When traveling, small expenses add up and eventually blow up before you even know it. You don’t notice this since you spend small amounts of money. Over time though, you forget that you have already spent a lot. There are tips that you can follow to ensure that you don’t spend a lot of money and go beyond the allotted budget.
- Book via online travel agent
When booking hotels and air ticket, you might think that the transaction is over once you have paid. The truth is that you can still cancel the reservation within 24 hours without charge. When the price drops, you can cancel the previous reservation and book again. Some airlines and hotels allow this. However, keeping track is difficult. It takes time. The best option is to use an online travel agent such as Tingo. They automatically refund you when the price drops at any point. - Convert your money to local currency
When you are overseas and you need to get money from your account, you can use any ATM but you have to expect excessive charges. This is crazy considering that you are getting your own money. However, since you are getting money from another bank, you can do nothing about the rules. To avoid this problem, you need to withdraw your money in advance and have it converted to the currency of the country where you are heading. If you have run out of cash and you really have to withdraw, then you can do it, but not often. Better yet, you have to open an account from a bank that does not charge a lot for foreign currency withdrawal. - Be wise in packing your bags
Some people just can’t leave important stuff behind. Thus, they end up packing more than the allowable baggage weight. As a result, they suffer from excessive airline baggage fees. To avoid this problem, you need to think hard on what to bring and what not to bring. You can also choose the right type of bag to avoid facing this problem. You also need to learn about the guidelines to be followed for every airline and country. - You don’t have to pay for expensive hotels
As you visit developed countries with higher cost of living, you can also expect hotel prices to soar. If you want to avoid this type of situation, the best option is to look for housesitting or pet sitting websites. This is where you are allowed to stay in certain places for a low price or even for free. You have to take charge of the house and the pets while the owner is away. If you don’t like staying with pets, then Airbnb is always an option. - Eating out should not always be an option You don’t have to dine in expensive restaurants all the time when traveling. In fact, if you have found a place via Housesitting sites or Airbnb, then you can even cook. You reduce the expenses and you also eat what you really like. If you really want to dine in fancy restaurants, you can subscribe to some sites like Groupon to give you great discounts.
- Don’t take a cab or rent a car
You might decide to just take a cab since you find it the easiest way to move from one place to another. In most areas this will just empty your pockets. Even if you feel like you have made a great deal since the cab prices are lower compared to your country, you still spend a lot in the end. The same goes for renting a car. You will end up spending more for gas. You can use Uber for cheaper rates. You can also walk or take trains and buses. However it really depends on where you are. Recently I was in Quito Ecuador and you could pretty much go anywhere in the city by local taxi for $2.00-$2.50 US Dollars.
So you just have to do some research in advance. - Don’t ignore rewards
Sometimes it is easy to say no to special offers that provide rewards. This is common for airlines, hotels and restaurants. When you earn certain points, you get a reward for free. You tend to ignore this since you think you won’t come back anyway or you won’t avail of the service any time soon. Well, the truth is you will lose nothing from taking advantage of the system. Besides, earning points and getting rewards is a lot faster than you think.
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