When it comes to travel, the first thing that comes to our mind is the expensive cost associated with it. Think about it; round-trip tickets, taxi, hotels, restaurants and the obvious unexpected expenses that we actually should expect. Okay, this might sound like discouraging you from taking a break to the beach. But please don’t lose excitement about your next vacation and take advantages of the following tips that will help you to save some dollars. Here, I will share with you the best advices to travel even if you have a limited budget without compromising your comfort.
1. Buy flight tickets months before
First things first, the flight tickets. For those of you who are planning to travel far away, your flight tickets are certainly the most expensive expense to expect. One of the most obvious things to do regarding buying your tickets is to compare the prices. We like to use Google Flight that will easily show you various trip options. The good thing about Google Flight is that it allows you to use plenty of helpful tools and filters. You will be able to filter and compare the flights and decide whether it worth or not to choose a cheaper flight with a longer stop-over that will drastically reduce the price.
2. Be flexible in your departure dates
Try to be as flexible as you can in your trip dates. You’ll notice by the time that even changing your dates for 1 or 2 days might completely change the prices. I’ve personally bought some ticket by half of the price by changing my departure date from 1 day on a London – Hong Kong flight. Also, don’t forget to purchase your ticket as early as possible. Usually, the earlier you buy your flight ticket, the cheaper you’ll get it. Actually, airlines companies use to sell the early bird tickets at a lower price. This helps them to plan the demand in order to adapt their pricing for the next seats.
3. Get a Travel Cashback Credit Card
Nowadays it’s pretty simple to apply and get a credit card that offers cashback on your travel expenses. Be careful to apply only if you have a good credit score. You should always check your credit score prior to apply to a new credit card. This will help you to make sure that getting a new credit card won’t affect negatively your overall credit history. American Express has plenty of Cashback and Rewards Credit Cards to offer. By buying with such credit card, you’ll get a small percentage of your purchases back to your account which can be used to spend during your vacation. The huge bonus is that these credit cards often comes with insurance to cover you during your trip. This is very helpful when it comes to rent a car in a country where driving isn’t the safest place in the world.
4. Be creative on your transportation
Don’t forget that airplane isn’t your only way to travel. You can also travel by bus, train or car. These ways are usually way cheaper that plane. For the most creatives of you, you can also decide to go with the good old car sharing. This might be a good opportunity to meet and make new friends and see the country from another perspective. The trip will be even more pleasant, especially for those of you who travel alone.
5. Book an Airbnb
The second most expensive cost of your trip is your stay. Depending on your standards, hotels can use a good part of your budget. If your main priority is to enjoy what the city has to offer, then you can consider sharing a house with roomies or hosts. For this, I recommend you to book yourself a room through Airbnb. This is the most convenient app to connect with hosts looking for travelers just like you. As for car sharing, this will also permit you to get to know new friends, and really live like local people.
6. Download a Home Delivery Food App
Most of big cities that you will visit has a home delivery food app that you don’t want to miss. You can read plenty of reviews that will help to decide what to eat. This is a convenient way of having a look on what’s popular to eat in the place you’ll visit. You should also take advantage of the sales that vendors often set on their page. You can download Uber Eats thought this affiliate link and get a welcome bonus that will save you some dollars on your next delivery. If you prefer to eat outside, then you should definitely consider browsing on Trip Advisor first. You’ll get some ideas regarding the food, price, location with real reviews.
7. Avoid tourist traps
Unfortunately, most countries which relies a lot on tourism often comes with tourist scammers. Be aware about the most popular scams that tourists had experienced before by searching a bit on the web. Get documented before you go. One of the ways I like to get information about the place I am about to visit is by searching for travel vlogs on YouTube. This also gives me good ideas about specific places or activities to do once arrived.
8. Download a currency converter application
When you travel in a country which use a different currency than ourselves, we are easily lost when it comes to pay the bills. Don’t let anyone take advantage of it by downloading a trusted currency converter application. I personally recommend you to download Xe.com application. I’ve been using it for almost a decade now. The good thing about this app is that the rates are very precises and refreshed every 30 seconds.
Final words
Getting on vacation is always exciting. But sometimes traveling can be very expensive. Don’t compromise your adventure desires by getting well organized with your budget. Plan in advance, be creative about your transportation and be well documented prior to leave. This is the recipe I use to follow to each and every trip I’ve done, and I always get back with great memories. Have a safe trip!
