Rund's Halloween Makeup TutorialOct.27.2020
If you’re like me, when you think of traveling, you probably also think of the cost. Flights? Expensive. Hotels? Expensive. Airport transfers? Expensive. Food? Well, you get the point. It seems that, when you travel, there is another expense waiting to empty your wallet around every corner. It doesn’t have to be like this. With a little will-power and some forward-thinking, it’s possible to shed a lot of unnecessary expense off of your next trip. Here are a few tricks I always follow to do exactly that:
It seems obvious, but it can’t be overstated. Set a total budget (for flights, accommodation, travel, and spending money) before making any bookings! Better yet, set your budget before you even decide on a destination, which may make it easier to stick to later. When figuring out how much you should allocate for spending, a simple cost-of-living tool, such as that provided at numbeo.com, can be invaluable at making sure your expectations are reasonable or that a destination isn’t too expensive!
If you have not been using flight and hotel comparison tools online by now, then you have been robbed! It’s 2020 and, not only are there comparison websites to secure you the cheapest flights, hotels, and transfers but there are even sites comparing the comparison sites. There’s not much to say about these except two things: always remember to still check different airlines own website’s and clear your browsing data between each search to secure the cheapest prices.
It’s far too easy when you travel to forget the value of money. You’re working in a completely different currency and, after a few days of exposure to extortionate tourist prices, you begin to forget exactly what 20 euros, pounds, dollars, or yen would be at home! So, what do you do? Well, usually we forget about it and assess the damage to our bank balance when we are home! Instead, I have begun using my phone to convert every purchase I make as I make it and asking myself the question, “would I spend this at home?” If the answer is yes, then great! If not, then I’ll have to put the tacky keychain back on the rack. Many small decisions like these can add up to huge savings by the end of your trip.
An over-repeated line you hear from other travellers “eat as the locals do”. People love to brag that they do this when they tell you of this fancy café they lunched at or that expensive restaurant where they had dinner. Let me tell you “the locals” don’t eat. They don’t eat out for every meal of the day, every day. As much as the convenience of eating out for an entire holiday is appealing – as I know all too well from past experiences – it will take its toll on your bank balance and your stomach! For a more authentic experience, do some research on local delicacies and snacks and hit up a local supermarket.
The logistics of travelling around any holiday destination can be difficult – and expensive! If you are travelling to a major city, you can be confronted with a dizzying choice of taxis, buses, metro systems, even waterbus networks. It is easy to avoid the hassle of figuring out each day’s travel plan and simply hitch a taxi – or, more frequently, an Uber – to get where you need to be. However, you’ll soon see costs mount up. Instead, use your pre-trip plan to figure out what tends to be the cheapest option for travelling in your given destination and then research if there are multi-trip passes available which you can pre-pay. When buying tickets, always look for the options geared toward local commuters and not tourists, as these will often be much cheaper.
Most importantly, don’t get carried away with budget planning on holiday. Remember, you travel to have fun and experience new things. You’re bound to overspend a little here or there, don’t let it ruin your fun!
