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Money Saving Hacks for Post COVID Travel
Travel is picking up!
If you’ve been to an airport you know exactly what I am talking about. Long lines, people everywhere, and of course the sound of delayed flight times coming over the intercom as you wait to depart. Ugg!
But chances are your savings hasn’t quite caught up to the post pandemic travel frenzy. So let’s talk about 3 savings hacks for travel on the cheap.
Tip 1: Use a credit card to purchase the trip.
NOTE! I am not saying use a credit card and just buy a vacation and plan to pay it back later. That is a big no no. YouSHOULD have your vacation budget saved before going on a trip and be ready to pay for your trip in full. For more information on budgeting and saving for travel, check out these blog articles and get your vacation budget right before your jet set.
Using a credit card, (especially one linked with your favorite airline or hotel chain), can offer upgrades, points, free stays or flights, and more. Just remember, only spend an amount you can cover in full to pay-off immediately and leverage rewards.
FOR THE AVID TRAVELER:
As an example, I live on the West Coast andAlaska Airlines is my go-to airline to fly. I love that I can get up and down the coast very easily and their services is incredible. I use my Alaska Airlines card to purchase my flights. When I do this, I get the miles when I make the flight purchaseAND I get miles credit to me when I fly. All of those miles wrack up in my mileage account and lead to a couple free flights a year. #winning!
Seeing as I am purchasing the flight, I might always reap the rewards for the cash I am spending. Don’t miss out on points/miles/cash available to you through airline partnerships.
There are a lot of different rewards credit cards out there, if you are an avid traveler. Look at the different travel rewards cards your bank offers, as well as some of the best travel cards out in the marketplace in 2021.
Compare Credit Top 10 Credit Cards in 2022
We also suggest you check out your favorite airlines travel rewards card and see what they can offer. Once you’ve done your homework, pick the card that works for you and start stacking your rewards.
FOR THE ONCE IN AWHILE TRAVELER:
If you are not an avid traveler, an airline card may not be the best fit for you. You may want a “travel card” that offers points towards travel, hotel, rental cars, gift cards, or cash back so you can pick and choose how you use your rewards. The other option is a “cash-back” card, this allows you to earn cash year round on the things you MUST pay for and use that cash to fund your next vacation.
Best Credit Cards of 2022 - Nerdwallet
To sum it up! By purchasing your vaca using a credit card, you are getting the rewards points from your credit card company for this trip. Giving you an added bonus of points or miles towards your next vacation. You are already stacking points for your next adventure. Win win!
**NOTE**
Nerdwallet has a great credit card comparison tool you can use to find the best credit card for your financial picture!
Tip 2. Shop all the available flight deals
Flying one airline can accumulate a host of benefits—from lower prices to mileage perks, and more. I always start by shopping my favorite airlinefirst, and then going to other sites to compare pricing for that airline and other similar flight dates and times to find the best deal.
Taking 15 minutes to find the best flight deal and saving myself $50 is well worth the effort!
Here are some of our favorite options for shopping around for flight deals:
Kayak, Expedia, or Travelocity are great tools to ensure you’re getting the best possible rates on flights. Also remember to sign up for your favorite airlines email subscriptions. They will send out monthly deals to places you love to travel on the cheap.
If you’re a bargain hunter, this is a great way to have coupons sent directly to your inbox are the places you love to visit!
Tip 3: Find the right place to stay for your trip
Let’s start with hotels. If you are going on a short vacation or plan on staying in an all inclusive resort. Great! Not all vacations are created equal! Depending on where you are going and how long you are staying, finding the right place to rest your head at night can be a game charger for your budget.
Like airlines, accommodation loyalty with a chain like Marriott or Hilton can have a series of perks. That being said, a smart traveler always shops around. Compare and consider platforms like Airbnb & VRBO for large groups or extended stay, and discount apps like Hotwire for last minute or super quick trips.
I had to make a last-minute one day trip to LA recently, I started looking at hotels with my preferred membership carrier, Marriott. The rates seemed a bit high so I took about 7 minutes to shop around. I found the exact same hotel/room for $77 cheaper on hotwire.com.
So naturally, I used hotwire to book my hotel room on one of their last minute deals! The best part, I am getting my points for the night through my Marriott membership and I get the same hotel for WAY less money. I don’t make $77 dollars in $7 minutes so that time was WELL spent.
If you travel for work and need to make a last-minute trip, check out the flash sales and take advantage of low rates when you have a quick turnaround.
It’s all about smart spending and knowing where to look. Bookmark this blog and pull it up next time you need to shop around for a travel deal.. You’ll be able to afford more fun in the long run!
Gotta fly!
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WE LOVE!
- Nerdwallet – All things personal finance website
- The BURN Podcast – Ben Newman | Performance Development Coach
- Increase your impact Podcast – Justin Su’a | Leadership Coach
- Micro-Empires Podcast – Jennifer Grimson | Entrepreneur
- Good (Yves)ning Podcast – Yves Batoba Personal | Development Mentor
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