Traveling is such an enriching experience that most of us would not mind saving up and spending just to visit the places that we love. But wouldn't it be nice to travel for free or at least get huge savings on our travel expenses? Well, the good news is there are ways to do it. You just need to plan things out well or be extra alert when there are promos.

Anyway, here are some more tangible examples on how you can reduce your travel expenses: 

1. Wait for seat sales 

There are many rewards programs out there like GetGo or Mabuhay Miles that allow users to accumulate points or miles whenever they book a flight or buy from partner merchants like restaurants, apparel, and even baby essentials. 

Depending on the points that you will accumulate, you can use these to take advantage of flight discounts or even free flights. It’s really easy and rewarding. 

Earning miles or points usually come with using a credit card with partner merchants, which is practical because you will be using your credit card for purchases anyway.

Contests and giveaways are also great ways to win free flights, tour packages, and accommodations. What’s good about these contests and giveaways is that they give out both local or international destinations as prizes. 

These can be as easy as sharing or commenting on social media posts and writing blog posts. They require minimal effort and investment but the results   can be rewarding. 

I once won a free tour package with accommodation in Caramoan from a blog writing contest launched by a now-defunct online travel booking site. Unfortunately, I had to forego my slot because of work. 

One of the best ways to travel is to join a volunteer program. You may not enjoy 100% free travel but you are at least assured of food and accommodation at no cost. 

What’s good about volunteering is the experience of meeting diverse people and learning new cultures, and the fulfillment of being able to help out others by sharing your time and knowledge. 

This is a surefire way to travel for free. If your career involves a lot of traveling, such as if you are a journalist or a flight attendant, your travel expenses and a little pocket money will be shouldered by your company. 

Travel blogging can also be your ticket to securing free travels through collaborations with tourism boards, hotel, resorts, and other brands and establishments related to tourism. 

Just a warning though, travel blogging is not an easy way to earn free travel privileges. You have to build your authority and readership over time. You have to have the right numbers in terms of traffic and social media following. On the other hand, brands have varying terms in employing the services of travel bloggers. 

You have to genuinely love your job as a travel blogger because it’s not all the time that you will secure partnerships. Otherwise, if you’re doing it just for the money and the freebies, you will end up frustrated most of the time. 

Not all people might realize it but using a bike is a good idea to travel for free. You will be surprised at how much you can achieve just with your bike if you put your heart and mind into it. 

There are other people who were able to travel around the Philippines just by using a bike. If they can do it, so can you. You just have to make an initial investment on a good quality bike and safety gears. 

You can also buy a good quality and lightweight backpack for storing your clothes and other essential items. Once you have the basics, you can go on your epic biking journey wherever and whenever you want to. 

These are just a few ideas that you can follow if you want to travel for free or at least significantly save up on your travel expenses. I’m sure there are a lot more that you can do. If you feel a bit generous, I hope you can share your tips in the comments section below.