Vacations can be expensive, especially when you’re traveling overseas and you have the whole family with you. But you may be surprised to know that there are many ways you can save money on your vacation, by taking just a few simple steps. Here are some ideas to help you.
Book Directly With the Airline
Booking with the airline directly can save you big bucks, especially if you have a two-leg journey involving separate airlines operating under the same alliance. For example, if the first leg of your journey is with Southern Airlines and the second leg is with Air India, you may save money by booking both legs with Air India. Check out JetBlue money saving tips.
Switch to a Rewards Credit Card
If you plan to take a vacation each year, you can take advantage of a travel rewards card between vacations. Shop around and find the best one for your needs: some offer hotel rewards, while others offer free air miles. If you use the card for all your shopping in the months running up to your vacation, you’ll soon amass some points. Don’t be tempted to overspend for them, just enjoy the rewards for your normal spending.
Travel Off-Season
You can save some dollars by avoiding a peak-season vacation. Do some research and find out about the peak seasons for different destinations. You may be surprised how quickly this can drop the price of your holiday.
Make a Budget Plan
Start by setting up a goal amount that you need for your trip. Add a certain amount of money to your travel fund every month, pitching in a little extra whenever you can. Cut out unnecessary expenditure, like lunches out or pizza deliveries and save this money for your fund. You’ll soon have a fair bit of money saved in no time. If you’ve managed to save more than your original goal, don’t over-spend. Save it towards your next trip. Another good idea is to budget your tax withholdings so you can use your refund towards your trip.
Just Take a Carry-On
This is not going to be convenient for everyone. But if you’re traveling solo, try to take just a carry-on, at least one way. One of your biggest travel expenses can turn out to be baggage fees. Try to find an airline where the flight fare is inclusive of at least one checked piece of luggage.
Book Travel and Accommodation Separately
Many people have a tendency to book the two together as a package deal, but you can save a lot of money by booking separately. When you’re booking accommodation individually, check out websites like Airbnb, consider renting a room in someone’s home, or staying in a hostel. It may take you a little longer to find a place, but it will be worth it in savings. Kid & Coe and House Trip are other good rental sites.
Use Cash Back Websites
You can shop for travel on cashback websites like eBates, to increase discounts. This will enable you to book inexpensive flights and accommodation while earning money back from your purchase.
Get a Deal on a Rental Car
A rental car will give you independence and flexibility so you can travel wherever you need to, whenever you want to. Watch out for the best online deals, so it doesn’t use up too much of your budget.
Get Some Travelers’ Health Insurance
You never know just what might happen, and if you or one of your family members gets sick or is involved in an accident, you need to be sure you have the money to cover for any necessary treatment without having to pay for it out of pocket. Even if you are being extra careful when you travel, it’s always a good idea to take care of your health and safety.
Swap Your House
If you live in an area with many attractions or somewhere close to a major city or beach, you might want to consider making a vacation house swap. Maybe even a car swap. When you meet up with like-minded holidaymakers you can trust, you can make huge savings this way. Make sure to use a reputable agency to introduce you to, such as Home Exchange.
These travel hacks can help to cut your holiday spending significantly, which means you‘ll have more money left over for your next trip. Bon voyage!
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