My life in budget holidays has been a priceless experience | Budget travel

In the depths of winter, in the midst of a cost of living crisis, I bring glad tidings. That ultra-shoestring-budget holiday you’re resigning yourself to this year? Add a splash of creativity and it’ll turn out way better than you think.

As an author who has spent most of his adult life starving in a garret, I’ve nearly always had to opt for cheap and cheerful holidays. And my experience is that they’re not merely on a par with those that come with rather more trimmings, they’re very often much more enjoyable and satisfying. Let me explain.

For a start, some of the best memories are made from meeting local people and experiencing kindness, whether at home or abroad. Luxury, on the other hand, tends to insulate you from such encounters. For example, inspired by Shakespeare’s many journeys on foot between Stratford-upon-Avon and London, I decided to celebrate finishing a book (writing one, not just reading one) by taking a walking holiday from my east London flat to my sister’s home near the Suffolk/Norfolk border. I threw a few things in a rucksack, headed out along the River Lea, and arrived at a rural campsite by late evening. This was when disaster struck – I found it unexpectedly shut. There were no other campsites for miles and nowhere practical to wild camp. Ten minutes later, I was in a pub explaining my predicament to the landlady as she poured me a pint. My tale was overheard and I was immediately offered a free bed by a local family. I was even given breakfast and a lift back to the pub the next morning to continue my walk. Thanks, Bill.

Camping is, of course, the obvious choice for a budget traveller. My investment in a bit of camping gear (there are plenty of low-priced options out there nowadays) has repaid itself many times over, on cycling and hiking trips. Facilities at campsites have improved immeasurably since the British camping boom began in the early 2000s. And although there has also been a commensurate increase in prices, there are still plenty of perfectly good sites with everything you need for under a tenner a night.

Naturally, the cheapest camping of all is wild camping, which is entirely legal in parts of Dartmoor (for now) and throughout Scotland (with commonsense caveats) – though I admit it’s not for everyone. I ensure I pitch late, strike camp early and leave no trace – and I’ve never once had a problem. Furthermore, wild camping has allowed me to stay in some delightful out-of-the-way places – up mountains, on cliff-tops, and by lakes and lochs – and given me many special moments of connection with wildlife. I’ve gone to sleep with badgers roaming about me; woken up to muntjac deer at my tent flap; and even had a sneaky hedgehog (when did you last see one of those?) paying a visit to help itself to my snacks.

But if that’s a little too out there for you, or you don’t have a tent, how about a bothy or camping barn? Basic but sound shelters, often with a fireplace, they offer somewhere to lay a…