Simple, Yet Inexpensive Ways to Save Money on Travel
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Looking for simple, inexpensive ways to travel more? If you’ve got the travel bug, learning how to travel on the cheap can put more vacations within reach—which is NEVER a bad thing.
A change of scenery is a chance to relax and refresh mentally. This can make you a more productive and happier person. But there’s one thing we can all agree on—traveling is expensive.
As someone who LOVES to travel I try to get away about every four months—even if only for a long weekend. However, saving money is also important to me, in fact, it’s a PRIORITY.
Therefore, I use different tactics to keep our vacations as cheap as possible without sacrificing a good time. This allows us to have more experiences while spending less of our hard-earned cash.
Do you want more travel days in your future? Here are a few simple, inexpensive ways to save money on travel.
1. Avoid last-minute trips
I know that this isn’t always in your control. Sometimes, you have to travel last-minute for an emergency or something else.
But for trips you can control, I highly encourage planning them well in advance, especially if you’re booking airfare.
We’ve had to take a few last-minute trips in the past—and let me tell you—the cost of a last-minute flight is no joke unless you stumble on a rare cheap deal, which we never did.
Last-minute flights can be two to three times more expensive. So if you’re planning a trip, your best bet is to book airfare at least 60 days in advance to snag the lowest rates.
I researched airfare on Southwest Airlines from Norfolk, Virginia to Los Angeles choosing two travel dates. One date was one week in the future, and the other, three months in the future.
If I booked airfare today for a flight in three months, I would pay $345 round-trip for one person. However, if I booked the same flight leaving in just one week, I would pay over $900 round-trip per person—see the difference.
Both dates used for this little experiment weren’t around holidays or other special events—which can drive up prices. Also, both flights departed and returned on the same days of the week, and at roughly the same times.
2. Use Groupon for hotels
I also highly recommend using Groupon to book a hotel. We’ve done this several times and have always found great hotels (clean, modern, A+ locations). And the best part, ALL of these hotels were at least a 1/3 or 1/2 off the regular nightly rate.
The first time I booked a hotel on Groupon was for a New York City getaway. The Groupon price was about half the regular nightly rate, which was a “steal of a deal” considering how it was a modern, clean hotel just one block from Times Square.
I researched similar hotels in the area, and if it weren’t for Groupon, we wouldn’t have been able to stay so close to the action.
As a warning, when you book a hotel through Groupon, you will pay in-advance for the reservation. There is still a cancellation policy, though. You can usually cancel up to two or three days before your arrival date. In which case, Groupon refunds your money.
Also, you can use Groupon to save on local attractions and restaurants in your destination city. We’ve done this when traveling to Orlando, North Carolina and other cities. Just log into your Groupon account, change the location and search the deals.
Make sure you read the fine print. After purchasing a Groupon, sometimes you have to wait at least 24 hours before redeeming the voucher.
3. Use Airbnb rather than a hotel
Another option is to skip the hotel altogether and book an Airbnb.
Now, I know that some people are uncomfortable staying in another person’s house. But one good thing about Airbnb is that you can narrow the search field to only include listings to book the entire house. This is beneficial because the cost to rent a house per day is often cheaper than getting a hotel, especially if you’re traveling with multiple people.
Let’s say you’re traveling with two other couples and each couple gets their own hotel room. You might pay up to $150 per night, per hotel room. So you’re looking at $450 per couple for a three-night getaway.
However, if you pooled your money and rented a house on Airbnb, you might get the entire property for $450—reducing how much each person pays out-of-pocket.
Plus, renting a house means you’ll have access to a kitchen. You can go to the grocery store and buy food for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This reduces the number of times you have to eat outside the home. And if you’re fortunate, some Airbnbs include cool amenities. Your Airbnb might be in a community with access to a swimming pool, tennis courts, walking trails, etc.
4. Tour a timeshare
We don’t do this anymore, but I have to add it to the list because sitting through a timeshare presentation is an excellent way to have a cheap getaway.
Here’s how it works: Agree to sit through a 90-minute timeshare presentation (a.k.a sales pitch), and the timeshare company will comp your stay for 2 to 7 nights. Sometimes, they’ll put you up in a nearby hotel, or they might book your room at the resort so you can enjoy all the amenities.
So basically, you’re only responsible for your transportation to the area, entertainment and your food.
But although a simple, inexpensive way to save money on travel, I must warn you, these 90-minute presentations are NEVER 90 minutes. From my experience, they are no less than two to three hours, so mentally prepare for this.
Plus, some sales representatives can get a little pushy and annoying. But if you’re okay with this and you’re able to stick to your guns (and not give into their pressure tactics), a timeshare presentation is a simple way to get a mini vacation without spending too much money.
5. Book hotels near attractions
If you’re able to find a hotel or Airbnb near touristy areas or hotspots, you might be able to enjoy your getaway without a rental car.
This is easier to do in big cities when everything is within walking distance. But even if you can’t walk everywhere, get as close to attractions (and a metro station) as possible. If you need to travel a little further, get an Uber or Lyft. This will likely be cheaper than renting a car.