5 Ways to Stretch Your Dollar While Traveling

Saving money and budgeting are some of the biggest struggles of trying to travel. It requires smart planning and flexibility. We know you’re excited (if not reconsider your trip) about traveling and start planning all the places you’re gonna go and all the food you’re gonna eat, but take a breather. Instead of booking the first excursion you find or the first flight you come across on Google, do some prior research. Compare prices and take your time -- it will save you a lot of money.

We’ve come up with a few useful ways to help you save money when planning your trips:

The Generator hostel in Germany

1. Let’s start off with ways to saving on lodging. Overall, hotels can be cheap if you book them a few months in advance. Some affordable and decent hotels within the US include the Holiday Inn and Wyndham Gardens. However, we suggest exploring all your options rather than picking the first hotel or the cheapest hotel because there may be some hidden fees. Sometimes calling and booking directly through the hotel is cheaper than using third party sites like Orbitz, Priceline, and Expedia. With that being said, don’t rule out third party sites because they definitely come in handy for last minute bookings. So try using Orbitz to find room availability and if there are rooms available, call the hotel and book the room directly. We also suggest looking into Hotel Tonight. This website thrives on last minute deals. By partnering with hotels offering discounts on empty rooms, Hotel Tonight allows users to book rooms in under 10 seconds. They also have 24/7 customer service in case there’s any issues.
   Aside from staying in hotels, AirBNB has been growing in popularity. AirBNB undercuts hotels by offering far cheaper prices. On AirBNB people rent out their spare rooms or even an entire house for travelers to stay at. By staying in someone else’s room or house that they are renting out, you can save tons of money while also living like a local. Hostels (like a dorm in real life) are also a great way to save money on lodging. y when visiting a big city and it’s a great way to meet fellow travelers. To locate the nearest hostel in the area you’re visiting, visit https://www.hostelworld.com/
2. After you’ve confirmed your lodging situation, it’s time to look into activities you can do on your trip! We suggest using TripAdvisor for some suggested activities. TripAdvisor is a hotel and restaurant review website with an interactive forum. It’s typically one of the first websites that appears on Google when you search “best things to do in ____” of “places to go in ____.” It operates internationally, but is definitely more well known in Europe, Asia and Australia. Through their interactive forum and rating system, you can easily see what other people have tried and read about what they recommend. You will constantly get updates of inexpensive things you can do and eat nearby.
3. Yelp is also a great way to find some of the best spots in the area you’re visiting. The platform operates internationally, but it’s most useful in North America. The website works very similarly to TripAdvisor. It uses your location to help you pick out some of the most popular restaurants around you. You can see real customer reviews and opinions about a potential place you may be interested in visiting. There’s a misconception that Yelp is only for food. We’re here to change that -- Yelp provides ratings and reviews for attractions and public places in addition to restaurants. Make sure you check the restaurant’s Yelp page before going because certain places add deals accessible only on their Yelp Page such as “check in for 1 free topping/drink” or “check in for 10% off your first order.” The site also offers hours of operation, a phone number to call, and sometimes even a menu, so you can be as prepared as possible before heading out.
4. When you’re traveling abroad, one of the first ideas you may have is to exchange money. There are plenty of places all over the world that tries to fool tourists, especially when it comes to currency exchange. Before exchanging currencies with anyone, make sure to check the rate in comparison to the official rate and makes sure there aren’t hidden fees. In general, you should never exchange money at an airport because they usually have very bad (high) rates. Be wary of how much cash you’re carrying around -- exchanging a lot of money in one visit could be risky.
5. Now we know there tends to be a very high international charge when using your card abroad. Yes, exchanging cash money is doable, but we’re in the digital age and most places take card nowadays. To combat those high international charges, we suggest getting a travel credit card. But only do this if you already have the cash to support it!! It's always good to have some cash but don't be afraid of using your travel credit card, it usually gives you the best exchange rate while also decreasing the chances of getting robbed. There’s a couple credit cards you can open specifically to save money while you’re abroad. Check with your bank and discuss your options. We do have a couple suggestions: The Chase Sapphire Reserve card gets you free global entry, lounge access, TSA pre-check & $300 yearly travel credit. American Express Delta Skymiles that doesn’t charge any international fee for using the card. The card also allows you to accumulate one mile for each $1 purchase so you can get miles for each trip traveled, which can be redeemed on more flights.

                                       

Note: Look into the customs of tipping in whatever country you’re traveling to. Some countries, like the US, not only encourage but even expect tipping. On the other hand, there are countries that include tip in the final check and don’t customarily expect customers to add a tip to the final check.

Now go forth and enjoy your trips while saving that money!!