How to Start a Travel Blog with a Limited Budget

People from all around the world dream of starting their own travel blog, but only a handful of those people will actually start one and stick to it. Out of all of the reasons that people have for refusing to get started, not having enough money is one of the most common. But, the reality is that it is well and truly possible to start a travel blog with a limited budget in mind, you just need to know where to start!

Step One: Planning and Preparation

There are a lot of things that you need to work out before you can really get to work on a travel blog, especially if you are traveling on a limited budget. Before you start you need to consider where it is that you actually want to travel to. One of the best techniques for doing this involves a simple notebook, with each page featuring a location that you would like to visit.

You can then use this simple notebook to work out a number of other factors, like the number of activities and excursions that can be found at each individual location. This can then help you work out how many articles you could write about the trip, the type of articles you could write, and where would be best for taking photographs for your travel blog.

When you are traveling with a limited budget in mind this sort of planning is really important. You should try to visit places that will enable you to create a lot of content to start with, opposed to visiting places that you can only squeeze a single article out of. This can be a lot more cost-effective when you are starting out.

Tip: It’s also a good idea to write annual weather averages on the page. Most people have a good idea of the type of photographs that they would like to take at certain locations and the weather can really affect that.

Step Two: Flights and Accommodation

Generally speaking, the thought of flight and accommodation costs is a real deterrence for a number of travelers. This is because they can both be incredibly expensive, but they don’t actually have to be. The cost of both of these things depends on how good you are at hunting down the best deal.

Flights: There are a lot of things that you can do to avoid expensive flights. Firstly, you should try to avoid peak seasons when costs will be at their highest. Secondly, you should search a number of different providers and use websites like Skyscanner to double check costs. Skyscanner also has a feature that allows you to see average monthly costs, this can be used to keep costs as low as possible. You should also consider other forms of transportation, like trains and car rental. It is worth noting that last minute flights are not always cheaper, especially if they are long-haul.

Accommodation: Saving money on accommodation is easier than ever. A number of people now exchange a few hours of work a day for free accommodation, but there are other inexpensive options depending on where you are traveling to. There are hostels across the world, capsule hotels in Japan, and homestays in a variety of countries. Remember to always make sure that your personal property is safe, as the last thing you would want while starting a travel blog would be for your camera to go missing.

Step Three: Equipment

When it comes to starting a travel blog of your own, you definitely need to consider the equipment that you are planning on using. Some bloggers manage to run their blogs with simple laptops and their phones for taking photographs, while other bloggers invest in expensive cameras to capture high-end shots. Whether you are looking for a quadcopter for GoPro or a telephoto lens for a specific camera, there will be something out there that suits your budget and your needs.

Here are some of the most important questions that you need to be asking yourself:

• What do you want to use to blog?
• Is there a specific style of photography that you want to focus on?
• If there is, do you need any special equipment to make it work?
• Will you need to think about the clothing that you take?
• Will you need to take the best camping coffee maker that money can buy to keep you warm through the night?

You can use your answers to these questions to work out exactly what equipment you need to start your travel blog. Remember that when you are first starting out, anything with a keyboard and anything that is capable of taking photographs can work. Sometimes it is worth investing in equipment, depending on the situation.

Step Four: Necessary Expenses

You also need to consider all of the necessary expenses that will come hand-in-hand with your adventures. For example:

• Food

We all need to eat food regularly. Unfortunately, it happens to cost money. Usually, the easiest way to save money on food is to eat the way that the locals do. Don’t try to find a restaurant that specifically serves food that comes from another region, as it is usually guaranteed to cost more money than eating local food.

You should also consider going into grocery shops and buying food that you can use to cook your own meals, as this can cut a lot of excess costs.

• Travel

If you do have to travel from A to B, don’t always assume that one method of transportation is cheaper than another. Look at the average costs for train tickets, bus tickets, and taxis.

• Any activities or excursions

If there is a specific activity or excursion that you would like to partake in while you are at a specific location, then you should make sure that you shop around. Different tour guides and operators will all charge different rates. You should also consider the fact that locals might be willing to show you around the area for free, especially if you are at a prominent tourist location. For example, in Krakow you can find a number of free walking tours all around the city.

Don’t Be Afraid!

One of the biggest things that actually stops people from starting their own travel blog is fear. You don’t have to be scared about traveling on a limited budget because it is more than possible to do so in the modern world. Blogging quickly becomes a part of your everyday life, something that you start to thoroughly enjoy. Stop and think, what is really stopping you?

Author Bio

Rebecca lives in USA, but loves hiking all over the world. Her favorite is Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. It usually takes 16 days, but she likes to slow down, enjoy mountains, company of other adventurers and take more pictures, so it took her 28 days last time. Another of her passion is the ocean, so all short and long hikes along the ocean shore bring a lot of joy. She also writes for HikingMastery.com.