6 Tips To Get The Most Bang For Your Buck When Traveling

Do you have some must-visit places on your bucket list? Having a tight budget can keep you from checking them off, which is why it’s a must to save as much as you can on vacation.

While keeping up with your monthly expenses is essential, life requires occasional enjoyment too. And what better way to have fun than to see new places and meet new people?

To help you achieve that goal, here are some tips on how to stretch your money to the point that you can travel more often.

1. Make a savings plan.

Unless you have a bevy of bucks in your bank account, you’ll need to start saving to fund your vacation. There’s no better time than now to do so, either.

First, figure out where you want to go. Make a list of all the expenses you’ll incur on your trip, including:

• Transportation (Airfare, bus tickets, train tickets, car rental, etc.)
• Lodging ( Hotel, Airbnb, etc.)
• Food (Groceries, restaurants, etc.)
• Activities (Amusement parks, national parks, local attractions, etc.)
• Souvenirs

When making this list, it’s best to overestimate instead of underestimating your costs. This way, you won’t run into an issue of having to put charges on your credit card that could lead to long-term debt.

Once you have your total, decide when you’ll want to take the trip.

With that decided, divide the total expense by the number of months until it’s time to leave. That will give you the monthly figure you must save to make your vacation dreams a reality.

If you know there’s no way you can save that much per month, here are your options:

Delay your trip several months more.
Pick a less expensive destination with lower transportation costs or cheaper lodging.
Think of ways to supplement your current income to meet that monthly demand.

2. Do a day trip.

If your desire to get away is too much to handle, you can take an affordable day trip now to scratch that itch.

A day trip involves visiting somewhere nearby to give you that feeling of going on vacation without the cost.

By traveling to a closer destination, you can avoid significant transportation and lodging expenses.

3. Cut food costs.

Eating out while on the road can take a big chunk out of your travel budget. Bring snacks for the road and buy groceries to cook at your hotel/Airbnb, and you’ll save money for attractions and souvenirs.

4. Reduce rental car fees.

While debt should be avoided, using certain credit cards can offer attractive travel perks. Check to see if one of your cards covers rental car insurance.

Another way to lower rental car costs is to see if your current auto insurance policy offers coverage on rentals.

5. Buy flights in advance.

If your destination is far from home, you’ll probably need to take a plane to get there.

Don’t wait until the last minute to purchase your tickets. Do it at least three to four weeks before you plan to fly to get the best deals.

Also, before you commit to your trip, look online for flight costs. You can see how much tickets fluctuate throughout the year according to the seasons, which could influence your decision to book your trip.

6. Stay home during the holidays.

The higher the demand for flights and lodging, the higher the price.

Try not to plan your vacation when everyone else is. Do it during shoulder season, and you should see some significant savings.

What’s shoulder season? The ideal time to travel, which sits between peak and off-seasons. To give you an idea of when to look, try October as your travel month.