I was stressing about train costs for my last trip and almost booked one. On a whim, I looked up bus routes instead. The ride was super long, like 14 hours overnight. But it cost so little compared to the train. I got sleep and didn't need to pay for a place to stay that night. Now I plan routes with slow transport to save cash. It takes time, but my budget thanks me.
Took a 16 hour bus once to see a concert... basically got a free hotel room on wheels for the price of a tank of gas. My back hated me but my wallet was thrilled.