Traveling these days can get pretty expensive. Here are five quick tips on how to save money when traveling:
• Set a travel budget – Make an itinerary of your vacation and include the cost of each activity. By doing this, you will know how much you want to spend. Leave room for pocket money but set an overall max limit for your spending. To stay within budget, track your spending using your smartphone. Check out CityVibes Travel Planner.
• Use travel credit cards – With travel credit cards you are able to accumulate points to use for future travel. The main thing is to use a credit card without foreign transaction fees. Using a card also allows you to have your charges all in one place in order to track your spending post-trip.
• Find Cash deals – If you do use cash, look for the best exchange rates before you buy the local currency. You should avoid buying money at the airport or current exchanges stores. Currency exchange businesses make money by giving you a less favorable exchange rate and sometimes they charge additional fees. It best to avoid these money traps.
• Don’t overtip – Many countries don’t use a tip system. Servers, bartenders, cab drivers, and other service industry workers usually make more hourly in other countries than their American counterparts. If you come from a country where tipping is the norm, you may leave a small tip for superb service, just don’t overdo it.
• Haggle for discounts – Practice your haggling skills. In some countries, when taking street taxis, shopping for souvenirs or clothes haggling is the norm. You’ll find locals are quick to negotiate prices to try to sell you something. Be prepared with a price you think is fair and negotiate confidently to get the best price, and don’t be afraid to walk away from a purchase or cab ride that feels too expensive.
