So, did you just come back from your latest adventure a few weeks earlier than you had planned or hoped? If planning (and successful implementation) of budgets was any way near as easy as breaking them then we would all be a lot happier. Here are some tips that will help you minimize, and stick to, your next trip’s budget. Do your research. The internet is an invaluable resource when it comes to travel. Check forums for tips, and several travel-bureau websites to make sure that you are getting the best price for your flights, accommodation and tours. Also, you can rent a Lonely Planet guide from the library and plan your trip before you leave, instead of paying around $70 for a book that you’ll only use for a few months. Remember: you’ll get heaps of insider tips from travelers and locals you meet along the way. Seek alternative lodging. If you travel to a destination that has no cheap hostels to stay at, look into couchsurfing.com – a network of travelers and hosts who will put you up for the night, free of charge. All you have to do is offer them the same hospitality if they’re ever in your neck of the woods. You’ll make new friends, and get perspective on how real people in the area live; instead of transient backpackers. Seek alternative routes. Case in point: Machu Pichu. The treks up to Machu Pichu cost hundreds of dollars and are amazing, but these huge tourist attractions also attract unnecessarily large prices. Ask the locals, and take the hippie route. There is a bus that can take you most of the way there, then it’s just a hike along the train line until you get to Aguas Calientes, then you’ve just got a few hundred Inca steps to climb and you’re there (if you have your $100 ticket to get into the site, of course, which you get at Aguas). Stretch your budget. If you get to the third month of your trip, and realize that all those extra beers, cocktails, tours or whatever has put you above your planned expenditure, you don’t have to go home early or call your next of kin for a donation. A wide selection of online cash loans is available these days. So don’t stress. Avoid the unnecessary. Keep it minimal. Expenditure on presents, meals, alcohol, accommodation and anything else must be held at an absolute minimum – especially at the beginning of your trip. It’s easy look at your budget early on in the trip and think that you can buy expensive presents or go on indulgent benders and make up the difference later. Make the difference at the beginning, and see if you have the cash for extra stuff later. Be strong, stay focused, and get more out of your trip.