Have you been thinking about a vacation but need to find a few ways to cut the expense? If so here are a few tips to keep a little extra money in your pocket book.
First you need to pick your destination, then there are quite a few ways to save on your hotel or condo.
-Priceline/freebies allows you to search for hotels that provide complimentary breakfast, parking, WiFi, or even credits towards activities in the area such as spas or golf and extra nights for free.
-Bing Travel has a hotel finder that will give you the rates of the hotels in the area from lowest to highest as well as reviews.
-Hotel credit rewards offer incredible opportunities to the bargain hunters in all of us. Every dollar spent can earn free night stays, free breakfast, WIFI… you name it. Make sure and sign up for the hotel rewards program at the hotels you will be staying at.
-VRBO (vacation rental by owner) also has locations all over the world. This gives you the option to rent a condo instead of getting a hotel room. The ability to prepare your own meals helps you save big while traveling.
Now that you’ve planned your destination it’s time to decide how you plan to travel.
If you decide to fly here are a few tips to help you save more:
Bing.com/travel helps you determine the least expensive airfare for your trip. You can automatically compare the search with Priceline, Travelocity, Expedia, One Travel and Hotwires rates. But what makes Bing Travel different is that it tells you whether to buy your ticket now or to wait, based on historical fare data and price trends.
-AirfareWatchdog.com, also compares prices with all of the well known travel sites but the difference is that it also provides Fares Alerts which tell you instantly when prices drop. Along with the alerts you receive promo codes and airline site only fares that are not available anywhere else.
If you decide to drive:
-Use Gas Buddy or Gas Price Watch to find the lowest gas prices in the areas you are traveling through.
-Bring cash because many gas stations charge 5 to 10 cents less when you pay with cash versus credit or debit.
-Pack a cooler so you aren’t stopping and picking up drinks and snacks along the way.
-Don’t forget the entertainment for the family. A lot of kids will like to listen to music as well as watch movies in the car or on their notepads. Take advantage of the free one month Netflix or Blockbuster offer, so you can add the app to the iPad or notepad. Plus don’t miss over 500 free music downloads on Amazon.com.
If you need a rental care:
-AutoSlash.com, is a site that continues to check prices (on both domestic and foreign reservations) until your pickup date. If it finds a lower rate, you are automatically rebooked for free, and the new confirmation details are sent to your in-box.
Now you need to save on Entertainment, Restaurants and Shopping:
Restaurant.com- has more than 18,000 participating restaurants nationwide which gives you a wide assortment of discounts at restaurants during your vacation. Plus right now you can get a $25 gift card for $5 with the coupon code: TRAVEL at checkout!
If you are traveling in the United States it’s important to grab the Entertainment Book loaded with over 15,000 in coupons for the city that you are traveling too. Right now you can get the 2012 book for as low as FREE so it’s no money out of your pocket to save big during your vacation.
Daily Deal Sites- These are great resources for food and entertainment in your destination city. Here are some of my favorites.
Living Social
Groupon
Eversave
Plus don’t forget the cardinal rule of traveling.. Just Ask:
As soon as you get to your hotel, ask your concierge for deals and upgrades, especially if you’re traveling with kids. It’s important to find out if there are opportunities to upgrade your room for free, places in the area that offer family discounts, which restaurants offer Kids Eat Free and where you can go for less.
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