“You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” – Eugene Fodor
I love to travel, but luxury vacations aren’t exactly in my budget. I’ve found that the older I get, the harder it is to get away – in addition to finances, work commitments, household chores, errands and to-do lists bog down so many of my evenings and most of my weekends (not to mention the never-ending quest to catch up on sleep). I only see more responsibilities in my near future as I build both a home and a family, so I’ve made it a point to visit as many places and do as many things as I can now. So how can I afford to get away on a dime? I’ve found a few tricks and tips for pinching my pennies.
Where to? My favorite way to choose a destination is to think of who I know in other places. Not all trips have to be fancy vacations to resorts or high-end hotels. Why not take a trip to a city with a familiar face? As long as schedules can be coordinated, I’ve never come across a friend who wasn’t happy to have me crash on their couch for a weekend. It’s fun to catch up and see any local sites or attend local events, and it’s a lot cheaper than traveling to a touristy hot-spot.
Watch where your money is going. I try to be sure that I’m only spending money when it’s necessary. If you’re road-tripping to another state, you’ll obviously need to pay for things like fuel, but that doesn’t mean that you need to grab a cup of coffee or a candy bar every time you stop for it. When I know I’ll be staying in a hotel with a refrigerator, I often pack meals and snacks to eat in my room as opposed to eating out at restaurants. (No fridge? Remember to bring non-perishables!) Cutting back on frivolous expenses allows you to spend your money on necessary or worthwhile things, or even better, come home with it in your bank account!
Timing is everything. You can often get better deals when you plan trips off-season, when most other people aren’t likely to be traveling. Do a little research on the destination you’re looking to visit, and see if any hotel or flight deals are offered to attract guests during the slow business season. *Many tropical locations have the best rates in the summer since most people travel during the winter months to escape the cold. Coastal locations in the US have the highest rates during the summer, since many people take vacations in June through August. Holiday weekends are also often high-traffic times, so rates are likely to be more expensive.
Online deals. I used to be really skeptical of websites like Groupon and LivingSocial that offered group “Deals of the Day”, until we used Travelzoo to book a night in New York City. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea to visit for a night over winter break, so we checked to see if there were any deals available for travel in the coming week. We ended up finding a pretty upscale hotel just three blocks outside of Rockefeller Center for just $150 per night (ordinarily $269). Not only did we save on our room, but we saved on transportation since we were within walking distance to almost everything we were looking to do. Sites like this also offer great all-inclusive packages for more expensive trips (i.e. Caribbean or overseas vacations), especially if you’re looking to travel sooner rather than later. Combining your flight, hotel, and food expenses eliminates the guesswork and can often save you more money as opposed to planning everything separately on your own.
Do you have any go-to ways to save on travel expenses?
