It must have happened many times that you go over budget while on a holiday. People do not mind spending during a vacation but going overboard on unnecessary things can pinch you hard when the vacation is over. Vacation is not called a luxury just like that. This situation can be easily evaded with prior planning and by following some smart tips while traveling to save money.
Research about the place you are traveling as much as you can well in advance is the biggest tip. Internet as lot of information about traveling packages, tourist destination, peak tourist time and many such things. Instead of reading about attractive packages with guide, it is better to read travel blogs of the locals as they provide authentic information about the place, right from a hidden beautiful tourist spot to an affordable hotel and food joint. This will save lot of money and time as well.
Allocating a budget for your vacation is a smart tip as well. This will help you to plan accordingly. Investing in a guidebook and packing light are other practical tips to save money. Guide will give you some minute but important information about the place like nearest bus stop or station. Packing light and neat will cut down on cost to pay for extra luggage and shipping cost if you need to send them back due to overload.
Reviewing your bank policies is also a great way to save money. Studying the exchange rate will give an idea about your money’s worth in a foreign country. All the credit and debits card service providers have different policies for overseas transaction. Reviewing will help you to decide which card to use to withdraw money and make purchases while traveling to cut down on charges incurred due to swiping card. It will require good amount of effort and research but it is worth doing it.
Renting a car while traveling is also a good way to save money. Book a car depending on the number of people traveling. Booking a smaller car if you are traveling alone or with one partner is feasible instead of wasting space and money. It is cheaper than using your own car.
Food and water is where one spends the most while travelling. Finding good but cheap eating-places will save money. Buy your food from outside instead of eating at hotel, as they are costlier which does not guarantee great taste. The real fun is tasting local food of the place you are visiting. Locals are of great help to get this kind of information. Carrying water bottles that can be refilled helps too. It may sound lame but water is essential and one spends insane amount of money on water bottles.
Book your tickets well in advance and take advantage of discounts and special offers. Plan your vacation during off seasons. It has two benefits. You can avoid the crowd and you can avoid the exorbitant prices of hotel and packages.