JoshPersonally, I find traveling to be one of life’s greatest joys. You get to enjoy the excitement of exploring a new place, trying new foods, and spending quality time with your favorite friends and family members. And while there are few uber-cool tools, like TripHobo that help make the planning process easier, saving up for the vacation is a task in itself! It can be expensive going on holiday, after all, you’re going to have to set aside money for your flights, for the accommodation costs as well as all the spending money you’ll need while you’re away but like the Mastercard marketing campaign, some things are just priceless and in my opinion vacations are just that! Here are my top 3 tips for saving money on your next holiday.
1. Consider a Cruise
I think that cruises can be an excellent option and great value for money for a number of reasons. Firstly, many cruises offer packages that incorporate your lodging travel between different locations, such as different countries or different locations within the same location, food, beverages (sometimes just non-alcoholic and some cruises include alcoholic beverages) and many different types of entertainment. Furthermore, many cruises you will pay for in advance, meaning all your costs are outlined before you go so you won’t have hidden costs add up while you’re away, meaning you have to rack up a ton of charges to your credit card. You arrive, unpack once and can simply make the most of the time with your family or friends! If you book in advance you’ll be able to find a ton of great cruise deals ensuring you snag a deal and save some serious money.
2. Avoid Peak Season
Chances are when you want to travel is when everyone else wants to travel too: during the summer holidays, Christmas break, during the New Year period, these are all the common times to take holidays and as such the prices for everything go right up. If you can manage a holiday during a less common time of year then you’ll be able to find a much more affordable holiday break. If you’re wanting to head to Europe, consider a trip during Autumn and Spring – you’ll be blessed with good weather without the steep prices. Many people avoid rainy season in Central and South America and South East Asia, but as long as you avoid the rainiest months, most of the rainy season actually is blessed with super sunny mornings which are perfect for exploring and tend to be quite isolated compared to the peak seasons, ensuring perfect photo opportunities. Consider traveling when it will be quieter as you’ll find the prices are much more affordable and the crowds more manageable too.
3. Get Into Street Food
Eating out is usually one of my biggest costs whenever I’m traveling and I find the cheapest way to cut it down is by trying the local street food. If you choose places that are jack pammed with locals, then you’re less likely to find yourself nursing a Bali Belly (an upset stomach). Locals wouldn’t go back to places that serve average food or have poor hygiene issues, so this is a good rule to follow. In Europe, you’ll quickly find that many places add extra surcharges to simply eat the food there rather than taking it away, so if you’re on a budget why not go eat it in a park and save yourself a few Euros?