I am in the process of packing for the FinCon14 (financial bloggers) conference. I am quite excited as it’s my first time to visit New Orleans. Even though I had the flu over the weekend, and now a cold-I’m going to rally…at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
13 things that I do to save money when
preparing for a trip.
1.) Bring snacks! Can’t emphasize this enough. I become a raging crazy when I get hungry and then eat more than you think could be possible. So, I need snacks
2.) Find a grocery store STAT too eliminate ordering from room service too frequently.
3.) Pay for the following items prior to arrival in my destination city: tours, transportation to and from the airport, and even coffee cards if necessary.
4.) I look for free things to do using websites, books from the library, or just by talking to people before I leave.
5.)Use public transportation or walk. I’ve used public transportation in: Los Angeles (that was an adventure), Miami-there were chickens in the road, NYC, Toronto, Paris, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Switzerland, throughout Italy, and too many other places to mention. It’s just not that scary. look like you know what you’re doing even when you don’t and then you should be ok.
6.) Talk to the people who LIVE IN THE CITY!! They know what’s going on.
7.) Don’t try to do every single touristy thing that you can do in whatever city you’re going to. I don’t know why people rush through everything. It’s a vacation. Slow the hell down. Cut out the noise and enjoy. If you miss something, you miss something. Oh well.
8.) Use any gift cards that you may already have to balance out the cost. I have 3 Starbucks cards so, I won’t be buying any coffee (unless it’s chicory coffee and beignets) that’s different
9.) Use Credit Card Rewards to purchase your airfare.
10.) Shop Airfare sales and try to plan ahead. I usually plan my travel pretty far in advance so I’m able to find some good deals.
11.) Stay in a hostel, AirBnB, or a Bed and Breakfast
12.) If I’m traveling with a group I will take advantage of any and all group discounts.
13.) Don’t try to be a baller. Seriously.
This is not my picture. I found it via Google Images. I am super jealous of this girl and happy for her to experience this place-WOW!
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I agree 100% about bringing snacks and finding a grocery sor
I always bring snacks! And even if the grocery store is high-end it still ends up being cheaper than room service.
Ugh, my iPad is flipping out on me, so excuse commenting weirdness here – I agree about the food (snacks and grocery store) because I find that food is usually the one expense that goes over the top when it doesn’t have to. I’m willing to indulge in sightseeing and neat things the area has to offer – but there is no reason to pay sky high prices for food.
No worries! I totally understood your comment. I am picky about food so I like to selectively pick a meal that has to ROCK…and then pick up stuff from grocery stores and eat what I brought.
I always bring snacks like granola bars. I also try to take advantage of discount sites like groupon and living social. Have fun at fincon!
I have KIND bars. Nom Nom. I also picked up a Living Social deal! Great minds think alike. I am taking it easy today and the Laissez les bontemps…etc, etc.
I always make sure that I bring snacks and bottled water. By doing an advance research to your destination would be a very good help too.
I need to buy some bottled water. I like to drink sparkling water and it gets expensive when purchased from the hotel/etc.
Stepping back from all the touristy things in NOLA definitely helped me save some money! It also forced me to really prioritize the things I needed to see – aka Cafe Du Monde 😉
I love to walk around every city that I visit. I also have gotten over the urgency to do EVERYTHING on my trips. I can’t believe how much free stuff I received during this trip. That said: the most expensive thing that I paid for was the hotel room. I loved having my space but I may rethink the stay in my own room policy for next year.
#13 – exactly!
Tehe! People always want to look like they are rich when traveling. Isn’t the very fact that they’re traveling enough to show you might be doing ok?
Excellent tips Michelle. I travel _tons_ for work, and bringing my own healthy snacks is a win-win for sure — spends less and lets me arrive healthier. I also carry a collapsible water bottle that can be filled up in the airport after passing through TSA.
Thanks Jean! I love your tip on bringing the collapsible water bottle. I hadn’t even considered that.