Did you know that 45% of Americans take a summer vacation? If you ever went on vacation then you know that it can get pretty expensive. However, there are ways to make traveling a little more friendly on your wallet. Imagine being able to reduce the cost of your trip so you can either spend more while you are there or put the savings towards one of your financial goals! Check out these 5 tips to learn how.
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- Book far enough in advance. As you know, the price of the hotel is only one piece of the cost to vacation. Flights can take up a nice part of that budget. The best time to buy the flight is 47 days before departure, as prices tend to increase after then. This is way different than the 2-week rule of thumb that we were used to a while ago. Check out this article from Cheap Air to learn more rules to booking a flight. Another resource that is really helpful is to use a meta search site like Kayak.com because Kayak will tell you the best time to purchase your tickets for your dates and destination. You can even sign up to get price alerts for when the price of your flight changes.
- Join a vacation club. I actually have an active vacation club membership because of the amount of travel that I do. I love this club because I’m able to get curated vacations for 25%-70% off retail price. In addition to the savings I’m able stay at amazing resorts, my activities are pre-planned, and all I have to do is get a flight and show up and have a phenomenal experience. There is a cost for a vacation club, but I more than make my money back on the savings from the vacations that I take. This also helps to guarantee that if the price of my flight changes then the savings will be passed back to me.
- Travel off-season. During the summer, places like Mexico, Las Vegas, and the US Virgin Islands are great places to travel because it’s low season. For more great destinations, check out this article from the Travel Channel and Lonely Planet.
- Avoid checking a bag. Bag fees on average are around $25, with Spirit typically charging more for checked and also carry-on bags. Pack light to avoid fees, because you can add $50 to the cost of your plane trip if you don’t. Trust me. Before checked bag fees I used to pack like Natalie from Up in the Air, but now I pack as light as I can. Here is an article that will help you pack.
- Watch airport-parking costs. Before you park, check car share services like Uber or Lyft to see if it is cheaper than parking for the time that you are gone. If not, check for parking coupons for discounted parking.
Now that you know how to reduce the cost of your next traveling experience, let me know which tip on your next travel experience.