Seven Money Saving Tips for Your Next Vacation

Getting ready for a summer vacation or planning future travel? Keep these handy tips in mind to help cut costs and minimize travel stress!

1. Lodging—If you book by phone, ask the desk agent to beat the online rate. Consider an apartment or home rental instead of a hotel—you’ll save even more by cooking your own meals.
2. Food—Make lunch your main meal. Lunches often are 30% cheaper than the same entrées on a dinner menu and you’ll be less likely to splurge on expensive alcoholic beverages. Stock up on snack foods before you leave home and replenish your supply at local grocery stores rather than convenience marts.
3. Search for vacation package deals—Package deals often give great discounts. Find them on booking sites, or daily deal sites that offer coupons and group deals.
4. Use a travel rewards card—Look for a card with no foreign transaction fee, a microchip, and generous rewards. Credit union credit cards often offer freedom of choice for airlines.
5. Book by your budget—If budget is more important than destination, use the explore function on booking sites or search “flights” on Google. Select your departure city, season of travel, price, and get ready to be inspired.
6. Add a free destination—Find deals under “special offers” or by searching “stopover” on your airline’s website. You might be able to squeeze in an extra destination at little or even no cost.
7. Travel off-season—If you’re flexible, travel in the shoulder seasons—just before or after peak season depending on your destination. Prices are low, the weather could be really nice, shops and restaurants are open, and there are fewer tourists.