Main Street Finance

3 Travel Hacks for Planning a Budget-Friendly Trip

By Andrew

With the New Year right around the corner, it’s time to start making your 2019 travel plans.

But if you’re a penny pincher, the thought of paying for next year’s travels might make you, well, less than excited for the New Year. And who can blame you? It’s no secret that traveling can be expensive and you might not be ready to hand over your entire 2018 work bonus to finance a vacation.

Nevertheless, whether you’re looking to plan a family beach trip on a budget, or a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to Europe, money should never be the thing that stops you.

And with these three travel hacks, it won’t be.

1. Try Skyscanner

Skyscanner is the flight booking tool that every traveler should have in their back pocket. By comparing airline ticket prices by date and then compiling all the info you’ll need to make a decision into an easy-to-read chart, Skyscanner makes saving money easy. And if you’re an open-minded traveler, Skyscanner is even more of a lifesaver in that it can pull up the cheapest travel destinations for any given window of time. In other words, if you use Skyscanner, saving money becomes inevitable.

2. Opt to stay in a hostel

Are you the kind of traveler that spends the whole day out and about, only making your way back to the hotel to sleep? Are you looking to save a ton of money on your next trip?

If you answered yes to these questions, then booking a hostel rather than a hotel might be a good idea. Granted, if you’re traveling with children you should definitely opt for a hotel or find an Airbnb. But if you’re riding solo, or traveling with friends, hostels are great. And if you’re concerned about finding a safe hostel, in a nice location, at a reasonable price, you should take advantage of Hostel World, a site that, just as the title suggests, rates hostels all over the world.

3. Use Get Your Guide

Get your guide is a tool that allows you to get the best deals on all of your activities. If you’re traveling to Italy, you can get discounted tickets to tour the Vatican. If you’re planning a trip to Germany, you can score discounts on canal cruises through Amsterdam. Even if you’re staying stateside, it’s worth checking Get Your Guide for discounted tickets. Who knows, you might find discounted tickets to Universal Studios, or even a San Francisco bus tour! Whatever you do, do not book activities without first checking to see what deals Get Your Guide has to offer.

Now that you know how to save money on your next trip, the only question is- where will you go? To France, or to Europe, or maybe just to the beach? Ultimately, the choice is yours.

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About Andrew

Andrew is a corporate finance consultant living in Los Angeles, specializing in distressed and bankrupt consulting. He helps clients review business plans and the general market and decide what steps to take next. He has a masters in finance. Andrew enjoys running and biking in the San Gabriel mountains, cheering for the San Francisco Giants and eating (but trying not to gain weight).