If you think that you can’t afford to head off on holiday, then think again. There are a number of ways to cut costs when it comes to the planning of your next vacation, and there are also ways to be frugal with your spending while on it, meaning you can make your getaway as cheap and as affordable as you want or need it to be. Indeed, it’s probably fair to say that we’d all like a little more money in our pockets when we go on holiday. After all, all those entertainment and dinning bills soon add up.
While holidays are no time for selling yourself short, at the same time you have to be realistic. Which is why it’s a good idea to arm yourself with a few tips, tricks and hacks from the experts, before you set sail for foreign shores.If you take these easy-to-follow tips on how to stop spending and start saving while you’re on holiday, you’ll make any travelling experience into one that doesn’t break your bank.
BE SMART WITH FLIGHT BOOKING
Don’t leave booking your flight until the last minute, as prices can be erratic and you don’t want to leave it too late. Be smart with your flight booking – you can subscribe to price alerts on numerous websites like skyscanner.net, which will give you notice of a drop in prices. Equally as important, keep your eye on promotions as flight ticket websites often run them temporarily, with a window of sometimes as little as an hour in which to grab a bargain.
ASK HOTEL STAFF FOR ADVICE
Nobody knows how to save money in an area like the locals, so ask them where you should and should not be hanging out. The locals that you will come into the most contact with will be the staff at the hotel that you are staying at, so make sure you’re having conversations with them about where to go and what to do. By doing so, you might, say, find a restaurant that provides even better food and service than another, for half the price you would have paid without any insider information.
BOOK ALL INCLUSIVE
By booking an all inclusive break, you will see yourself save on having to pay out on a bucket load of different expenses. You may have to pay more upfront, but the money that you save on not having to splash out on eating will more than make up for it. What’s more, you won’t have to go through the stress of having to find a suitable restaurant for your party, something that is a difficult task when there are fussy eaters in your midst; your food will be brought to you instead. You can find cheap all inclusive deals at Teletext Holidays, so make sure to head there and check out the different packages on offer.
USE A SMART WATER BOTTLE
When you’re abroad and avoiding the local water like the plague in fear that it’ll make you ill, you will find yourself spending ludicrous amounts on bottled water. By investing in and using a smart water bottle, however, you will stop yourself from spending in this manner. Such a bottle has its own built-in filtration system, meaning you’d be able to use it to drink the local, free, running water safely. You may have to spend a bit on the bottle in the first place, but you’ll save loads in the long run by not having to buy copious amounts of bottled water.
GET A MONZO CARD
Many of us avoid punitive currency-exchange rates at the airport by using our debit and credit cards on a summer trip. Then, when we get our statements at the end of the month, we realize it wasn’t such a smart move. We’re often charged 2.5%-5% on foreign transactions, and a £1.50-£3 fee every time we withdraw cash from an ATM. Instead of paying these fees, get yourself a Monzo card. With one, you’ll be able to make one free overseas withdrawal a month, up to a max of £200. Moreover, when you use your Monzo card to buy things at restaurants and shops abroad, you won’t get charged.