Traveling for the holidays, particularly when you’re traveling as a family, can be a significant expense. For a family on a limited budget, holiday travel can transform a joyful holiday into a painful experience, leaving your wallet feeling decimated afterwards.
However, if you’re willing to think outside the box and plan ahead, there are many ways to trim the cost of holiday travel. Whether you have a big family or a small one, travel by car or train or plane, take a long daytrip or multiday journey, there are tricks to trim your costs. Here are some of the best.
Host instead of traveling. Many people balk at the idea of hosting a family Thanksgiving dinner at their home. But the truth is that if you have a large family, it’s usually going to be substantially cheaper for you than traveling to another city, particularly if you have to fly and find your own lodging.
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Hosting your own holiday event mostly requires some thoughtful planning and the preparation of some elements in advance. You can often prepare many components of holiday meals and meals for out-of-town guests well before they arrive, stowing the ingredients and partially prepared dishes in the freezer and refrigerator, so that you’re not overwhelmed when guests arrive.
Fly on Thanksgiving Day. Rather than flying a day or two before or after the big day, consider flying on the actual holiday. Since most people don’t want to travel on the holiday, airlines often offer good rates. This can drastically reduce the cost of a round-trip ticket.
Coordinate travel with other family members. If you know other family members are traveling to the same city as you, talk to them about splitting costs on things like car rental or lodging. Share a single hotel room with two queen beds with your sister and her husband, or share a car with your aunt and uncle to save you both on the cost of getting around the city.
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Fly to a different city. Rather than restricting your flight to or from a specific city, consider flying into a nearby city and taking the train or bus to your final destination. Many cities on the east coast are connected by high-speed rail, so you can expand your options for a destination airport if you’re willing to ride on a train for an hour or two on travel days. This can drastically cut down on the cost of plane tickets.
Eat before you go and after you arrive. Rather than eating at the airport, eat before you leave the house and plan on eating after your arrival. This essentially eliminates an expensive meal from your travel plans, which can add up if you’re traveling in a group. Meals eaten at an airport are almost always expensive, so if you can dump that meal, your wallet will thank you.
Pack snacks. No matter how you’re traveling, simply having a beverage and snack or two in your bag can keep you from buying an expensive nosh at a gas station or airport kiosk. (Remember: If you’re headed through airport security, you’re prohibited from bringing liquid in containers larger than 3.4 ounces, so take an empty water bottle and fill up at a drinking fountain once you’re through the checkpoint.)
This simple move can save you $5 or $10 on your trip and it takes almost no effort, plus it ensures that you’ll have a snack you like since your grocery store has more options — at lower prices — than a gas station or vending machine.
Gas up before you leave. If you’re going to be driving for your travel, fill up your gas tank before you depart. The fewer stops you have to make, the fewer chances you have to buy snacks and other extras on the road.
Also, try to plan your gas stops in conjunction with meals. On many holiday trips, you’ll have to plan for a meal in the middle of the trip. If you can also gas up at meal time, you’ll be less tempted to buy unnecessary stuff at the gas station. Even better: Pack the meal and bring it with you. Sandwiches and baby carrots from a cooler can make for an inexpensive and simple lunch on the road.
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Check your tires before you leave. While you’re filling up with gas before you leave, check the air pressure in your car tires. Are they filled up to the maximum recommended pressure as described in your auto manual? If not, fill them up. Doing so can improve your fuel efficiency, meaning you spend less on gas during this long road trip. It might even eliminate a stop, meaning fewer opportunities for incidental spending at the gas station.
These tips can save you quite a bit of money, no matter how you travel this Thanksgiving.
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Minimize the Cost of Thanksgiving Family Travel originally appeared on usnews.com
