Budget travel has become a necessity for most people with the cost of gasoline and other consumer products on the rise. But when we start considering when, where, how and what type of vacation to undertake, we sometimes get caught up in the anticipation and excitement of the upcoming trip and let the more important financial side of things slip a little. After all, for most of us, taking a vacation may only happen once a year and for some, even more infrequently, so we tend to indulge and forget about our pocket book a little.
There are many ways to save money, avoid unnecessary cost, ensure you take care of details end up a smart and perceptive traveler. Travel planning is easier that you might think and here are eight great budget travel tips for making your travel dollar go further!
1. Cushion your budget - When considering a trip or planning budget travel, it is important to plan for the unexpected and consider the financial side of things early on. This ensures affordability, liquidity and having the resources to enjoy it to the fullest! Plan for the worst-case financial scenario and prepare for things to cost a little more than you expected. Allow up to 20% increase in cost to be on the safe side of things.
2. Emergency money: Carrying some spare cash somewhere can also be a lifesaver. The rule of thumb seems to be around $50-$100 in small bills. This can be used for incidentals, ground-transportation like cab fare and/or your return home, tips and more.
3. Set your priorities: Set some budget travel spending priorities and criteria in advance, like eating at a special restaurant or attending a concert, even if this means sacrificing a bit on lodgings or visa versa, depending on what is more important to you.
4. Keep an eye on your credit cards: It is extremely easy these days to have access to your financial resources through ATM's and credit cards. Just remember that it is just as easy to overspend because of it being so readily available. A little discipline will go a long way to protect your financial interest and help you stick to your travel budget.
5. Maximize gas mileage and efficiency: If you're planning a road trip, make sure that your car has been serviced at least a week before your trip. A well-maintained vehicle will go a long way to ensure carefree driving. If your budget allows, you may consider renting a vehicle to save wear and tear on your own. Small economy cars are better on gas and are much more comfortable than they used to be. Minivans and sport utility vehicles are practical only if you have to transport a large family with a lot of equipment or luggage.
6. Gas fill-ups: For filling up your car en route, avoid pushing to the limit until the gas runs out. Gas will obviously be more expensive when filling up in remote locations. If you miscalculated and the light on the dashboard indicates that you are really in need, opt for filling just half a tank until you reach the next more densely or major populated destination, where gas might be a little cheaper.
7. Pack-a-snack: Bring your own refreshments and snacks. Gas station prices on drinks and snack food are high. Avoid these during a pit stop, if you are counting your budget travel dollars. A cooler packed with lots of cool drinks, water and ice and/or a thermos of coffee or hot water for tea, some fruit, granola bars, or a sandwich, goes a long way to still the hunger and save you money by avoiding all high priced stops en route.
8. Travel necessities: It is advisable to travel with basic necessities, like a cell phone and a first aid kit, since both can prove to be essential in emergencies. Most people have cell phones at their disposal, but in the event that you are not one of them, a prepaid cell phone may be the answer for your trip. The peace of mind it offers is worth the small investment. Cell phones can also save on hefty surcharges and higher long distance rates that hotels and resorts often charge.
Budget travel requires close attention to all things financial before and during your trip. Planning a trip or vacation can be a little time consuming but following these travel tips will hopefully save you a lot of headaches as well as some unnecessary interest charges on your credit card balances later! You will thank yourself for your fiscal restraint and spending discipline, upfront planning, foresight and forward thinking!
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Budget Travel Deals - Check Out These Money-Saving Ideas If You Are Traveling on a Budget
Does the thought of your yearly vacation and make you cringe because of all the money you know you're going to have to spend? It is actually possible to have a very enjoyable vacation and still get some great budget travel deals at the same time. While it's true you may not be able to travel in the lap of luxury, there are some great money-saving tips out there that will allow you to have a super vacation on a budget.
First, as far as your method of travel goes, you might consider traveling by bus or train instead of by air as these methods of travel are most often cheaper. Traveling by train can be a very enjoyable experience as long as you're not going too far. If you are traveling quite a distance you may want to go ahead and try and find some bargain airfare deals. You might want to check with a travel agent to see what kind of excellent package deals they may have available.
Once you get to your destination, one great tip for the budget minded traveler is to eat your largest meal in the middle of the day. The reason for this is many times you can find lunch specials and all-you-can-eat buffets at a much reduced price over what they will charge at dinner time. For your other meals you can either choose to carry snacks with you or eat your lighter meals either in your room or at a budget-priced restaurant.
As a budget traveler, familiarize yourself with the different modes of transportation which will be available in your destination city. Many times you can avoid renting a car and simply use the bus, subway, or other public modes of transportation to get around. A lot of times you can even get a pass for the week so that you don't have to pay daily. This can really save you a lot of money over the course of your visit.
Shop and eat where the locals go rather than the touristy areas. You will not find very many budget travel deals in the tourist section of town, as they exist to make money off of you. Mainly you will find a lot of overpriced items and food that you can easily get cheaper if you will do a little research online before you go and find out where the locals hang out. The local residents will also be able to tell you where the best places are to eat for the most discounted prices where you will still get great food.
First, as far as your method of travel goes, you might consider traveling by bus or train instead of by air as these methods of travel are most often cheaper. Traveling by train can be a very enjoyable experience as long as you're not going too far. If you are traveling quite a distance you may want to go ahead and try and find some bargain airfare deals. You might want to check with a travel agent to see what kind of excellent package deals they may have available.
Once you get to your destination, one great tip for the budget minded traveler is to eat your largest meal in the middle of the day. The reason for this is many times you can find lunch specials and all-you-can-eat buffets at a much reduced price over what they will charge at dinner time. For your other meals you can either choose to carry snacks with you or eat your lighter meals either in your room or at a budget-priced restaurant.
As a budget traveler, familiarize yourself with the different modes of transportation which will be available in your destination city. Many times you can avoid renting a car and simply use the bus, subway, or other public modes of transportation to get around. A lot of times you can even get a pass for the week so that you don't have to pay daily. This can really save you a lot of money over the course of your visit.
Shop and eat where the locals go rather than the touristy areas. You will not find very many budget travel deals in the tourist section of town, as they exist to make money off of you. Mainly you will find a lot of overpriced items and food that you can easily get cheaper if you will do a little research online before you go and find out where the locals hang out. The local residents will also be able to tell you where the best places are to eat for the most discounted prices where you will still get great food.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Budget Travel Vacation - Are You Ready to Get One? Then Discover How to Save on Your Next Holiday
This article is all about budget vacations. We hope that we can show you the best benefits the vacations have for you, regardless of how much money you have or are willing to spend.
Budget vacations are excellent ways to conserve money while still getting a kick out of life. Budget vacations are vacations under budget, where you can't afford to go hog-wild spending money left, right, and center.
So many of us work year-round in the hopes of having enough money to keep us going for a few months longer, especially if you're going on a budget travel vacation. It's therefore more logical to obtain the best deal on a trip. There are quite a few ways you can create your vacation to be a breath of relaxation, and still have it reasonably fit your budget.
If you are peering into your wallet and you're noticing that quite a few bills and credit cards have disappeared recently, you're going to need to keep the important costs of vacations at a minimal. It's also pivotal for you to decide what your priorities are. For example, if you are dying for a swimming pool that's in a lodge, you are probably going to have to hold yourself back from expensive meals, eateries, or cooking in your house, which will relieve you to dish out as much money as your budget allows you on your lodge/swimming pool.
But maybe you love meals that fill you up to the brim; meals that are eloquently satisfying-so reduce the cost by staying at a budget hotel. You don't even have to eat at the hotel, but go places to get those delicious dishes, allowing you to dish out money on food instead of a lodge. You've completely switched what you originally wanted, simply through prioritizing differently and wanting to fill your stomach!
For many people, the most important parts of budget vacations are tradeoffs, which we will show you in the next paragraph, many of which are difficult to do, but all depend upon your preferences.
If you've only got so much money to spend on your vacation, remember that tradeoffs will come into effect. What are your vacation priorities-decide them, and plan your trip accordingly. If you've got the whole family going, make sure you know what everyone wants to do, because if you don't, your family will be a seriously grumpy group of travelers to travel with.
Another thing you should do is start prepping early-get the car rented, the low airfare, the prices of the hotel, etc. Start your searching early, as the good deals will be gone quickly. If the costs of a hotel seem abnormally high, scour the internet for better prices, and also be aware of low airfare costs in newsletters, as this will save you money on your long-deserved vacation.
So plan those plane tickets, reserve that hotel. There's nothing stopping you from being cautious apart from yourself, so dive in! Start your budget vacation plan right now.
Budget vacations are excellent ways to conserve money while still getting a kick out of life. Budget vacations are vacations under budget, where you can't afford to go hog-wild spending money left, right, and center.
So many of us work year-round in the hopes of having enough money to keep us going for a few months longer, especially if you're going on a budget travel vacation. It's therefore more logical to obtain the best deal on a trip. There are quite a few ways you can create your vacation to be a breath of relaxation, and still have it reasonably fit your budget.
If you are peering into your wallet and you're noticing that quite a few bills and credit cards have disappeared recently, you're going to need to keep the important costs of vacations at a minimal. It's also pivotal for you to decide what your priorities are. For example, if you are dying for a swimming pool that's in a lodge, you are probably going to have to hold yourself back from expensive meals, eateries, or cooking in your house, which will relieve you to dish out as much money as your budget allows you on your lodge/swimming pool.
But maybe you love meals that fill you up to the brim; meals that are eloquently satisfying-so reduce the cost by staying at a budget hotel. You don't even have to eat at the hotel, but go places to get those delicious dishes, allowing you to dish out money on food instead of a lodge. You've completely switched what you originally wanted, simply through prioritizing differently and wanting to fill your stomach!
For many people, the most important parts of budget vacations are tradeoffs, which we will show you in the next paragraph, many of which are difficult to do, but all depend upon your preferences.
If you've only got so much money to spend on your vacation, remember that tradeoffs will come into effect. What are your vacation priorities-decide them, and plan your trip accordingly. If you've got the whole family going, make sure you know what everyone wants to do, because if you don't, your family will be a seriously grumpy group of travelers to travel with.
Another thing you should do is start prepping early-get the car rented, the low airfare, the prices of the hotel, etc. Start your searching early, as the good deals will be gone quickly. If the costs of a hotel seem abnormally high, scour the internet for better prices, and also be aware of low airfare costs in newsletters, as this will save you money on your long-deserved vacation.
So plan those plane tickets, reserve that hotel. There's nothing stopping you from being cautious apart from yourself, so dive in! Start your budget vacation plan right now.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Budget Travel Insurance - Can You Get Quality Cover at a Low Price?
For any traveller, buying travel insurance is very much an essential purchase before they set off. Fine if you have the money available for what can be an expensive buy but if you do not, what options do you have? Should you travel without insurance or make do with some form of budget travel insurance? It is always better to have some cover than none at all. But can you get quality or even reasonable cover at a budget price?
The answer is... Yes you can. There are now hundreds of insurers who provide this type of cover so with some determination you will be able to find a budget travel insurance policy that gives you the cover you need at a price you can afford. You just need to know where to look.
Use a Broker
Don't think that just because you are using someone else to find you your insurance that you are going to pay a lot for it. Many brokers specialise in the budget end of the market and offer policies that include all the cover you need at a competitive price. Because they have standardised the product offering they are able to offer volume discounts and will even be able to give you a choice of budget travel insurance plans. They also offer expertise, advice and a real person to talk to that will help you make your decision.
Go Direct to the Insurance Company
Going direct to an insurer can also get you a good value quality product. Many of the large insurers that you think would be too expensive for you now own smaller specialist companies that focus exclusively on travel insurance. They are often branded differently from the main company but you are more likely to get a quality product even though you are paying a cheaper price.
Search the Internet
A lot of the subsidiaries of major travel insurance companies operate exclusively online, which is another place you should look. If you are confident about doing all your own research and making the decision yourself you should follow this route. Internet purchases offer the lowest prices and you shouldn't go wrong as long as you check which insurer is actually underwriting your policy.
Buy an Annual Policy
If you plan to make several trips during the year think about buying an annual or multi-trip budget travel insurance policy. You pay a one-off annual fee and for this you will get cover for you and your family if you wish for all your trips for 12 months. Stick with a well-known name, buy through a broker or over the internet and you should get a quality insurance policy at a very good price. If you take several trips during the year you will be amazed how little you are effectively paying for travel insurance for each one.
The answer is... Yes you can. There are now hundreds of insurers who provide this type of cover so with some determination you will be able to find a budget travel insurance policy that gives you the cover you need at a price you can afford. You just need to know where to look.
Use a Broker
Don't think that just because you are using someone else to find you your insurance that you are going to pay a lot for it. Many brokers specialise in the budget end of the market and offer policies that include all the cover you need at a competitive price. Because they have standardised the product offering they are able to offer volume discounts and will even be able to give you a choice of budget travel insurance plans. They also offer expertise, advice and a real person to talk to that will help you make your decision.
Go Direct to the Insurance Company
Going direct to an insurer can also get you a good value quality product. Many of the large insurers that you think would be too expensive for you now own smaller specialist companies that focus exclusively on travel insurance. They are often branded differently from the main company but you are more likely to get a quality product even though you are paying a cheaper price.
Search the Internet
A lot of the subsidiaries of major travel insurance companies operate exclusively online, which is another place you should look. If you are confident about doing all your own research and making the decision yourself you should follow this route. Internet purchases offer the lowest prices and you shouldn't go wrong as long as you check which insurer is actually underwriting your policy.
Buy an Annual Policy
If you plan to make several trips during the year think about buying an annual or multi-trip budget travel insurance policy. You pay a one-off annual fee and for this you will get cover for you and your family if you wish for all your trips for 12 months. Stick with a well-known name, buy through a broker or over the internet and you should get a quality insurance policy at a very good price. If you take several trips during the year you will be amazed how little you are effectively paying for travel insurance for each one.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Budget Travel Holidays - Three Quick and Easy Tips to Plan Budget Travel Holidays
We all want fabulous budget travel holidays without breaking the bank. Here are three tips that will help you plan your next great holiday while staying on a budget. We'll go over the months you should target to travel that will give you the greatest travel savings, which type of airports to fly out of, and more general tips to give you the greatest bang for you buck. Let's get started:
1. Try to travel during "Shoulder Season", a term coined by the travel industry. This is a great time to travel because it's not High Season, which is when it's most expensive to travel and most crowded, and it's not Low Season, when the crowds are not there but the weather is the worst. You can generally save hundreds of dollars, if not thousands, on your vacation just by targeting Shoulder Season because airfare and hotels are cheaper. For example, go to Hawaii in March or September, Tahiti in November, Costa Rica in December, or Baja California in June.
2. Use the internet to your advantage. Many airlines, resorts, cruise companies, and hotel websites offer rewards to people who subscribe to their e-mails lists. Usually all it takes is for you to visit their website and find the place where you can enter your e-mail in exchange for discounts, rewards, etc. These e-mail lists are often one of the first or only places to get major, unadvertised discounts. Social marketing is on the upswing and you can follow the airlines, etc. on Twitter to get similar savings also.
3. Be flexible with your travel planning. By being open to flying out of a less commercial airport, or staying in a neighboring city that borders the touristy city, you will save money. Many people want to go to San Francisco but cannot afford the pricey hotel rooms in the city. Consider staying in neighboring Berkely and taking public transportation into San Francisco. Neighboring cities often have the same "feel" as the touristy cities, yet the local businesses are more accommodating and even grateful for your business. You are more apt to be treated like royalty because the locals like you being there, rather than being an annoyance, aka "just another tourist". Minor travel adjustments such as this can save you hundreds on your trip, while still being able to vacation in the city of your choice.
I hope this helps you see that the possibility of budget travel holidays can be a reality with a little planning and ingenuity. Flexibility in travel planning goes a long way to huge savings. Be a smart shopper and use the internet. It's a great resource for budget travel. By following these simple tips, you will be able to have your budget travel holiday.
1. Try to travel during "Shoulder Season", a term coined by the travel industry. This is a great time to travel because it's not High Season, which is when it's most expensive to travel and most crowded, and it's not Low Season, when the crowds are not there but the weather is the worst. You can generally save hundreds of dollars, if not thousands, on your vacation just by targeting Shoulder Season because airfare and hotels are cheaper. For example, go to Hawaii in March or September, Tahiti in November, Costa Rica in December, or Baja California in June.
2. Use the internet to your advantage. Many airlines, resorts, cruise companies, and hotel websites offer rewards to people who subscribe to their e-mails lists. Usually all it takes is for you to visit their website and find the place where you can enter your e-mail in exchange for discounts, rewards, etc. These e-mail lists are often one of the first or only places to get major, unadvertised discounts. Social marketing is on the upswing and you can follow the airlines, etc. on Twitter to get similar savings also.
3. Be flexible with your travel planning. By being open to flying out of a less commercial airport, or staying in a neighboring city that borders the touristy city, you will save money. Many people want to go to San Francisco but cannot afford the pricey hotel rooms in the city. Consider staying in neighboring Berkely and taking public transportation into San Francisco. Neighboring cities often have the same "feel" as the touristy cities, yet the local businesses are more accommodating and even grateful for your business. You are more apt to be treated like royalty because the locals like you being there, rather than being an annoyance, aka "just another tourist". Minor travel adjustments such as this can save you hundreds on your trip, while still being able to vacation in the city of your choice.
I hope this helps you see that the possibility of budget travel holidays can be a reality with a little planning and ingenuity. Flexibility in travel planning goes a long way to huge savings. Be a smart shopper and use the internet. It's a great resource for budget travel. By following these simple tips, you will be able to have your budget travel holiday.
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