There’s an ongoing idea that traveling is an expensive hobby to keep, but that’s not necessarily a true statement. Traveling is what you make of it, and with enough research, you can make any trip affordable.

Take a chance to open your mind a bit, and make your travel dreams more of a reality. Here is a brief look into some creative ways to satiate the travel bug inside. Take some notes along the way, and start planning your next travel expedition today.

Take a road trip

It can be cheaper to drive than to fly to some destinations, and there’s plenty to discover on the roads of the United States. If you don’t have a car of your own but are planning to get one for your trip, you should look into websites like Invoice-Pricing.com that can tell you the price at which the car dealership took place so that you may get your dream car at a better price.

If you have a power-efficient vehicle, taking a road trip is even less expensive. If you really want to minimize your costs while traveling, you can sleep in your car. Of course, sleeping in the car isn’t a realistic situation for some travelers, but traveling in pairs presents unique money-saving opportunities. It’s also important that you keep your faculties as you drive, because accident injuries can really put a damper on your vacation.

Make plans ahead of time

Planning out the details of your trip at least six months ahead of time can give you a rare opportunity to get some really great deals on airline tickets, car rentals, and anything else you might need to get where you’re going.

On the other extreme, sometimes you can find a red-eye flight for an insanely low price. You’d have to be willing to jump when the industry feels froggy enough to offer such last minute pricing, but these deals pop up fairly regularly.

Travel in the offseason

Before you choose a good date to travel, check the local school schedules. If the kids are out of school, the travel industry peaks. The cost of hotels, the cost of fuel, and the traffic will all increase during these times.

It is always better to plan your ventures during an unlikely time of the year. The best time to plan to travel is during what the travel industry calls the “shoulder season.” During the shoulder season, you’ll still have a great experience. You may have a rainy day here and there, but you will find plenty of respite in your getaway.

Explore alternative accommodations

You don’t have to stay in the most expensive hotel suites along your journey. There are other accommodations to be considered that will cost quite a bit less to procure for your travels.

Consider couchsurfing at a friend’s house, or check out what Airbnb has to offer. You could feasibly cut your travel costs in half by exploring alternative accommodations.