Since this website is focused on personal finance, I don't think I've mentioned my love for travel yet. So... I'm saying it now! Traveling is my all-time favorite thing to do and it always been my favorite way to spend money. (Paying a bill is my least favorite, in case you were wondering.) The problem with traveling is that it can be expensive. I always find ways to save money by booking everything myself, using fare comparing sites such as kayak.com, and relying on trip reviews to make sure my money will be well spent. And... I make sure to get points or miles anytime I go anywhere, period. I travel for work quite often and I get airline miles for Southwest for all of my hotel stays. In fact, I usually make a point to only stay at hotels that are offering bonus miles so they add up much faster.
I recently opened a new savings account specifically for traveling. It is set up to automatically take $25 out of my checking out every Wednesday and deposit it into my traveling savings. I know that $25 doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up and it's always fun to know that that money is going to take me somewhere awesome.
I have a few money-saving tips for those of you who like to travel but worry about how expensive it can me:
1. If you want to go on a cruise, use CruiseCompete.com. You tell them what cruise you want to go on and several different travel agents will send you prices on the cruise along with nice incentives in order to win your sale. You can save a lot of money booking a cruise this way.
2. When shopping for flights, always add baggage fees onto the total cost. It may seem that a flight on American is cheaper, but when you add $40-$50 (round trip) in baggage fees, flying on Southwest (no baggage fees) might end up being cheaper. Do the math before you book. (I always use Kayak.com to find the best fares.)
3. Read reviews on TripAdvisor and elsewhere! You can often find great rates at a hotel, only to find that the reviews are terrible. Sometimes spending a few extra dollars will help you avoid an entire trip's worth of problems.
4. Get miles/points everywhere you go. They add up fast and you get free hotel stays and plane tickets... you can't beat that!
Do you save money for traveling? What are your money-saving travel tips?
I recently opened a new savings account specifically for traveling. It is set up to automatically take $25 out of my checking out every Wednesday and deposit it into my traveling savings. I know that $25 doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up and it's always fun to know that that money is going to take me somewhere awesome.
I have a few money-saving tips for those of you who like to travel but worry about how expensive it can me:
1. If you want to go on a cruise, use CruiseCompete.com. You tell them what cruise you want to go on and several different travel agents will send you prices on the cruise along with nice incentives in order to win your sale. You can save a lot of money booking a cruise this way.
2. When shopping for flights, always add baggage fees onto the total cost. It may seem that a flight on American is cheaper, but when you add $40-$50 (round trip) in baggage fees, flying on Southwest (no baggage fees) might end up being cheaper. Do the math before you book. (I always use Kayak.com to find the best fares.)
3. Read reviews on TripAdvisor and elsewhere! You can often find great rates at a hotel, only to find that the reviews are terrible. Sometimes spending a few extra dollars will help you avoid an entire trip's worth of problems.
4. Get miles/points everywhere you go. They add up fast and you get free hotel stays and plane tickets... you can't beat that!
Do you save money for traveling? What are your money-saving travel tips?
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