The beginning of a new year is a great time to reset and head out of town on vacation. If the only thing stopping you is fear of a heavy price tag, consider a few of these helpful hacks to save money the next time you plan a trip. You’ll be surprised at how these savings can add up.
The popular search engine now offers a solution for finding cheap flights. Google Flights is a simple tool that allows you to easily view the cheapest days and times to fly anywhere in the world. If you have a bit of flexibility with arrival and departure days, you can save hundreds of dollars. The same theory applies to the time of day you fly. Red-eye and early morning flights will usually be cheaper. If you’re not ready to book yet, or you think that prices might drop even more, sign up for alerts through Google Flights and get an email when the price drops on your destination.
[See: 10 Money-Saving Websites to Check Before Shopping.]
There are a few other tricks to try when you book a flight. Experiment with two one-way flights instead of a round-trip flight. Often this will result in a better overall deal. Also, if you’re flying internationally, look into the country’s local airlines by visiting their websites directly.
Another way to get access to great deals is to follow your favorite airlines and hotels on social media. You may see new promotions and limited-time deals there first, before they hit their email newsletter list. If you’re preparing to book your trip and want to know right away when a deal is available, go to the airline’s or hotel’s Facebook page and click “See First” on their profile. On Instagram, go to their profile and turn on post notifications. After your trip, you can always switch off these notifications.
If you’re loyal to a hotel chain or airline, you’re probably already enrolled in their rewards or loyalty program. Frequent bookings can result in rewards points and perks on upcoming trips. What you may not realize is how these rewards can be “stacked” with other savings. You can use a credit card that racks up miles on all of your purchases, including your flights, on top of getting points through a travel rewards program. You might even be able to stack additional discounts through coupon codes and cash-back websites. The possibilities are endless when you can combine different methods of saving money.
[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]
Once you’ve booked your trip and the departure day has arrived, you can still save money during your travel. In order to avoid heavy luggage fees, call your hotel ahead of time and see if it has laundry amenities. You can pack much lighter when washing and drying your clothes is an option. Just remember to pack a travel-size container of laundry detergent.
Stash an empty water bottle in your carry-on, and then fill it after you go through security at the airport. You should also try to pack snacks and dry goods if possible, as airport food and beverages are often overpriced.
[See: 10 Foolproof Ways to Reach Your Money Goals.]
There are a couple of helpful apps that can make your travel more affordable and stress free. You can use a Wi-Fi finder app to locate all the free Wi-Fi hotspots in the area you’re traveling. Check out OANDA, a currency converter that will help you calculate how far your currency will go in another country. It’s easy to overspend when you don’t have a firm grasp on the conversion rate. Google comes to the rescue again with a tool called Google Trips. It will automatically organize your travel arrangements by grabbing your reservations from Gmail and suggesting an itinerary, good local restaurants and things to do. You can access your flights, hotel and rental car reservations in one place. The best part is that Google Trips can be accessed offline, including a downloaded map of the city you’re visiting, so you can save on potential data charges.
Lastly, don’t forget to call your credit card companies before you travel to notify them of your trip. If not, they may temporarily freeze your accounts if they see unfamiliar activity that appears fraudulent.
Happy traveling.
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Travel Hacks to Save Money on Your Next Vacation originally appeared on usnews.com
