Aussies love to travel, but as we all know, it can be an expensive business.

Luckily, there are a few ways you can cut your costs with some sneaky financial secrets.

Here are the top tips every Aussie should know before they hit the road.

Housesit

House-sitting is a perfectly legitimate way to stay for free whilst travelling.  Accommodation costs can quickly add up, even if you’re staying at the most basic of hostels, but there are a number of alternatives.

You’d be amazed at the number of homeowners looking for reputable people to look after their homes and pets whilst they’re on vacation. There are a number of sites you can sign up to, such as trustedhousesitters.com and aussiehousesitters.com.au for ultimate savings.

Registering is easy and subject to a vetting process you could soon be enjoying home comforts whilst away.

Split group expenses using 'travefy'

If you’re planning to travel with a group, not only could you be missing out on amazing discounts and offers, organising and splitting costs could cause you a real headache during what should be an enjoyable experience.

Travefy is a group-planning tool that allows you to share itineraries, book travel and, most importantly, manage your expenses.  Splitting the bill has never been easier.

Eat with the locals & avoid tourist areas

You don’t need to be a genius to work out that eating out every day will quickly cause a big dent in your wallet, and should therefore be avoided at all costs (pun intended).

But on the odd occasion you do decide to enjoy a restaurant meal, bypass the main tourist areas and think like a local.

Locally produced food catered for the people that actually live in the area is likely to be significantly cheaper than the gimmicky haunts found in tourists hot-spots, and will probably be a great deal tastier too!

Track your expenses using Trail Wallet app

Designed to take the headache out of expense tracking whilst travelling, the Trail Wallet app is free (for up to 25 items), simple and easy to use.  It’s been robustly tested by thousands of travellers, who all vouch for its effectiveness.

Set yourself a daily budget, and then add expenses as you go.  No more mental maths, receipt hoarding or panicking about how much money you might have left.  

Take free walking tours

Free walking tours can now be found in cities all over the world, and are a fantastic way to explore without having to pay a fortune for the privilege.

Some tours are focused around visiting particular landmarks or popular tourist destinations, while other tours are aimed at hikers who wish to explore slightly steeper parts of the destination.

Most walking tour guides work on ‘tips’ and visitors are encouraged to tip as much or little as they like.

Use your skills to get seasonal work

Many travellers have romantic notions of selling their etchings from train stations, or painting beautiful vistas in order to make a bit of extra dosh, but in reality, this is far from profitable.

However, with a bit of forward planning some research and resourcefulness you should be able to bag yourself a brilliant job utilising your best skills.

Here are a few things to think about before you go:

• Do you want short-term jobs that allow your flexibility, or something that will allow you to stay in a city for a set length of time?
• Which country do you want to work in?
• Can you speak the language well enough to get a job in that country, or do you need to take a speedy language course?
• Do you need a work permit?
• Are you interested in teaching and can you obtain a TEFL degree?

There are an abundance of tricks and tips to saving cash when abroad – what are your best money-saving hacks?