10 Travel Hacks That Will Save You Time, Money, and Your Sanity
Who’s ready to save money on their next vacation? Today, Lisa’s guest, Kelly Davidson from Epic Mom’s Travel shares 10 practical ways to cut the spending when you plan your next trip. She shares 5 things you definitely want to try and 5 things you should not do when traveling that will help stretch your travel dollars.
If you love the tips Kelly shares and want even more travel hacking ideas, click here to download her FREE PDF “50 Ways to Save Money on Your Next Family Vacation.”
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“Travel hacking is learning how to travel well without spending a lot of money.”
Five Travel Hacks You Should Do
Earn a Southwest Airlines Companion Pass. This is a pass that is valid for two years. Everything the cardholder flies, their designated companions flies with them for free. There are some tricks to earning the pass. Kelly has a mini class all about earning the Southwest Companion Pass. If you want to learn more about her mini class, click this link and enter your email. You will be taken to a page where you can get the Companion Pass Mini Class with a big discount.
Be ready to book something on a holiday. Track vacations you are interested in doing and check their rates on holidays like Black Friday, Labor Day, and Memorial Day. Some of Kelly’s favorite places to look for vacation packages: Southwest Airlines, Scott’s Cheap Flights, Kayak, and Intrepid Travel.
Research happy hour specials at your destination. You can save a lot of food (a big travel expense) if you find places that offer great bites at happy hour prices.
Set expectations ahead of time with your kids on souvenir spending. This allows you to budget for what you want to spend and lets them have a clear expectation of what they can get while on the vacation.
Rent your home on Airbnb while you are traveling. This one may seem bold but consider it if you can. Kelly made $19,000 the first year she rented her home on Airbnb. She only rented it while she was away on trips.
Kelly’s daughter in Tiananmen Square with her new friend
Five Travel Hacks Your Should Avoid
Don’t put the number of people in the search when looking for flights. Airlines have price buckets for each flight. If you put three people in the search and they still have a seat at a lower price, you will only see the higher price.
Don’t be afraid to use public transportation while exploring new places. It’s cost-effective and is a great way to see a city. If you are nervous about it, watch YouTube videos about the public transportation in the city you are visiting ahead of time. You can watch and learn how to buy tickets, what the transportation looks like, and see what to expect.
Never fly with someone without signing them up for a free rewards account with the airline. All ages can apply and receive a frequent flyer number. This allows the user to earn rewards on flights traveled. The awards and add up to free flights!
Never pay more for your bags on flights that you have to. Look for pecks with airline credit cards that allow you to bring free bags. Southwest allows two free checked bags. Check out lugless.com for a great option for shipping bulkier items to your destination. This works for bulkier items (skis, golf clubs, etc.) or luggage.
Don’t skip on something that you really want to do on your trip. If there is one thing that you really want to do on a trip (sky diving, parasailing, ride a gondola in Venice!) be sure to do it! You can save money in other places.
A huge thanks to Kelly for coming on the podcast and sharing these great, money-saving ideas with us.
Connect with Kelly!
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