Can you believe it?
Yes, Memorial Day Weekend is here and summer awaits us all.
Want to travel, but have to stay to within a budget?
As I was on the road, I asked my peer travel writer and wanderer, Sandra J, to help me with a list of tips for staying within a budget even when traveling. As someone who often times goes beyond my means when on vacation, I could easily use to learn or remind myself of these tips to make sure vacation stays within budget.
Take it away savvy Sandra!
When out on our travels, it can be way too tempting to overspend and splurge on activities and souvenirs. However, if you spend too much and go over budget, you could quickly run into some trouble. So the first rule of good traveling is not to go over your pre-planned budget. How do you manage that exactly? Here are some useful tips that can help you manage your money better when on vacation.
Plan Your Vacation Before You Leave
Don’t leave your house without some idea of what you will be doing during your vacation. If you have it all planned out, you should have a good idea how of how much you will spend during your time abroad. This will cut down the chances of you making spontaneous decisions. Being spontaneous may be a great way to have fun, but it isn’t going to do your bank balance any favors.
Book Early
If you save money on your hotel and flights, then you will have more money to spend on other parts of your trip. Like fun days sightseeing, for example. One of the best ways to get cheap accommodation and flights is to book them very early. You will find that they are very cheap if you book well in advance. Wait too late and you may be surprised at how high prices are. Another way to find cheap deals is to use price comparison websites, like Hotwire hotels.
Go Self Catering
Try and find self-catered accommodation. Apartments or vacation homes that come equipped with your very own kitchen or kitchenette can save you a lot of money. You’ll be able to prepare meals at home, so you won’t have to find funds to eat out all the time. You will also be able to prepare picnics and snacks to take with you for your day trips.
Book Trips And Tours In Advance
Sometimes, it can be much cheaper to book any organizes tours and trips before you arrive. Many tour companies will offer you an online discount if you book in advance. Wait to pay on the day, and you will almost certainly have to pay full price. It can also be worth looking on your destination’s local newspaper websites. Sometimes they will offer special promotional codes for local attractions so you can get in cheaper.
Use Technology
If you need to stay in touch with people back home, calling or sending SMS messages can be expensive from abroad. These days it is much cheaper to do it all online. Get yourself a good smartphone which can get a signal and internet anywhere in the world. Many cafes offer free WiFi these days, so you might not even have to use your mobile internet. However you access the internet, though, it will certainly be cheaper than making phone calls! So now you don’t have to slash out just to call home.
Follow these tips and you won’t have to worry about spending all your money by accident!
*Post contributed by peer travel writer, Sandra J, who is keen to wander, but without breaking the bank.
*Lead photograph courtesy of www.pexels.com