For those who are planning to travel out of state to visit friends or family, a holiday budget can go through the roof. There is no doubt about it – traveling is expensive. That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on spending the holiday with friends and family. You can travel – and save money doing it.
Here are some tips:
Search online for travel deals. An easy way to do this is by searching on kayak.com. This website will search through all of the deals for you. This includes both the airlines directly as well as the ‘travel sites,’ such as priceline.com. You’ll save both time and money, since the best deals will be displayed with only one search.
While we have seen the price of gas drop recently, the costs of flying are still high. Add to that, the airline you choose may charge extra for checked luggage, as well as snacks and beverages consumed in-flight.
Your best bet is to compare the costs of different types of travel, including driving car, and taking a bus or train. You may be surprised at how much money you can save. Of course, taking one of these forms of transportation may increase your travel time by a few hours. Only you can decide if saving money is worth the extra time.
While we are not promoting the use of credit cards, as getting out of debt can be a vicious cycle, if you are going to use one, look for a card with a low interest rate or one that offers rebates on travel purchases. Those rebates could add up to a big savings!
It is usually cheaper to travel after the holidays are over. If it isn’t imperative that you be there on the exact holiday, try plan your celebration on an alternate day.
Many travelers get stuck paying high prices for food and other necessities. Plan ahead and bring your own ‘survival kit’ of food, books, music, and so forth. If you end up on a longer than expected layover, you will have everything you need.
And remember, the holidays are supposed to be fun. Don’t let the traveling ruin the event for you!
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