Travelling Australia is the dream, but the reality of living a nomadic life comes with a cost.
Budgeting may be the least sexy topic, but it’s arguably one of the most important skills when it comes to lapping the country.
Thankfully, with a little prep and some clever hacks, you can stretch your dollars and enjoy more of what Australia has to offer. Here are some of the money-saving tips that have worked for me on my travels.
Top Up Before You Go
Before hitting the road, downsizing is essential. This comes down to three fundamental choices: what you’ll keep, what you’ll sell, and what you’ll store. It can be easy to offload items on Facebook Marketplace and websites like Gumtree. A simple listing, a few messages then voila: cash in hand that you hadn’t accounted for when rallying up your savings.
- Decide what to keep, sell, or store.
- Research the items people will realistically buy
- Create listings and upload high-quality photos
Each sale adds to your travel fund, giving you a buffer before departure.
Money-Saving Hacks While on the Road
You don’t need to base your entire trip around saving money; that would be truly boring, but there are some hacks you can work into your adventure to make a big difference financially.
Travel Slower
Fuel is going to be one of your biggest expenses, especially if you’re heading past the black stump into the beautiful Australian Outback. The most sure-fire way to save cash in this area is to slow right down; naturally the less kilometres you’re doing, the less often you’re going to need to fill up.
- Fewer kilometres mean fewer fuel stops
- A slower pace means you actually get to stop and enjoy the areas you stop in
- Decision fatigue dissipates when you’re not constantly darting from place to place.
As the tortoise said to the hare: slow and steady wins the race.
An aerial view of a beach with turquoise water
Utilise Reward Point Services
Whether it’s a fuel station or a grocery store, many retailers offer loyalty programs that actually make a difference. For example, with Woolworths Everyday Rewards, it’s possible to:
- Earn points on groceries to redeem discounts
- Boost special promotions in their app for faster point accumulation
- Turn everyday purchases into extra savings without any extra effort
The reality is, you’re shopping there anyway, so what’s the harm in scanning a card or app to receive money off of a future grocery shop? A very easy hack that doesn’t feel like budgeting at all.
Buy Almost-Expired Groceries
Okay, this one is possibly garnering a few looks but let me explain.
One of my favourite hacks is checking the bargain section of the grocery store and finding the almost-expired frozen meat to freeze and enjoy in the future. Produce can last months in the freezer if properly stored.
Check the reduced items section in supermarkets:
- Freezer on board? Perfect.
- Almost-expired meat, dairy, yoghurt, you name it! Store and enjoy later
- Proper refrigerated storage ensures your food lasts and your budget benefits.
Simple, effective, and doesn’t require living off beans and rice.
Prioritise Free Camping
There’s nothing like finding a million-dollar view that costs nothing. Free camping is an amazing way to travel Australia whilst keeping your costs down.
- Use apps like WikiCamps to find free sites and to check restrictions like a 72-hour limits
- Mix free camping with paid caravan parks, station stays and national parks to balance costs.
You’ll often find better experiences in these off-grid camps than in expensive tourist spots.
an aerial view of an arid landscape
Cut Down on Unnecessary Costs
Subscriptions can quietly bleed your budget if you’re not careful.
- Prime, Disney, Netflix, Stan, Spotify, YouTube Premium, they add up.
- Reduce or pause unnecessary services to minimise costs.
- Switch to cheaper phone plans. Personally, I lowered my phone plan to a cheaper month-to-month plan, removed my subscription to Spotify and utilised free workout videos on YouTube rather than continuing my gym membership.
The little costs that come out as direct debits can go under the radar for years, so take a good look at where you’re spending your money and decide whether it’s worth it or it can be forgone during your travels.
Travel in Shoulder Seasons
Travelling off-peak has perks beyond fewer crowds.
- Campsites are easier to get into.
- Fees are typically lower with budget friendly deals
- That little extra cash in your pocket will help you stay within budget on your big lap
For example, we’re currently at Exmouth RAC where they have a Spring special, offering a reduced price per night. We also experienced this at El Questro when we travelled the Gibb River Road in 2024, out-of-season in the nick of time before its closure.
a woman in a billabong in a rainforest
Smart Mindset for Budget Travel
There are easy and clever ways to save a buck along the way that future-you will thank you for. As much as I would love to live it up, buy coffees, eat out every day and peruse the deli section at Woolworths with no spending limit, the way I see it is the more money I can save along the way, the longer I can stay on the road. As much as I enjoy a cheese-board for dinner, I’ll choose full-time travel every day of the week.
Budgeting isn’t about constant penny-pinching. It’s about making clever choices that keep you on the road for longer.
