This post is very *outdated* as you can see below. 😅 New travel hacks coming soon.
January 18, 2019
This one is for my fellow adventurers and restless souls yearning for travel! We’re about to embark on a journey that will forever change the way you perceive travel and budgeting. In a world filled with overpriced lattes and student loans, we refuse to let the thrill of adventure slip through our fingers. Get ready, because this is your ticket to a wallet-friendly voyage. Ready for take-off?
Book your flight at least 2 weeks in advance
I’m not kidding when I say at least two weeks. I was booking my flight to Boise, Idaho from Baltimore, Maryland, and noticed flights were $143 two weeks out as opposed to $270-$500 on any other given day before. I was planning to book my flight before midnight, and not even a few seconds after the clock struck 12:00am – the flight prices changed for the day I was planning to leave. I couldn’t believe they changed right on the dot; I had to book my flight a day after my anticipated departure date.
Travel on off days/times
This includes:
- red-eye flights
- flights on Tuesday & Wednesday
- 6am – 7am flights
Turn on flight price trackers on Google Flights
This will send you notifications straight to your Gmail as flight prices go up and down. They even give you an estimate on how much prices will go up during the week (i.e. 65% increase in the next 2 days). There’s also a price comparison calendar readily available so you can check the flight prices in advance. Other platforms I sometimes use: Hopper, Skyscanner, and Momondo.
Travel off-season to popular destinations
I traveled to Los Angeles in October and went to Universal Studios on a Tuesday during the “off-season.” I waited in line maybe once. My significant other and I got on every ride at least THREE times (I think we went on the Harry Potter ride like 5 times). We were literally running around like kids on a playground.
Book an Airbnb instead of a hotel
I’ve always found cheaper deals on Airbnb than I have on any hotel website. I will say, though, hotels are catching on and working on providing better deals. So if you are on a time crunch and need somewhere to stay ASAP, I recommend Hotel Tonight. They give people super good deals on last-minute bookings. I used it for my stay in Paris once, and it did not disappoint. Just be prepared to stay in a smaller room (this didn’t bother me because I was only ever at the hotel to sleep).
Need a car? Book one from Turo
They provide you with locally-owned cars within the UK, USA, Canada, and Germany. They have a variety of unique vehicles to choose from and you can book instantly. You must be verified to book and host cars so plan accordingly.
Use a travel rewards credit card
I recently opened up an account with Chase and obtained the Sapphire Preferred credit card. I used my credit card for flights and some of my bigger bills (I paid it off every month, of course). I signed up during a promotion and received 50,000 bonus points to use -you can redeem your points for many things but I chose to redeem them for traveling. So I got rewarded for traveling with even more opportunities to travel. That’s a win in my book!
Open an awesome travel rewards credit card AND get a bonus using my link to apply. *Not sponsored*
Any travel hacks or tips you’d like to share? Let me know below!
Serotonin + Co. 