I spent 3 weeks in New Zealand on a budget. These 5 things helped me save money in one of the most expensive countries in the world.

• New Zealand is an expensive country, and I tried to visit on a budget.
• I saved money by doing laundry, finding free parking, and buying groceries instead of dining out.

Before traveling to New Zealand, all I knew was that it had a reputation for being beautiful, covered in sheep, and incredibly expensive.

Flying from North America to New Zealand wasn't very cheap either.

But my husband and I were determined to make the most of our three-week trip. I wanted to experience the highlights of New Zealand on a budget.

Here's how I did it.

I booked accommodations with free parking and low-cost laundry

When looking for accommodations, I checked the price per night and looked for places with free parking and free or low-cost laundry.

Since we rented a car for most of our three-week trip, not having to pay for parking each night was a huge money-saver. We only paid for parking twice in 21 days and never overnight.

We also saved a lot of money by doing our own laundry instead of paying for a pricey hotel laundry service.

I ensured we had access to laundry facilities at our accommodation every five to seven nights.

By washing our clothes on the road, we were also able to travel with only carry-ons instead of paying to check extra bags.

A few key apps helped me save money on gas and activities

Three apps saved me a ton of money in New Zealand: Gaspy, BookMe, and Klook.

Gaspy is a must for a New Zealand road trip. It shows you the current prices at gas stations near you and helps you find the cheapest option nearby. I used it every time we had to fill up our tank.

BookMe and Klook are apps (and websites) that allow you to book activities in New Zealand at a discount.

With Klook, I saved 10% on last-minute tickets to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and with BookMe, I paid half price for our Polynesian Spa booking.

I'll also give an honorable mention to First Table, an app that gives you 50% off your meal when you book a restaurant's first or last seating of the night.

I shopped at discount grocery stores throughout my trip

A great way to save money on a trip is to pick up supplies at a grocery store and make a few meals instead of always dining out.

This works even better when you shop at a discount grocery store.

I was a big fan of New Zealand's discount grocery store Pak'nSave. Prices were low, and there was a wide selection of high-quality goods.

I mapped out Pak'nSave locations along our route so we could stop and load up as needed. We picked up road-trip snacks for the car and ingredients to make simple meals, like sandwiches.

As a bonus, some of the snacks we bought at Pak'nSave were fun and affordable souvenirs to bring home.

New Zealand's famous meat pies were a cheap, tasty lunch

While in New Zealand, we had to try the country's famous savory meat pies. (There are vegetarian and vegan versions, too.)

The fresh, delicious pies can be found in cafés all over the country. They're a tasty, filling, affordable lunch at about $5 a pie.

Since the pies are ready-made and portable, they're perfect for taking on the go. I especially loved the venison and plum pie from Miles Better Pies that I ate on the way to Milford Sound.

I focused on free, outdoor adventures

The best part about New Zealand is the epic scenery. And best of all, most of that beauty is free to enjoy.

One of the big ways we saved money on our trip was planning for most of our activities to be outdoors, which is where we wanted to be anyway.

We spent $0 hiking along mountain paths, sitting on beaches, walking through botanical gardens, admiring geothermal pools and waterfalls, touching the water of a glacier lake, and taking in epic viewpoints throughout New Zealand.