10 Money Saving Tips for Travel
10 Tips for Saving Money on Your Next Vacation
- Travel alerts. Sign up for travel alerts from sites like Skyscanner, The Flight Deal or Scott’s Cheap Flights to help you find the best deals out there.
- Be flexible. The more flexible you are on your travel dates, destination, and preferred airport, the more money you can save.
- Book wisely to take less time off. By booking a midweek flight, you can enjoy a longer vacation and take less days off from work.
- Don’t be tricked by budget airfare. If you see a deal that is too good to be true, it probably is! Budget airlines often charge high fees for anything extra including seat selection, checked bags and sometimes even carry-ons!
- Be creative with your ticket. Add in an extra stop or book two one-way tickets instead of one round-trip ticket.
- Try using an unlocked phone. If you have a cell phone that is unlocked, you can purchase a SIM card in the country you are visiting to get cheap minutes and data during your stay. This is a great way to avoid outrageous roaming fees!
- Set up automated travel savings. Instead of incurring the big cost of traveling all at once or even worse, putting it on a credit card, save along the way. By setting up automated transfers to a travel specific savings accounts, you can build up your travel fund every paycheck!
- Use apps to call/text back home. By using apps like WhatApp and Skype, you can chat with family members back home for little or no cost.
- Withdrawal from an ATM instead of exchanging cash. Your financial institution often has the best exchange rates, so consider withdrawing money straight from the ATM. Also, if you are a credit union member, you can use one of the 30,000 Co-op ATMs nationwide! Just look for the symbol.
- Save on rental car insurance by using your credit card. Many credit cards offer secondary or even primary car insurance when you rent a car. This is can save you a bundle by not having to purchase additional rental insurance.