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Today we’re going to talk about something different.. Money saving travel tips! Summer is right around the corner and I have been doing NOTHING but researching morning, noon, and night to create the perfect summer family trip.
Travel tip #1 – Create a budget
Be realistic. Don’t go into debt just because you didn’t prepare well. Are 2 days in Disneyland with fancy restaurants or 3 days in Disneyland with no fancy restaurants a better fit for your family? Do what is best for your family but say it again with me: Don’t go into debt over poor budgeting. Give yourself time to save if you need to. Pick up a side job if you can to save some extra cash.
Travel tip #2 – Give yourself TIME and ask people
You can find better deals and prepare with a better budget if you give yourself time before a trip to plan it. Ask friends and family for advice – if they just took a similar trip to the one you’re planning for then ask them! Especially if you’re traveling with little ones, a lot of times people will be more than happy to share what they wish they had done differently for a more seamless trip with their littles.
Travel tip #3 – Check your memberships
Costco and Sam’s Club have a lot of travel perks. Make sure you check their prices before booking that plane, cruise, or hotel. Some banks even have excellent perks!
USAA has great deals on Disneyland, Southwest, hotels, etc.. Not to mention, if you or your spouse are current military/Veterans, there’s discounts on hotel rooms, rental cars etc.
Travel tip #4 – Bundle it
If you need a flight and rental car.. buy it together and save some money! Add a hotel to the mix too if you need one.
Travel tip #5 – Places to say
Do your research. Compare prices of hotels, Airbnb, Expedia, etc. If you book through Expedia or a direct hotel you can earn points towards another hotel stay. We’ve even had free and close-to-free stays before!
Going somewhere and you have a car? Compare nearby hotels for costs per day to park.
Another big one for families especially is looking for hotels that include a free breakfast. That will save you a lot of money over your days on vacation.
Travel tip #6 – Airports
If you’re flying somewhere that has multiple airports not too far away, check pricing. Are the times of leaving/returning a little flexible for you? Are you open to 1 stop flights vs non-stop? Are you open to using more than one airline? This takes time to research, but it’s so worth it! I saved over $500 just by switching to a different airport.
Travel tip #7 – Buy before you go
This is very effective for places like Disneyland / DisneyWorld. (I will go into detail in another post later.) But buying Minnie Mouse ears off Amazon versus the park will save you at least $20/pair, and they have 100’s of adorable styles!
Going somewhere hot? Instead of breaking down later to buy the $20+ fan so you can stand being in the heat, get 3 mini rechargeable fans for $16.
Travel tip #8 – Pray about it
God’s got you my friend. He wants you to have a fantastic life and He will help with direction if you don’t know where to go, how to save, etc. I know it may sound silly, but seriously. Give it a go. He’s our best friend.
Travel tip #9 – Credit Card Perks
Lastly, I am going to talk about credit card options. This is ONLY if you already have the money to pay it back because TRUST ME. There is nothing worse than going into credit card debt. You may not mean to, but next thing you know.. You’re almost maxed out on your card and that is no fun place to be.
Okay, hear me out. So, you have the savings. You’re ready to book that flight… There are a lot of options out there for credit cards that as you use them, you get point to use towards flights. You can even buy flight points while they are on sale (buy so many points, get so many free) to use for your next trip. You can do this through just a regular airline website.
BUT with travel perk credit cards, you can buy them for even cheaper. A lot of cards out there will even have a deal, if you sign up for the credit card then they will give you $300 (give or take depending on card) back after booking your first flight of the year through them.
If you’re flying a lot, you may want to look into a card that has the perk of using lounges at airports. What’s that? It’s a place in the airport that only people that have access to it can use. It includes free drinks and food to your hearts content. It also includes bathrooms just for the lounge, showers, family rooms, business areas (if you have some work to complete), charging stations, and quiet areas away from the traffic of the airport.
Again, I put the credit card last because that is only directed towards you if you have the funds to pay it off.
I hope something in here helped you while your planning your next vacation! If you have any more travel tips I welcome them all! Leave a comment below – where are you planning on vacationing this summer?