Apr 28, 2022

3 REAL WAYS you can save money on your travels

Getting back into the swing of things

After being cooped up like a caged animal due to the Coronavirus pandemic, I am beyond ready to get out and explore again.

You could say I caught the travel bug way back in high-school after traveling to Spain and Portugal for a school trip. One of the many facets of this trip that will be forever engraved in my brain, is how well budgeted the entire trip was. We spent hours after school in classrooms with our teachers who would be leading the trip, creating a budget, mapping out our predicted expenses, and learning about affordable travel in general. I went into the trip with an idea about how much money I would need, and it proved to be a completely accurate budget that prepared me well for the experience. If I had ran out of money, the trip would have gone a lot differently.

Budgeting in general and even just thinking strategically about how you can save money can make a noticeable difference. Let’s dive into three REAL LIFE ways that you can save money while traveling this upcoming season. Cheers to an affordable trip!

Alternative locations and shoulder seasons

Picking an alternative location in a low or shoulder season is in my opinion the most effective way to save money as a traveller. Shoulder seasons are considered the time in between peak season and out of season. Traveling within this timeframe can save you a ton of money and allow you to still enjoy the best things while beating the crowds and often paying less entry fees.

For example, heading to Fort Meyers, Florida in April or May instead of heading to Miami in their peak winter months can save you a hefty chunk of change.

Tools like Hopper and Google Flights can be super handy in helping you find unexpected locations at a cheap cost. Take the time to research and you will be amazed with the offerings and opportunities you will find!

TripCoin is a free app that can help you prepare a budget for your next travel experience and help to keep you on budget. This app also has offline usability making it extremely useful for when traveling in remote areas!

Taking Advantage of Covid Era booking flexibility

The Corona-Virus pandemic certainly put a wrench in ALL things travel and had harsh implications over the entirety of the planet. Some of the things put into place during the pandemic are being eased out of action while others are here to stay. During these tough times, airlines were doing everything possible to keep themselves afloat. Major airlines made changes to their booking processes that allowed them to be way more flexible than ever before. As we are slowly climbing out of the pandemic, there have been no signs that flexible booking will be taken away.

Taking advantage of the flexible booking that was implemented during the pandemic can be a smart and strategic way to save money on your travels. Booking very far out with a rough idea of where you want to go and when you want to leave and come back can save you a big chunk of change. Due to the newly implemented booking flexibility, you will be able to cancel your flight, modify your dates, or adjust your itinerary until very close up to your departure. You will save money with this strategy because the further out from your departure date you book, the cheaper your booking will be! Plan ahead my friends!

Pack your bags strategically

The way that you pack your luggage can save you money in a few key ways. Fitting the entirety of your belongings into your carry on can save each traveler up to $30 on EACH rung of the trip!

If you're traveling with someone else you can fit both of your belongings into one large suit case to avoid having to pay for a second checked bag as they're often not included.

Some airlines such as Delta are experimenting with removing baggage fees in an effort to reduce delays. Frontier Airline has recently reduced its maximum allowed weight for a suitcase from 50lbs to 40lbs. Be aware of these things as there is currently rapid change in the industry and you want to be aware of surprise fees so you can avoid them at all costs!

Where will your bag take you?

Where will your next trip be to? Let us know in the comments of this blog post and we will provide you with a discount to PureWorldShop for the entirety of summer '22!