5 Travel Hacks that will Save you Money
The ability to travel and explore new cultures is a common interest among people in all walks of life but it's not typically an affordable hobby. We've listed 5 tips to save you money on your future travel plans in hopes of helping you travel more, for less.
5. Download Travel Apps Some apps we recommend include:
SkyScanner: This app/website allows you to search in a variety of ways, giving you the best deal on trips. For example, you can search “everywhere” and just find the cheapest flight by month. You can also put in specific locations and have it notify you when prices drop down to low levels so you can jump on the opportunity.
Scott’s Cheap Flights: This is actually a distribution list that you join from their website and Scott, the founder/creator of this concept, sends you the cheapest deals when they become available. You can filter by which “From airport” or which “To airport” to get the optimal results. The deals go quickly so if you do see an ideal flight from the email, you better book it fast!
SecretFlying: This app is actually based on mistakes that airline professionals make. It will track when someone “fat-fingers” a flight and you can jump on the price, fair and square. For example, if a flight should be $564.70 but the airline professional types $56.47, you can take advantage of the typo.
4. Be flexible Many (including myself), enjoy a long weekend to a destination and try to fly Thursday/Friday to Sunday. The truth is, sometimes there are deals, but as most know flying on a Friday or Sunday requires a premium since those are more in demand. Consider leaving on a Wednesday or flying home on a Monday to get a lower priced flight. With the emergence of virtual working, it may even be plausible with your employer to work remotely from your vacation spot on a Monday or Thursday while you take advantage of low-priced flights. Just a thought.
3. Go off the Beaten Path for Dinner
Often when you are in a vacation destination (especially the popular ones), there are certain restaurants that get higher reviews and/or are pushed by hotels or commercial companies. These restaurants and bars can usually charge an egregious amount because they are in the heart of downtown and know they will bring in clueless tourists. Instead of following the touristy restaurants and bars, check out the hole-in-the-wall, local establishments. Not only will you meet some authentic regulars but the price tag will typically drop for the optimal experience. Fun fact: if you ever see a restaurant (often overseas) with a bunch of pictures of the menu items and they sound American…it’s a trap and there are other, better, more authentic local options.
2. Look for Local “Freebies”
Every trip my husband and I take, we do a little research beforehand to check out what the city has to offer. Depending on your hobby or interest, there is likely some type of event or activity that has certain days where it’s discounted or completely free. For example, when we were in Madrid, all of the art museums are free on Sundays so what did we do Sunday? We went from art museum to art museum checking out some of the most famous works of art…for free. If you like music, look for a local concert or festival. Interested in theater? Usually there are certain theaters that offer discounts certain nights. All it takes is a little research prior to your trip.
1. Pack Light
I know this seems annoyingly cliche, however, this can be a money saver. If it is at all possible to bring only a carry-on (even for long trips), you can typically save money on checking bags and on the hotel concierge who you would usually tip for the help up to your room but isn’t necessary if you’re carrying your own small bag. It’s also easier to tote small bags through public transport so you’re not tempted to splurge on an uber or cab. Fun fact: if you’re traveling overseas, their process for carry-ons and checking bags are often VERY different and could leave you spending a lot of money the day of for your luggage so check the details. We know many of you have shown interest and requested content on travel so we hope this helps! Stay tuned for more travel content through the year.
Photo by Capturing the human heart. on Unsplash