As many of you know, I am attending the Blissdom Conference and Savvy Blogging Dinner this week. It’s been a while since I traveled anywhere, so it was necessary to refresh myself on some of the ways to save money while traveling.
Whether you are traveling by car or plane, staying in a hotel or with loved ones, there are things that you can do to cut traveling and stay expenses. This is part one of this series, that I will be bringing to you during the conference.
Tip # 1
Set yourself a budget for the trip, including extra expenses and splurges. If you don’t set up some guidelines, you’re liable to overspend. This is definitely how you should start out when planning a trip.
Tip #2
Decide where you are going and see if there are relatives or close friends in the area. If you live a long way from them, they would probably love to have you stay with them! It’s a rare occasion that I can see my grandmother who lives several states away . When we visit, she loves having us stay with her! This is a great way to save money by not having to pay for a hotel, and we get to take advantage of every precious moment with grandma.
Tip #3
If you must rent a car, buy a plane ticket, and or stay in a hotel, then it’s time to check out all the travel sites. A few examples are Travelocity, Orbitz and Priceline. Each site offers different deals, so check them all for the best bargain! Then shop through a cash back site like Ebates, so that you actually make a small rebate back off of your purchase. If you bought the Entertainment Book, be sure to check in there for some deals. I’ve known people to save several hundreds just by mentioning a deal in the Entertainment book.
Tip #4
Check for online coupon codes. A lot of times you, if you are buying through a specific company’s website, you can use a coupon code for additional savings. Retailmenot.com is a great resource for online coupon codes.
Tip #5
Check for local attraction and restaurant coupons and deals. A few sites I recommend are HalfOffDepot.com, Groupon.com and Restaurant.com. It’s also a good idea to stop at local rest stops, as these places will sometimes have great local coupons and deals.
to be continued…
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Another website to check for hotels and airfare is bookingbuddy.com. It’s nice because you can enter your travel info once and it searches all those sites for you. Saves time and it’s saved me lots of money:)
If you belong to a local zoo or museum, check to see if they particpate in a reciprocity program with zoos and museums where you are traveling. We have a membership at our local zoo, and it gets us into other zoos around the country for free or at a discounted rate.
any tips for europe trips???? so excited. we will be able to stay with friends part of the trip, but a van rental is killing our budget!!!!!!!!! any ideas. any idea of where to look for ideas>>>> LOVE YOUR BLOG by the way.