There are many ways to make travel cheaper.
One of them is to think about the experience you want. Many people want a luxury holiday, but to me, a few days of luxury and a few days of camping, or of cheap accommodation would be much better than luxury all the way. Cheaper hotels often have washing machines whereas luxury accommodation usually has expensive laundry service. Interspersing them also makes the luxury more luxurious. Inexpensive cafes often have more local vibe than more expensive restaurants. Camping gets you closer to nature and more remote - who really cares about no Internet, pit toilets and no showers if you’re in the middle of nowhere with amazing scenery for only a few days, and your next few days have wonderful facilities?
When I went to Alaska, I wanted to see the inner passage. Using the ferries of the Alaskan marine highway rather than a cruise meant I met the locals, stayed at the towns I really wanted to stay at, and did the tours I wanted to do. I also booked an RV relocation to go the other way (RV from Seattle to Anchorage, and ferry back) so I could see the interior as well. This was just about the only way to get a one way RV and it was also much cheaper. At one point, instead of the ferry, I booked a short plane trip, which gave me another perspective, without booking a tourist flight.