24 Tips to Help You Save Money and Spend Wisely on Travel
Do you love traveling as much as I do? It’s safe to say I’m mildly obsessed. 😅 My husband and I did a ton of international traveling in the years before we had kids. Once we had our baby boy, travel looked a little different (and a lot more local), but it’s still something we really enjoy.
Over the years, I’ve learned a LOT about how to travel on any budget, save money, and find great deals. I knew the better I got at it, the more trips we could take. That was my motivation. Anything for another amazing travel experience!
So, whether you’ve got lots of travel money or just a little, here are 24 tips that will help you save money where it counts and make the most of what you do spend on travel.
1. Use a travel sinking fund to save up for your trip.
Sinking funds are amazingly helpful for a bunch of things, including saving up for travel. (For 22 different sinking fund ideas, check out this blog post.) If you have an idea of how much your vacation will cost, divide the total by 12 and save that smaller amount each month for a year leading up to your vacation.
You can, of course, break down your monthly savings amount in a lot of different ways. Only have 6 months to save up? Divide your total by 6. Going on a particularly extravagant vacation in the future? Start saving 2 years in advance, in which case you’d divide your total by 24.
However you go about it, a travel sinking fund makes saving for vacation feel easy and effortless. And it will ensure you have all the money you need to fully enjoy your vacation. No strings (of debt or financial stress) attached. 😉
2. Use Budget Your Trip to gauge how much money you’ll need for your trip.
I LOVE Budget Your Trip! I’ve used it for every vacation we’ve taken, and it’s been pretty accurate every time!
You can use it for domestic and international destinations. You just type in the city you’re traveling to and it’ll give you a breakdown of about how much it would cost you to stay there for one week, two weeks, or a month.
It even allows you to choose what style of travel you plan on doing: budget, mid-range, or luxury.
And, if you’re looking into another country, it gives you the numbers in the local currency but allows you to convert to your currency, so you can get a good sense of what things will cost.
Budget Your Trip also gives you a further breakdown that includes daily average costs of things like accommodations, food, entertainment, etc.
We set our travel sinking fund goal amount based on the information we find on Budget Your Trip. And it’s helpful every time!
3. Use GasBuddy to estimate how much gas you’ll need.
If you’re taking a road trip, GasBuddy is where it’s at! You enter your starting point and final destination, and it uses current gas prices in the areas along your route to do its calculation. Then, you enter the year, make, and model of your car, so it can give you an estimate based specifically on your car’s fuel economy.
But that’s not all! After you enter in the above information, it doesn’t just tell you how much you’ll spend on gas. It gives you suggestions for which specific gas stations to stop at during your trip for the best prices. Gotta love that!
And once again, knowing how much you’ll spend on gas is helpful for making sure you save up the right amount for your trip.
4. Use Tollsmart to estimate how much you’ll need for tolls in advance.
So it’s great to know how much money you’ll need for gas. BUT tolls can be a whole different beast when it comes to a road trip. Depending on your trip, tolls can really add up! So, you should plan for these as much as possible, too.
I use Tollsmart to get the rundown, in advance, on how much tolls will cost on a particular trip. Some things I really like about it:
It shows you how much tolls will be along different route options, in case you’d prefer to take whatever route has the least expensive amount of tolls.
It tells you which tolls on your route have to be paid in cash vs. billing you through a toll transponder. (Am I the only person annoyed by the fact that it’s 2022, and cash tolls still don’t give you the option of using a card?? But I digress…)
It allows you to add stops along the way. So if there are multiple legs to your trip, you don’t have to enter them as separate trips.
5. Use cashback or travel rewards to book travel.
If you use a credit card (that you pay off in full each month, of course 😉), store up those cashback or travel rewards to use on your vacation expenses. You can use those rewards to offset the cost of your flights, accommodations, car rentals, and more. Those rewards are free money towards the cost of your vacation!
And if you REALLY want to save, there’s a whole world of travel hacking (using credit card rewards and more) that can help you save BIG. The Daily Drop is an amazing resource for you to learn all the tips and tricks of travel hacking your way to incredible vacations.
6. Aim for off-peak travel windows.
Everything from flights to accommodations, and even the price of activities, tend to go up during peak travel times. Peak travel happens during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season because so many people are traveling to be with family. Certain weeks in April, June, July, and August also tend to be peak travel times. This is because families schedule their vacations during these times, when kids are on spring and summer break.
So, if you can, steer clear of the peak travel windows. You’ll know they’re peak windows by doing a quick flight search on Kayak. If the calendar dates you choose show up in red, that’s because prices are particularly high, probably because it’s a peak travel time.
Peak seasons can also be particular to your destination. For example, some island destinations have higher-priced everything when it’s not the rainy season. So, do a quick Google search for “off-peak seasons in [insert your destination].”
And a quick sidenote: In the case of things like rainy seasons, do a little research about the likelihood and amount of rain. It’s not always necessarily a deal-breaker. My husband and I have traveled to a couple places during the rainy season, and it barely rained, if at all.
Traveling during off-peak travel windows can save you a significant amount of money on your vacation!
7. Start tracking flight prices early.
I start tracking flights as early as a year out. That way, I have enough time to see what typical airfare looks like for my destination. And I get an idea of when prices seem like they’re dropping, so I can jump in on a good deal.
And even if you don’t know a whole year in advance that you’ll be traveling, just start tracking flights as soon as you do know.
8. Use Fare Detective to help determine a good price for airfare.
Fare Detective is a really helpful tool for getting an idea of what’s reasonable to pay for airfare. You enter your departure and arrival airport, and it gives you various information about airfare for your trip. But the most important 2 pieces of information to me are:
The average plane ticket price
The cheapest month to fly
Knowing the average ticket price helps you to avoid paying too much for airfare. And knowing the cheapest month to fly is helpful if you’re flexible on your travel dates.
9. Use Kayak or Google Flights to compare airfare.
Both Kayak and Google Flights are helpful for determining which specific dates offer the best airfare.
When you enter your travel dates on Kayak, the calendar displays dates in either green, yellow, or red. Green dates are the ones with the best ticket prices. Yellow dates are decent. And red dates are particularly expensive.
On Google Flights, the calendar displays exact prices under each date on the calendar, so you can easily see which travel dates would be cheapest.
If you have flexibility – even in just leaving or returning a day or two earlier or later – this feature can be super helpful in saving you some money on plane tickets!
10. Set airfare price alerts.
Whatever you do, make sure to use a flight search engine that allows you to set price alerts. That way you don’t have to remember to check prices every single day. Set it and forget it. Let the search engine inform you when there’s been a price drop that you might want to get in on.
11. Use Kayak’s Explore tool to search for the cheapest places to fly.
This is a great tool for if you’re flexible with your travel. On Kayak, click the “Explore” tab. On the next screen, you can enter…
the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for airfare
exact dates or a date range for travel
the maximum flight length you’re willing to have
and even a theme for your destination (beach, family, skiing, etc.)
It’ll show you all the options of destinations you can fly to and the airfare for each. You can use this tool to choose a destination that’s interesting to you and that fits your budget.
12. Book domestic flights 1 to 3 months in advance.
This is not a hard and fast rule. It can vary, depending on the destination and the airline. But generally speaking, the best time to book domestic flights is 1 to 3 months before your trip. If you book later than this, you run the risk of paying for overpriced plane tickets, as you get closer and closer to your departure date.
13. Book international flights 4 to 8 months in advance.
Again, this is not set in stone because it depends on where you’re going and what airlines you’re considering. But on average, it’s best to book international flights 4 to 8 months out from your travel date. Prices tend to increase when you book less than 4 months out.
It’s always nice to have a little more money for travel. Here’s how to get your hands on that!
Get your FREE download of 9 Ways to Find More Money in Your Budget.
14. Fly on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday.
Gotta start with the disclaimer again here: this isn’t a guarantee. But these days of the week tend to offer cheaper airfare because they’re less common days for travel. Less demand means lower prices.
Mondays are popular days for business travel. Sundays are a popular day for leisurely travelers to return home (before the start of a new work week). People traveling for a long weekend tend to fly out on Thursday or Friday and return on Sunday or Monday. And most vacationers prefer enjoying the weekend at their destination, so Saturdays are not a popular time to leave.
All of this means the sweet spots for flying are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday!
15. Book a red-eye flight.
Red-eye flights leave late at night and arrive early in the morning. Most people find these flight times odd or inconvenient, so they’d prefer to avoid them. And since red-eye flights are typically in less demand than other flights, they also tend to be cheaper.
So, if you don’t mind traveling overnight, you could save some money by booking a red-eye flight.
16. Don’t park at the airport.
Long-term parking prices at the airport can be steep. No thanks! So, don’t park at the airport, if you can help it. Instead, use way.com for your parking needs.
Way.com allows you to search reputable companies who offer parking nearby the airport at much better rates. And many of those companies also provide a free shuttle to and from the airport. So, there’s really no hassle. My husband and I have used ways.com for every trip (out of a few different airports), and we’ve always been very satisfied with our experiences.
17. Skip the checked bags.
Pack only what you can fit in your one free carry-on and one free personal item. This is not as limiting as you might think. (But also, be honest. How often have you packed things that you didn’t even wear or use? 🤦🏽♀️)
Firstly, just make sure you use the largest possible luggage that qualifies as a carry-on. A carry-on doesn’t have to be the smallest suitcase known to man.
Secondly, roll your clothes instead of folding them, so you can fit more in your suitcase.
Thirdly, make your personal item count. When I travel, my personal item is always a large, spacious backpack. That way, I can use it to pack more of my clothes and/or shoes and other belongings. And I can even stuff my purse into it.
Bypassing checked bags means you save money, of course. But it also makes your life so much easier when you get to your destination. No waiting around for your checked bags to be unloaded. No risk of your luggage being delayed or lost. Just smooth sailing. 😎
18. Use a credit card with no international transaction fee.
Often, there’s a fee involved when you use your credit card internationally because of the need to convert the currency. And it’s not a flat fee. It’s proportional to how much you’re spending. That means those fees can really add up.
So, definitely check to see if you have a credit card that offers the perk of no international transaction fees. If so, use that card while you’re on vacation in another country. Just remember to pay it off in full at the end of the billing cycle!
19. Use a credit card to book your rental car.
Many credit card companies offer rental car insurance as a perk. So, if you rent a car on vacation, you can bypass the rental car company’s fee for insurance coverage.
Check to see if your credit card offers this perk. If so, it’s one less expense you have to worry about while traveling!
20. On international trips, aim to only use the ATM once.
If you plan to use cash on an international trip, you’ll likely have to go to the ATM for some local currency. But your bank may charge you a fee proportional to the amount of money you’re converting as well as a flat fee for the service.
So, you want to avoid going to the ATM multiple times and paying the fee over and over again. Instead, do your best to have an idea of how much you’ll need for your trip (see tip #2). Then, try to only use the ATM once (maybe twice) during your trip.
21. If you’ve got kids, consider a cruise where kids stay and eat free.
Cruises can be a great deal anyway because it gives you the all-inclusive experience while traveling the seas from one destination to the next.
But cruises also stand out as a vacation option because many cruise lines offer deals where kids stay and eat free. A vacation where bringing your kids along barely impacts the budget? You can’t beat that!
22. If you’re going to the Caribbean, search for deals on Cheap Caribbean.
I’ve booked two deals on Cheap Caribbean. And both times the deals were amazing, and we really enjoyed our vacation!
The thing I love about Cheap Caribbean is that it’s a one-stop shop. You can book your accommodations and flights together. And you don’t have to do all your own flight research. You enter your dates of travel, your destination, and if you want flights to be included. Then Cheap Caribbean presents you with a bunch of packages that include both.
It even allows you to easily add airport transfers and/or excursions to your package (also at some great deals!).
You also have the option of exploring vacation packages based on how much you’re looking to spend, which is nice if you’re flexible about where you go and when.
Either way, Cheap Caribbean’s got some pretty impressive deals, so they’re definitely worth looking into!
23. Don’t just search hotels, search AirBnB too.
AirBnB has so many options domestically and internationally. Oftentimes, you can find accommodations that are comparable to (if not better than) your hotel options, but at better prices.
And sometimes AirBnB hosts offer perks, like discounted rates for a longer stay! Plus, AirBnB hosts may be more flexible than hotels about things like check-in or check-out times, if you ask.
24. Limit the fine dining.
When my husband and I travel (especially internationally), we usually plan for one or two fine (read: more expensive) dining experiences. But other than that, we stick to the following to help keep food expenses under control:
Eating breakfast for free, if it’s included with our accommodations.
Going somewhere cheap for breakfast if it’s not included in our accommodations.
Enjoying street food (if it’s safe) and unassuming mom-and-pop restaurants. To be honest, these are usually the two most authentic and tasty food experiences anyway. 😋
Generally avoiding the restaurants that are overrun with tourists (because that usually means prices are hiked up especially for those tourists).
Conclusion
I’m a firm believer that you can enjoy great travel experiences on just about any budget. Whether your travel budget is huge or modest, these 24 tips will help you save money and make the most of the money you do spend. Happy travels!
Which tip did you find most useful? Do you have any more money-related tips for travel? Share in the comments below!
