How To Save Money While Traveling

What if you could take an extravagant trip to that lush Oceanic island, and save money while you are there? It can be done it may seem impossible, at first, but saving money while traveling can be done. There are a few loopholes and corners that you have to exploit, however, you will save and sanity in the end.

Relaxing and vacation just go together like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For most of us, however, relaxation on a trip almost never happens. Money is a stressor that can dampen your trip. So where do we begin on our checklist?

Don’t book your hotel in advance.

This may seem a little counterproductive; just bear with us while we explain. Most people will tell you to book your room well in advance, months even. Most of the time this is your best bet especially when you are planning on traveling during a national holiday. In this case to definitely want to book accordingly.

That being said if you are planning on traveling during “off-season,” your best option is to wait a little longer before you book the room. Many hotels tend to overbook their rooms to compensate for a number of people that end up canceling. Most of the time these rooms are listed at a lower price, but you have to book them quickly once they are listed.

If you can, try to cook your own food.

One of the best ways to save money while traveling is by cooking. We all have gone out on the weekend to realize that we pissed all our money away on food. Are we saying you should cook for an entire week like some reclusive hermit? No, but you do not have to go out every night and eat.

For instance, say you are going to Mexico for a week. You could only eat on odd days or you could split it and choose between drinks and food. If you are staying in a hotel, the food may be overpriced. Many restaurants you will have great affordable food but will water down their liquor and jack up the prices. Groceries are cheaper than booze and who wants to drink in their room, in Mexico of all places?

Do not, we repeat, do not convert your money at the airport!

Apologies for the harsh tone, but you really should not convert your money in the airport. Many tourists have no clue how high the percentage is for those airport kiosks. Do you know why their percentage is so high? Convenience. It takes the hassle out of trying to find an ATM that you can use. Everything is right there, rent your Fiat 500 and change your dollars to euros.

Also, for the most part, airports are trustworthy. Thousands of vacationers have horror stories of looking at their bank statements and realizing they are broke. This is due to the use of skimmers. Almost invisible to the untrained eye, these machines are responsible for millions of people losing money. That being said and ATM within a credible bank is the cheapest bet. If you want to save money while traveling and still have some pocket change use an ATM.

There are tons of things you can do to pinch a few pennies.

When you are on vacation it is expected to spend an obscene amount of money to “relax.” However, saving money while traveling is possible. There are dozens of different ways you can pinch pennies. They may be in small increments, but it is better than having nothing in your pocket. You could even use your savings on your next trip. Or you could use them at the airport bar while you are tallying your charges.