You might be surprised at how effective credit cards can be when it comes to frugal living. Too often, we think of credit cards as a tool of debt. However, the reality is that with savvy use, credit cards can actually contribute to your frugal lifestyle. This is because many credit cards offer rewards programs. These rewards programs can provide you with cash back and other perks, just for spending money as you normally would.
One of the areas where credit card rewards can be especially helpful is when it comes to frugal travel.
Use Credit Card Rewards for Frugal Travel
Last Christmas, my son and I traveled back east to spend time with family. Because I used credit card rewards to help pay for my airfare our total cost was about $250 to fly. When you consider that round trip plane tickets between my hometown and my destination were about $600 apiece, you can see that we saved $950 on our airfare.
These savings came because I use my airline card for all of my regular spending. I even use it to pay my rent. As a result I build up rewards quickly and can use them to travel. As long as I keep with my regular spending patterns, and I pay off my credit card each month, I don’t have to worry about getting into debt and paying high interest rates.
I combined my credit card rewards with the loyalty reward from my preferred hotel chain, and manage to save another few hundred dollars on lodging.
My parents using branded rewards credit card for their hotels. As a result, they were able to stay for free when they traveled to England a few years ago. Being able to save money on travel is one way to live a frugal lifestyle. The reward you choose
The rewards you choose should match with your preferences. Make it a point to use your rewards credit card on everyday purchases so that you can save up your rewards to use and make your frugal travel dreams come true. Just make sure you actually have the money in the bank so that you can pay off credit card at the end of each billing cycle.
Other Strategies for Frugal Travel
For best results, combine your credit card rewards program with other strategies for frugal travel. Look for ways to save money using promo codes and special deals. I have a loyalty points for hotel chains, the train, and even at the travel aggregator Expedia. Using these points along with my credit cards, It means that I almost never pay full price for any trip.
You can also use a frugal travel strategies like going in the off-season, and being willing to fly red-eye. Is also a good idea to plan for food by shopping at a local groceries instead of going to restaurants or bringing your own food on a road trip. My family used to save a lot of money growing up because my parents planned ahead for food, rather than always buying it at expensive restaurants.
With the right planning, travel doesn’t have to break the bank. Combine credit card rewards and loyalty rewards with other frugal travel strategies, and you might be surprised at how far you can go.
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