One of the most popular phrases in my personal budget travel handbook is “instead of”. You can use this phrase to make some really great choices that allow you to travel at a lower cost. You aren’t saying that you won’t travel just because you want to save money. You’re saying that you will travel one way “instead of” another way to cut costs.
Here are ten examples of “instead of” options if you want to save money on travel:
- Choose to stay at economy hotels INSTEAD OF more expensive hotels.
- Better yet, choose to stay at hostels instead of hotels to save even more money.
- Opt to visit small local museums INSTEAD OF major museums or costly landmarks.
- Pack your own food or shop at grocery stores along the way INSTEAD OF spending the extra money to purchase meals at restaurants or fast food chains.
- Visit local swimming pools, watering holes and small creeks INSTEAD OF going to water parks to cool off with the kids while you are on vacation.
- Get library books before you leave to read while you’re on the road INSTEAD OF investing in video games, DVDs and other more expensive forms of road trip entertainment.
- Find out what types of festivals and events you can attend for free at your destination INSTEAD OF going to costly attractions or more expensive events.
- Look for deals and promotions INSTEAD OF paying full price.
It’s always great if you can do exactly the kind of trip that you want to do but pay less for it because you took the time to look for a deal.Always pay cash INSTEAD OF using a credit card so you don’t accrue interest charges for your vacation costs. Better yet, use a cash back rewards credit card INSTEAD OF cash and pay it off immediately before any interest is added.Set a budget for your trip in advance INSTEAD OF trying to figure out after the trip how you’re going to make up for all that money that you spent while you were on vacation.Visit friends and family in smaller destination cities INSTEAD OF traveling to the more expensive hot spots.
basic ideas for travel alternatives that will save you money. I’m sure that you could make an entire list of your own. Feel free to share your ideas in the comments!If you like this please share it:
I receive a lot of offers for discount travel deals. that I’ve signed up with some of my favorite websites to receive special offers. It’s also due to the fact that I’ve taken advantage of special offers so the hotels and airlines I’ve done so with are prone to sending me new offers. And I’ve noticed that the number of offers I’ve gotten has increased since starting this blog so I guess that it’s also due to my writing about budget travel.
I enjoy receiving special offers for several reasons. First of all, it inspires my daydreams about travel. Second, it offers me a chance to regularly compare travel prices so I know what’s actually a good deal and what isn’t. And third, of course, it can save me money when traveling. I’ve noticed, however, that some offers are truly good and others are a waste of time. I’ve specifically noticed this about hotel specials which are the most common type of deals that I receive.
Here are five signs that indicate to me that a special offer for a hotel is worth taking:It is for a hotel that I already know I like. If I’ve stayed at the hotel or with the chain before and know that I like it then it’s usually worth it to take advantage of the deal.It’s for a hotel or destination that I’ve been longing to go to. I keep a mental file (as well as a journal) of the places that I want to visit one day. When I see a hotel special for a place that is on my list, I definitely think it’s worth looking into it to see if I can take advantage of the offer.The fine print is clear and seems fair. The first thing I do when I see an offer that looks appealing is skip straight to the fine print. That’s the easiest way to find out about hidden charges, inconvenient restrictions and other things that would make the deal not worth it.Research indicates that it’s a good deal. Ultimately, the only way to know if hotel specials are good deals is if you take the time to research them. The simplest way to do this is to check out both the hotel website and a couple of travel booking sites to see what a standard rate for the room is. Then read some online reviews to get an idea of whether or not the hotel is a good one. A hotel that has positive reviews and is offering a deal lower than their normal pricing is usually a good choice.The rest of the trip is within my travel budget. Even if I find a great hotel deal, I don’t take it if I can’t afford the rest of the trip. A realistic look at how much getting there and spending time there will cost in addition to the cost of the hotel is necessary before accepting a travel deal.
How do you decide if a travel deal is a good one to take advantage of?If you like this please share it:
