To save the most on travel, resist the mainstream. Instead, think in every way — including where to go, how to go and when to go — like a contrarian.

I call this frugal secret the off-travel mind-set, a willingness to chart your own course to savings and possibly a better experience. The following are a few off-travel strategies I rely on.

Off-Peak Travel

Off-peak travel, or going when everyone else isn’t, generally gets you the best prices on costs that change with demand, including flights and accommodations.

Kayla DeLoache, the U.S. travel expert for the travel search site Kayak, said midweek flights tend to offer the best value while Fridays and Sundays are the most expensive thanks to the weekend surge.

“Tuesdays, Wednesday and Saturdays are generally where we see airfare around 20 percent cheaper than other days of the week,” said Katy Nastro, of Going.com, a membership service for cheap airfare.