7 Simple Ways to Save Money on Travel

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Whether you’re traveling to see family or skipping out for a much-needed vacation, keep these tips in mind to save on travel to wherever you’re going.

While I’m winding down my travel, holidays are coming up and it’s the time everyone else starts thinking about their travel plans. To see family or get far away from them.

When the holidays are vying for all the extra dollars in your budget, saving on travel is top priority. And these tips can be useful for holiday or summer travel so pin it for later and make frugality a habit in all your travels.

Shop Through Rakuten

Did you know you can get cash back for booking travel and shopping on the sites you would’ve anyway? #FreeMoney! This is one of the most simple money-saving tips I know.

Expedia and Priceline offer up to 10% back on flights, hotels, etc for booking through Rakuten and if you’re buying any presents online (hi Cyber Monday!) then definitely click through this website to see what you can get back.

Use a Credit Card

Hear me out! I haven’t paid for a hotel room in two years and we’ve flown around the country and to Mexico for less than $12 a flight. We’ll use a card for expenses until we’ve reached the minimum spend for the welcome bonus then move on to the next card. That means we’re signing up for 4 cards per year, two for me and two for my husband.

We cancel the cards just before the annual fee is charged so we’re only paying annual fees once on the cards that have them.

Chase Freedom is a good card for beginners who are on a tight budget or might be turned off by annual fees. Sign up here to get $200 cash back after you spend $500 in the first three months your account is open.

If your expenses are higher, we love the Capital One Venture Card. The annual fee is waived the first year and “miles” are can be used to erase any travel expense. We’re using it for a cruise! Sign up here to earn 50,000 bonus miles (That’s equal to $500) once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

And for hotels we stick with Hyatt brands. They have THE BEST rate of return for points. We redeemed 100,000 points for four nights at an adults-only all-inclusive resort.

We used the bonus from the World of Hyatt credit card and some ultimate rewards from our Chase Freedom to get there. Sign up here and earn up to 50,000 Bonus Points (enough for two to 10 nights, depending on where you stay) after you spend $6,000 total on purchases within the first 6 months of account opening.

Pack Light

It’s 2017, you know just about every airline charges a checked bag fee. Americans have spent enough on baggage fees to literally buy an airline.

So if you’re considering checking a bag see if these hacks don’t cut down your travel mass: Ship gifts ahead of time if they can fit in a less expensive flat rate box or just send them there if you’re purchasing online. Pack dark pieces of clothing that can be worn with everything and don’t show dirt as well and wear your bulkiest items on the plane (like boots and coats.) And bring as little of everything as possible. Try these

And bring as little of everything as possible. Try these tiny travel sized bottles from Amazon, they’re nice to have for any trip.

Look off the Beaten (Discount Airfare Website) Path

Southwest and Allegiant are famed for their discount airfare service. Southwest still lets you check two bags for free and Allegiant flies to smaller airports the big guys don’t. I fly both frequently and highly recommend them for their no fluff style.

Seasoned travelers know you won’t find them on major sites like Travelocity or Priceline. Check multiple sites and compare them to Southwest and Allegiant. Remember, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Major savings if you fly on Thanksgiving. And if you’re flying Allegiant, get there early, they don’t mess around with travelers who show up late.

One Stop Shop

Also, if you were thinking a non-stop flight would help you save time and hassle, it’ll be at the expense of some dollars. Taking the route with a layover could save you around $100 or more.

Stay with Airbnb

Have you tried Airbnb yet? It’s an innovative concept that allows people to rent out their room, house, condo, etc to other people. People love the privacy that you get as opposed to a hotel and prices are usually very comparable to what you’ll find from the major chains. If your family is considering getting away this year there are tons of options all over the world for big and small families alike.

Sign up here to get a $40 credit toward your first Airbnb booking! They do gift cards now too. Hint hint mom.

Ditch the Car Rental

With Uber and Lyft around, you can get to just about anywhere you need for less than renting a car (and no getting lost on unfamiliar roads while visiting your in-laws.)

You can get $20 off your first ride by using code RIDINGUBER20

But, if you really need a rental car, Enterprise has a $9.99 per day deal for weekends (that is valid on Christmas weekend!) It’s not good at airports so factor in getting a ride or an Uber to the location to pick up the car when you’re comparing costs. And don’t forget to reserve through Rakuten for  cash back.

Pack a Lunch

Road tripping? Stop at the grocery store and pack meals for the road, not just snacks you’ll mindlessly eat. Subs and wraps are hearty and will keep you from buying extra snacks when you stop for gas. Even better, you’ll avoid that gross road trip belly feeling.

Sticking to your budget isn’t just for the days you’re at home. Prepare a separate trip budget that allows for a few pleasurable expenses but keeps you from blowing it all in the first few days.