Traveling on a budget can be stressful, especially if you're in a foreign country. Whether you're skimping on the hotel costs by staying in a hostel or eating at food markets rather than fancy restaurants, having a set amount of money to spend while abroad means cutting corners.

Having spent three months and counting in South America, I've picked up a few tricks of the trade, and I'm here to share the one cost-cutting tip that has saved me TONS of cash and has helped me out too many times to count.

You ready? It's an app called "maps.me".

Sounds simple, right? That's because it is! Rather than paying for an international data plan, I decided to use my phone's WiFi capabilities to make calls and send texts. This plan has been working out well for my student budget, but it also doesn't allow me to use my usual Map app for when I need to figure out where I'm going outside of a WiFi zone.

Enter "maps.me", which is an app that allows you to download the map of a city ahead of time but functions like a normal GPS once that map is downloaded. Lost in the middle of an unfamiliar city? Just fire up "maps.me" and search the address you're headed to and a route complete with public transportation stops and walking paths will pop up!

This app has saved me time and peace of mind so many times as I've been traveling, and it's super easy to use. The best part? It's also free!

So, next time you're traveling, download "maps.me". You'll be glad you did!