When it comes to travel, I’m always looking for ways to spend less money. This is important to me because I like to travel. If I can save money on one trip, I can use that money for another trip. The more I save, the more chances I have to travel. As I look for ways to spend less on travel, here are 3 ways that I manage to save:
1. Get Someone Else to Pay
This is the best possible way to travel. If you have a company that requires you to travel, you can see new places on someone else’s dime. You might not be able to choose your destination, but at least you’ll get to see something new. Another drawback of relying on someone else to pay for your travel and make arrangements is that you might not get to choose your flight times. This has happened to me before. I’m not overly fond of taking a red-eye, but I’m willing to deal with it in the name of travel.
I’ve had others pay for my travel in the past. There have been times when clients want me to travel to meet them, and they have paid for my airfare and hotel. When I speak at conferences, I am comped for various expenses. From meals to hotel to airfare, if you can get someone else to pay for at least a portion of your trip, you are winning.
2. Travel During Unpopular Times
If you don’t mind going on a family vacation during the school year, it’s possible to pay less when you go to various destinations. Additionally, there are certain days of the week, and times of the day, that are unpopular. As a result, you can get lower rates on your airfare to travel during these times so that airlines can fill more seats. This same principle applies to hotel rooms as well. Your mid-week rate is likely to be lower than your weekend rate. If you are flexible in your travel, you can save a surprising amount of money — even hundreds of dollars. This has worked well for me in the past. It’s good that I have a flexible “job” so that I can take advantage of these opportunities.
3. Discounts and Loyalty Programs
Finally, I like to take advantage of discounts and loyalty programs. I’ve been able to get free flights using credit card rewards and frequent flier programs. I have a credit card reward program attached to my most used airline and I earn free flights faster. On top of that, I get free hotel stays through a hotel loyalty program. I even signed up to earn points and rewards through one of the travel aggregators, further reducing my costs. In the past, I’ve used a coupon code, then applied points to reduce the cost of a travel package.
Also, pay attention to partner programs with your loyalty points. Sometimes, you can get a discount on rental cars, or earn double points for certain transactions. Watch for sales, promo codes, and activity specials with your programs so that you can snag applicable deals when they show up.
By combining these strategies, I’ve made travel more affordable than I ever thought, and saved thousands of dollars over the last several years.
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