Are you ready to hit the road, see the sights, and take a refreshing, much-needed vacation?
It might be hard to imagine traveling when you’re strapped for cash, but there are a lot of ways to travel cheap!
Check out our infographic below with ideas for spending less on travel, including how to find low-priced accommodations, determine the least expensive time to fly, and save money during your trip.
Here are tips for saving on airline tickets, which dive deeper into the strategies outlined in our infographic.
Employ a three-day search window. Airfares vary depending on what day you travel and when you book your flight. There’s often a discrepancy between weekday and weekend pricing. If you have flexible flight dates, check prices using a three-day window for both your departure and return. You can also look into whether or not the airline or a third-party travel site has a low-fare calendar, which lets you see which dates are best to go to your desired location.
Shop creatively for your tickets. Yes, you want a round-trip ticket — but that doesn’t mean you have to buy one that is round trip in order to get back to your original destination. Check out pricing for one-way as well. You may find a bargain. Domestic flights often are cheaper for two one-way tickets, though this doesn’t hold for international flights. Or, alternatively, you could find that a round-trip ticket is cheaper than the one-way ticket you need.
In addition, if you’re traveling with multiple people, research ticket prices for only one person versus two or three. You may find if you book each person separately, you get a better deal than booking together.
Embrace the red eye. Flying during undesirable times, such as overnight on a red eye, can lower the price of a ticket appreciably. You can also get lower-priced tickets by taking flights with layovers.
Look for Best Price Guarantees. When you book with some travel agencies and websites, they’ll watch for price changes within a specific timeframe from when you bought your tickets, and refund you the difference if the price goes down.
When planning your trip, don’t forget to look at a few creative ways to save money on where you stay. Don’t limit yourself to just hotel rooms.
If you’re looking for a unique experience away from everyday life, consider WWOOF. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It allows anyone 18 and older to obtain room and board from an organic farm in exchange for a few hours worked at the farm each day. How many hours you work and how long of a stay you’ll receive in return will have to be worked out between you and the farmer. Join a WWOOF network to get connected with a farmer at your destination.
Staying at a monastery is another unique way to spend the night if you’re looking for a thrifty adventure. Check with local monasteries at your destination to see if they offer rooms for visitors. Hostels and Rent-A-Rooms are also a popular way to get embedded into a culture while traveling on a budget.
Travel doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Whether you’re planning a cross-country vacation for the entire family or a quick weekend jaunt within your state, you can find ways to save money from airline tickets to your stay.
On the road or back home, your whole family can save time and money with PSECU, too. Our low- or no-fee products and services help your family members keep their money where it belongs – with them, and our digital banking tools let them manage their money anytime, anywhere. To learn more, visit psecu.com/digital.