everyday life makes room for saving for travel. Save your tip money! One of the things that has helped us travel so much is saving all tip money for travel. We get paid tips in cash and just store it in a jar and wait to cash it in before we travel.
Do not spend extra money on luggage!! The #1 thing that has helped save us money when traveling is not paying for carry on’s or checking any bags! Linked below is the bag we use for most travel, and it counts as a personal item. (https://www.cotopaxi.com/products/allpa-28l-travel-pack-2?variant=41266075729981)