It’s been 3 years since my last post on saving money while on vacation, and Mrs. Money and I have taken a few more vacations since then, and of course, we are still learning how to stretch our vacation budget further and get more bang for our buck while on vacation. Since the last post (in which we went to St. Croix, USVI), we’ve also been to: Italy/Germany, Singapore/Thailand/Vietnam, Bermuda and our most recent stop, London. In true #YMFapproved form, most of these trips were on the cheap, with my day job as a healthcare consultant giving me lots of points/miles that I redeem for free flights and free hotels. Don’t travel for work? Here’s how I earn $900/year with a rewards credit card (and so can you). The only thing that Mrs. Money and I love more than travelling is travelling cheap, which allows us to travel more often. Here’s a few more tips that we’ve picked up along the way:

Save on baggage fees and pack light

Baggage fees are a bit outrageous, and can range from like $25-$50…per bag. Insane! In my mind, there is absolutely no reason why you should pay a fee to check a bag on a flight. That can add up real quick, and can be a major dent in your overall travel budget. Imagine what you could do with an extra $50 or $100 on a trip? That’s at least one, two, or even three nice dinners, depending on where in the world you’re travelling to. DON’T pay to check a bag! There are two main ways that you can get around this. The first, and arguably easier in the long run is to pack lighter. After a few instances of delayed flights and worrying if our bags would make it, we frequently just travel with a carryon bag. Yup, for our 2 week trip to SouthEast Asian or our 1 week trip to London, we just had carryon luggage. How did we do it? Firstly, we packed super light. We were intentional about what we packed – we knew how long we were going for and figured out what we would wear each day (easier for Mr. Money Finance…). We didn’t bring extras and took advantage of hotel toiletries or local shops to purchase (for cheap) anything we ended up needing. Secondly, we did laundry. I was definitely skeptical about doing laundry on our own but it’s ended up being a huge help. We’re able to wash and re-wear many articles of clothing (which is maybe why I’m wearing the same shirt in so many pictures?), which saves a TON of space. Simply buy a travel size portion of laundry detergent (drug stores or groceries stores carry them) and use a bathtub/sink to wash them. Wash a few pieces of clothing on like day 3 of your trip and then you can re-wear them on day 5/6/7. You’ll be amazed at how much space you can save!

The other option is to open an airline credit card. Most of the big airlines (United, Delta, American etc) offer a credit card that allows you to earn miles/points on purchases that allow you to save up and redeem free flights. Another benefit of these cards is a checked bag. Most of their credit cards (although double check before signing up) offers you, sometimes a companion, or sometimes more than just one companion a few (or some cards offer 2 free bags) checked bag. Most of these cards also have an annual fee (around $100), but if you’re flying and checking a bag more than one…it could pay for itself right there. I personally also value the benefit of the card that allows you to board early, and each card offers a few random perks that may or may not come in handy. Which card do I have? Living in Atlanta, Delta is the major airline here, offering so many flight options at (most of the time) decent prices. So, I’ve got the Platinum Delta American Express. I upgraded from the regular Gold ($99) to the Platinum as it offers the early boarding, Skymiles earning and free checked bags (up to 8 additional companions!) and because it offers a companion ticket each year, which Mrs. Money and I area always able to cash in on. Depending on how often you fly and if you’re checking a bag, it could make sense to get an airline branded credit card!

Save on international transaction fees

Although I’m not old (it’s not called Old Money Finance), I do remember the ‘olden days’ of travelling which international transaction fees were brutal. Credit cards charged you each swipe, sometimes up to 3%, which could really add up. Therefore you had to bring lots of cash with you, which was never that safe, and if you ran out, you’d have to pay international transaction fees from the ATM…fees on fees on fees! Thankfully, nowadays most credit cards offer no international transaction fees, which means you can swipe your card without paying extra fees while travelling and spending aboard. Huge perk! Not only do you not have to worry about carrying so much cash (safer), you also get the protections of using a credit card (i.e. not liable for fraudulent purchases, easier and quicker to use). If you are doing some international travel, I highly recommend applying for (or using it you already have one) a card with no international transaction fees. Plus, the exchange rate is fair for what the credit card company uses, likely much better than any cash exchange your getting while in country in cash. Curious to learn more? Check out my post “What’s in my wallet” to get inside my wallet and figure out which cards I have and why.

Save on tours and take them for free

Did you know that in many major cities there are actually free walking tours that you can take? Oftentimes there are free tour organizations that pair you with a local university student that is trying to improve their English language skills (don’t worry, their English in my experience has all been great). So much of learning a language is practicing and it’s a great opportunity for them to both show their city off and get better speaking English. The tours are great and cover most of the major sites you’d like to see, and sometimes they’ll offer a variety of tours depending on how big the city is. The tours are on foot and you’ll do a fair amount of walking but in my opinion it’s great. We’ve picked up great restaurant recommendations and other tips to better enjoy the city. The tours do have an expectation to tip or “pay what you think is fair” so I normally pay some at the end, I’m not a complete freeloader! Be sure to google “free walking tours in ABC city” when you arrive and make a reservation. FreeToursbyFoot is the one we did in London and had a great time! 

Travel for work? Take advantage of the hotel lounge

As on who travels a lot for work, I end up getting status on airlines and hotels (Delta and Marriot, resp). I could do a whole series of posts on getting and maximizing status but I’ll stick to my point. Most fancy hotels that we cash our points in on have a lounge of some sort, and my elite status grants me access to this lounge. The lounge will often offer free breakfast and free snacks/drinks before dinner in the early evening. It’s an incredible value and definitely something that Mrs. Money and I take advantage of. Being able to save on breakfast and afternoon snacks is a great way to save money. If you don’t have lounge access certainly don’t worry about it but if you do – make sure you take advantage and check it out!

Bring a water bottle

It may seem simple, but carrying about a water bottle is a great way to save some money. While travelling water can get pricey depending on where you are. It’s not farfetched to see $2, $3, even $5 bottle of water especially if there aren’t a lot of other options. Water’s a basic necessity of life and we got to have it! (#8cupsaday). So, instead of dehydrating yourself or paying too much for a bottle, carry around a reusable water bottle and refill it when you get the chance. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number of places I’ve been able to refill my water bottle while travelling. In an effort to go green, many cities offer water bottle filling stations, so definitely take advantage of them (and so some good for the environment by limiting plastic bottles)!

Many times it’s the simple, little things in life that go a long way. Vacations are meant to be fun and enjoyable, but it doesn’t mean you have to break the bank every time you go on one! I hope you’ve found these tips helpful and happy travels! Feel free to leave other tips that you may have in the comments section!