Hans Christian Andersen put it beautifully: 'To travel is to live'. But there's no point in seeing the world if it means living off eggs on toast when you get back. The good news is that if you're careful with your money, travel doesn't have to break the bank. Here are some ways you can see the world without coming back broke:

PLANNING

Careful planning goes a long way when it comes to keeping costs down when you travel. Here's how:

Travel at cheaper times

If your travel dates are flexible, you should use this to your advantage. Instead of choosing to visit your destination during peak season (when prices are high and sites are overcrowded) consider shoulder months or off-peak periods. Each season has its own advantages depending on where it is you want to go and what you want to do. And if you time things right, you might benefit from a better experience and a cheaper vacation.

Look for deals

These days, competition in the travel industry is rife, and you're bound to find some great travel deals if you're willing to put in some time and practise a little patience. While package deals have their advantages, you can often make a trip cheaper by finding individual items at a better price yourself. Check out sites like Hotels.com and Booking.com for the best possible deals on hotels, and consider Lastminute.com if you are booking hotels, flights or excursions close to your travel dates. Also, lookout for early bird specials if you are booking months in advance.

Get a better deal on FOREX

Travellers cheques are no longer that common, and exchanging huge amounts of forex while still in South Africa can be both expensive (especially if you only do this at the airport where you are likely to be charged inflated rates) and risky. Swiping for purchases and withdrawing cash using debt and credit cards when abroad are the most reliable ways to ensure that you get a fair rate. Just remember to tell your bank that you intend to use your card abroad as you might need to have this feature activated before you can withdraw cash abroad.

EATING, DRINKING & SHOPPING

Eating, drinking and shopping account for a significant portion of any holiday budget. Here are some ways you can reduce those costs without going hungry or being too stringent.

Eat local

One of the best things about travelling abroad is being able to indulge in the local cuisine. And while going to The Fat Duck in London may be an exceptional experience, it's not one that everyone can afford. Eating out at a lavish restaurant in the heart of a tourist area is going to cost you top dollar, so opt for the small local eateries instead. These will almost always be cheaper and typically serve up food that's more authentic and delicious than the food served at tourist traps.

Save at supermarkets

It's always a good idea to locate your closest supermarket once you arrive at your destination. You will need to buy snacks, bottles of water, wine, spirits, cool drinks and sunscreen, and if you rely on the hotel minibar or the local convenience store, you'll pay a lot more than if you had bought everything from a supermarket. The supermarket might even help you to cut costs on a few meals. By packing a few picnic-like meals, you can save money and have food ready to eat whenever hunger calls.

Haggle

If you're the type of person who loves to explore the local markets and buy authentic clothing and fare, there's a good chance you'll be able to negotiate prices down. However, people are less open to haggling these days, and you're going to have to practice some tact if you want to pay anything below asking price. If a seller is clearly not willing to negotiate, you'll have to decide how badly you want that purchase (also bearing in mind the potential cost of overweight baggage charges).

Go duty free

If you're looking for sundowners in a trendy cafe or bar with a breathtaking view,expect to fork out a cringe-worthy portion of your carefully-guarded budget. If you enjoy a refreshing gin and tonic at the end of the day but don't want to blow your spending money on alcohol, it would be a good idea to either pack a bottle or buy one at one of the duty free stores in the airport. Mixers are cheap enough at supermarkets, and there's nothing stopping you from taking a little hip flask of your favourite tipple to pour into your coconut shake on the beach.

Flying

Apart from being on the lookout for flight sales and using sites such as Skyscanner to find the best rates for your dates, there are a number of things you can do to ensure you get the best prices on flights.

Fly at times that are cheaper

If you fly during peak periods, you're bound to pay premium prices, as is the case with all things travel-related. Red-eye flights (those at undesirable times like 5 am) tend to be cheaper, as are those in the middle of the week and during shoulder or off-peak seasons. Again, if your travel dates are flexible, take advantage of better deals.

Go indirect

Flying direct is always the fastest and most convenient way to get to your destination, but it's seldom the cheapest. If you're looking for the most cost-effective flight, it's probably going to include one or more stopovers. But that doesn't mean you'll have to travel for 30 hours straight. Instead, you can arrange a longer stop over, and add an extra destination to your itinerary.

Fly from alternative airports

When looking for the cheapest flight, it's a good idea to look at what flights cost to and from the airports slightly out of the main travel hubs. For example, sometimes the flights to Lanseria are cheaper than those to OR Tambo in Johannesburg. Just remember to take any additional travel costs into account if alternative airports are significantly further from your final destination.

Reduce extra baggage costs

It's never great when your meticulously packed bags are deemed overweight (costly). Make sure you don't have any surprises at the airport by weighing your luggage at home. If you know your bags will be overweight, you can usually buy an extra baggage allowance at a better price online before you fly. But if you forget to do this and your bags are overweight when you weigh in, you can wear some of your extra clothes to reduce weight. Also remember to max out your carry on.

Travelling is a great experience, but it shouldn't come at a cost to financial security and important savings goals.