“Travel is too expensive” is one limiting belief that many aspiring travel bloggers place on themselves. But while visiting some destinations will certainly require more money than others, the reality is that you don’t necessarily need a huge budget to make your dreams come true.

Many travel content creators have built impressive projects by thinking wisely about what they produce and how they position themselves. These individuals have also used free or less expensive tools, such as social media, to spread their message to others.

To inspire you to start that travel blog you’ve always wanted to, we’ll provide seven tips for running one without a lot of money.

1. Specialize in Local Adventures

If you don’t have the money to travel to exotic destinations, the best starting point is to specialize in local adventures. No matter how boring you think your hometown is, you probably have plenty of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Moreover, you likely have much more knowledge than someone who visits once and only writes about the main tourist spots.

Specializing in local adventures lets you instantly set yourself apart from others. As you grow over the long run, you could offer services to visitors—such as tours and workshops. Another huge benefit is that you can support local businesses and contribute to your region’s economic growth.

Besides the exact town you live or grew up in, you can also focus on your state as a whole. And if you live in a smaller country, you can broaden your horizons further. If you need some inspiration, check out these intriguing adventure travel blogs.

2. Use Your Smartphone for Photography

Many travel bloggers eventually purchase a DSLR or mirrorless camera, and having one can certainly help you take better photos. But considering how good modern smartphones are at capturing amazing pictures, you don’t necessarily need one in the beginning.

When using a smartphone for your travel photos, you’ll need to think about the story you’re trying to tell in each picture. You can also use different modes, such as Portrait, to add some depth to your images.

You can try plenty of other simple tricks to boost your smartphone photography as well. For example, picking up some basic editing skills will allow you to create more of a unique style. Adobe Lightroom CC and Photoshop Express are excellent tools for doing this.

Another benefit of using your smartphone for photography is that when you finally buy a digital camera, you’ll have a smaller learning curve.

3. Travel to Less Expensive Destinations

Growing a travel blog isn’t too different from building any other business. As you get yourself off the ground, making your money stretch for longer where possible is a wise idea. And one of the easiest ways to do this is by traveling to less expensive destinations when you go abroad.

If you live in the US, for example, you wouldn’t need as much money for a journey to Mexico as you would if you went to Canada (or even some US cities like New York City). The airfare would be the biggest determining factor, as will the type of accommodation you stay in.

Similarly, if you live in Europe, you can look for more budget-friendly destinations on the continent. Examples of countries that offer good value for money include Spain, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

You can also use various hacks to save money on your flights, along with avoiding the peak tourist season.

4. Look for Web Domain Deals

Although you can start your blog on Instagram, having a website with a proper domain will give you more control over the content you publish. Buying a web domain isn’t too expensive, but you can save even more money by looking for discounts offered by the top web domain service providers.

As an example, you might be able to find discounts if you watch YouTube videos from creators with sponsorships and other deals. The amount you save probably won’t be huge, but it’s still worth considering.

5. Use Social Media Wisely

While relying entirely on social media isn’t the best idea for many travel bloggers, you can still use these tools to reach potential readers. Pinterest has several benefits for bloggers, and you don’t necessarily have to worry about building a huge audience before gaining traction. Similarly, you might find that Twitter is a handy platform for reaching a bigger audience.

When choosing a social media network to promote your travel blog, you should find a happy medium between platforms that you like and places where your audience hangs out. On top of that, you should limit yourself to one or two social media networks. That way, you can channel more of your energy into fewer places (and potentially grow faster as a result).

You’ll probably need to experiment and find out what works and what doesn’t. The most important thing is that you remain consistent over the long run and learn from your mistakes.

6. Show Your Readers How They Can Travel on a Budget

You want to travel without a huge amount of money, right? Plenty of other people want to do that as well, so budget travel is one niche that you might want to consider starting in.

Budget travel can be fun in several ways. For example, staying at hostels is a great way to meet like-minded people and learn more about yourself. Similarly, you can look for the top places to eat that are off the tourist trail.

Living like a local is also popular, especially as more people look for unique experiences with fewer crowds. You can always cover these on your blog, and you might find that doing so is much more fun than sticking to the well-trodden paths.

7. Put Together a Saving Plan for Bigger Trips in the Future

You can always start locally when growing a travel blog, but that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to dream big. Sometimes, where you live isn’t where your interests lie—and that’s totally fine. Putting together a saving plan can help you visit those bucket list destinations and create even more interesting content.

In addition to setting aside some money, you might also want to think about ways that you can earn more money to fund future trips. For example, if you’re an employee, it might be worth looking at possible avenues to get a pay rise or promotion. And if you’re a freelancer, you can work on improving your skills so that higher-paying clients are willing to work with you.

Many mobile-only banks have pots that you can use to save money for your trips. It’s worth checking out the difference between mobile-only and traditional banks before signing up for one.

Running a Travel Blog Doesn’t Require as Much Money as You Think

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a lot of money to travel. And in your early days as a travel blogger, you can produce valuable blog posts that people want to read without investing a lot. You can use free hosting platforms like WordPress, and the initial costs for a domain and such won’t set you back significantly.

You can travel further and to more expensive countries as you grow, but it’s also fine if you decide to stay small. Either way, don’t let a lack of money stop you from starting something you genuinely want to do.