Secrets to Traveling on a Budget: 15 Tips to Save Money On Vacation
As humans, we don’t like to stand still.
Our wanderlust minds yearn to frolic through tulip covered meadows in the South of France.
(Or something like that.)
Anything to let us escape the mundane daily ritual that is #reallife.
… wake up, hit snooze 6-7 times, rush to get ready, wait in line at the Starbucks drive through, muster through 8+ hours of mind-numbing/co-workers complaining work, get home, make dinner, re-watch an episode of Grey’s anatomy, and go to sleep…
Wash, rinse, repeat.
You’ve gotten to a point where you need to escape.
But you’re strapped for cash.
Vacations are EXPENSIVE and you can’t seem to find a way around it.
Or if you do decide to take a vacation, just the flight and hotel alone are the value of 4 paychecks… how can you even expect yourself to enjoy the vacay?
(especially when having a mini heart-attack every time the restaurant bill is plopped in front of you.)
What’s the solution? What do I need to do to have a relaxing, stress-free, vacation on a budget?
You utilize EVERY way to save!
Bookmark this article! (or pin it here) Use it as a resource to start saving money every single time you travel!
These frugal living tips have been tried and tested to ensure your next vacation is frugal (without actually feeling like it).
P.S. Check our full Travel Savings Guide so you can have a *relaxing* debt-free vacay!
15 Ways to Save Money On Travel
1. Always Find The Cheapest Flights
Flights ain’t cheap.
So knowing how to find the cheapest flights every time is worth its weight in gold.
Luckily for us, flight comparison websites are an easy, free (usually) way to find yourself the best priced ticket!
But be wary! Some of these websites tack on hidden-fees when you’re not looking.
OR, they throw their cookies on your laptop! (That’s why when you’re browsing a website, the prices—all of a sudden—increased by $150.)
Make sure you’re searching on the sites that are the least money-hungry!
2. Ditch The Hotel And Stay In A House (and get a $40 credit)
What if you could SAVE MONEY dumping that rectangular hotel room with 2 queen beds, a desk, a side table with an ancient telephone, and an echoey bathroom…
…And start staying in a spacious house, decked out with multiple rooms, multiple bathrooms, a full kitchen, all within walking distance from your desired travel location…
Sounds too good to be true right?
Wrong.
With Airbnb, you get all of these amazing luxuries and more at a prices lower than a napkin-sized hotel room!
You can rent anything from a single room, to a single-family home, to a beach house with a view!
Wouldn’t you love to throw a quick snack together in your kitchen instead of throwing money away on a restaurant or room service every time you felt a little hungry? (Talk about a serious money saver)
Wouldn’t it be amazing to have your own bedroom instead of having to purchase 2 hotel rooms and open the adjoining doors in an attempt for privacy.
And wouldn’t it be amazing to do all of the above… while keeping hard-earned $$ in your pocket?
Start saving $100’s-$1,000’s in rooming expenses with Airbnb
3. If You Prefer A Hotel Stay, Always Find The Cheapest Price
Never book a hotel without price checking first.
Just like with flights, there are umpteen websites to help you scavenge for the best hotel room at your price-point.
But, of course, many of these sites are trying to make a quick buck with fees and by stashing their cookies on your comp!
So be careful and look out for the sites that charge extra for services as well as jack up the prices (after seeing you’ve searched their site before) to scare you into booking your hotel immediately.
4. Find Cost-Effective All-Inclusive Stays
All-inclusive resort stays are kinda like a real-life dream.
You get to enjoy luxuries like:
- Room service
- Drinks by the pool
- Buffets
- Cafés
- Food by the pool
- Drinks at the bar
- Steak Houses
- Whatever other restaurant on the property (sometimes 10+)!!
ALL INCLUDED IN YOUR ORIGINAL BOOKING PRICE!
And with Groupon, All-Inclusive stays are as low as $99/night!
Check out this vacation deal in the Dominican Republic!
It includes all meals and snacks (at 11 on-site restaurants), all drinks, scuba lessons, a Nightclub (with drinks), Golfing, and VIP access to pools and beaches for only $99/night!
Book a laid back, never stressing about food costs, vacation with Groupon today!
5. Earn Cash Back While Traveling
Want to get paid on vacation?
Ebates and Ibotta are ready to hand over the money!
Both are known to give you free money in cash back offers every time you shop.
But the secret is…they want to pay you for travel purchases too!
Check out both of their travel sections for cash back (free money) offers on everything from rental cars, hotel stays, vacation packages and more!
PLUS get a $30 gift card when you sign up for FREE with our links below!
Ebates>> Get your free $10 gift card when you sign up for Ebates here! (after spending your first $25)
Ibotta>> Get your free $20 gift card when you sign up for Ibotta here! (after scanning your first receipt)
Ibotta vs Ebates– should you use both?!
Related articles:
- Full Ebates Review– Every Hack You Need To Save Money With Ebates
- Honest Ibotta Review– Make Money Grocery Shopping!
6. Get A Deal On Every Meal
Truth: Going out to eat is not cost effective.
Especially on vacation.
If you’re vacationing at even a remotely touristy spot, restaurants love to jack up prices draining you of every last penny you have.
But… eating out is one of the best parts of traveling!
So what do you do? How can you be frugal, save money, AND enjoy going out to eat while traveling?
Groupon.
Groupon is the hub for insane deals on restaurants in your area (or your vacation location).
Jot down where you are and what type of restaurant you’re looking for and you’re presented with tons of deals for eating cheap within a couple miles’ drive.
From fast food, to coffee shops, to steak houses, and even those super adorable cupcakeries, Groupon has every type of food experience you’ve been craving.
Find deals like the one below: get $20 worth of food for only $10! (50% savings!!)
Sign up for Groupon and get awesome deals even on vacation!
Related Post: Easy Ways to Save Money on Groceries
7. Make More Food At Home
Want a surefire way to save a $100s on your next vacation?
Book a place with a kitchen (like Airbnb) and make some of your meals at the house!
Go grocery shopping when you first arrive, and plan out some easy meals you can whip up at home.
And be floored with the savings.
8. Use Hotel Rewards Without Credit Card Points
Against credit cards?
No problem.
Some hotels have their own form of hotel rewards with ZERO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED!
9. The Only Way You Should Save Money For Travel
Want to spend more money on your next vacation, and enjoy luxuries you wouldn’t think you could afford?
You need a budget!
Yes, money savings tips are great.
But if you want to take a truly epic vacation, you need to take full advantage of the huge saving opportunities that come with learning how to spend your money correctly with a budget.
Also See: How to Save Money FOR Travel
10. Don’t Always Go Direct
While flying directly to your location is always the most convenient option….
It’s also the most expensive.
Connecting flights are a pain, so airlines like to give you something back in return:
Much cheaper options!
11. Pack Light!
When you’re packing for your next vacay, check your airline’s rules and fees when it comes to baggage.
If they charge extra for a second bag, save yourself some money and only check one bag!
12. Take Advantage Of Your Carry-On/Personal Item
Since airline companies like to charge an arm and a leg for luggage, take full advantage of your carry-on items.
Your personal item doesn’t have to be a small purse.
Bring a backpack and stuff that puppy with as much as you can!
13. Try Flying Mid-Week
Arrange your travel dates to align with the cheapest air-fare options!
Typically, flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday, will be cheaper than flying out on a Weekend.
14. Have Your Flight Leave At Unpopular Times
Supply and Demand.
There is low demand for flights leaving at 2:00AM which means they are CHEAP!
Save money on the flight and enjoy spending more of that cash on the actual vacation.
Try it out and save big.
15. Travel On Off-Seasons
When you’re picking your travel dates, try and go when everyone else isn’t.
During the slow seasons, EVERY travel cost is lower in prices.
Yes, I mean flights, hotels, rentals, etc… will be super cheap!
I hope you enjoyed these easy ways to save money on travel!
Follow us on Pinterest for more money saving and frugal living tips!
Do you have other ways to save on vacation? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
Did you enjoy this post? Pin it here to save for later! (when you’re planning your next vacay)
Related articles:
- How To Live Frugally– 40+ Simple Tips
- Drop App Review- Earn Free Gift Cards On Auto-Pilot
- Best Cheap Living Tips – You’ll save money without even thinking about it.
About the author Evan Sutherland
Evan Sutherland, the CoFounder of BudgetingCouple.com, presents practical advice to overcoming the familiar stresses surrounding money and responsibilities. His aim is to offer people tools to cultivate more ease in life with simple habits, hacks, and truths.
This is a great article, so helpful! What one can also do is save up on ATM and bank fees. Save up on ATM side of the fees with apps – it gives a list of atms in many countries that do not charge any fees to foreign card holders or have much lower fees than others along with withdrawal limits. quite a life saviour. worth adding to your list of tricks! And also a get fee free cards while travelling.
Thank you for the tip about planning out easy meals that you can make at home while on vacation. My sister has been thinking about going on vacation more, for her mental health. I bet if she found a good place to stay they would be easier.,
Hey Guys,
Great tips! Have you considered hostels too? Especially as a solo traveler, staying in a hostel can save quite a lot of £€$!
Matt
Hi Matt! No, we haven’t tried out hostels but thanks for the tip!
These are great tips! AirBNB is our all-time favorite way to stay when we travel… it’s especially great when you have kiddos. I always forget about Groupon, but just scored 1/2 off on a ferry to the Inisheer and the Cliffs of Moher for our trip to Ireland next month, so definitely something I need to remember to look at in the future!
Thank you!! We love AirBNB too! So many great deals!