Vacations are an excellent way to take a break from the daily grind and relax. But if you’re on a budget, the cost of a vacation can be daunting. Fortunately, there are plenty of creative ways to save money on your next vacation. From finding discounts on accommodation to smartly budgeting for meals, you can create a memorable experience without breaking the bank. With a few budget-savvy tips, you can enjoy your vacation without sacrificing your budget.

Travel Hacking with Credit Cards & Rewards Points

Travel hacking with rewards points and credit cards can be an effective way to save money on your next vacation. With a little bit of research and planning, you can easily find credit cards with great rewards programs that offer points for travel-related purchases. You can also find cards that offer bonus points for signing up, as well as discounts on airfare, hotels, and car rentals. By taking advantage of these offers and redeeming your rewards points, you can save a significant amount on your next trip.

WARNING: The only way this saves money is if you pay the credit cards off in full every month. If you are paying interest and an annual fee, you will quickly lose any savings you may have realized. In fact, you could easily end up paying MORE for your trip!

Additionally, you can use travel hacking techniques to maximize your rewards points associated with loyalty programs (no credit cards required). Airline companies, cruise lines, hotel chains, and rental car companies all typically have programs that award you rewards points each time you purchase their services.

EXAMPLE: When we were planning our recent trip to Alaska, we decided to each get United Airlines credit cards. We chose United for 3 reasons: a low annual fee, 60K bonus points each (when we charged a certain amount in 3 months), and they had convenient flights from the airport closest to home. The bonus points allowed us to book 2 free airline tickets saving us $2,132 after the annual fees. We also have a Hilton Honors American Express that we only use when booking stays at Hilton Hotels or when they are offering 5 or 10 times points for certain promotions. We were able to accrue enough points to cover our Hilton Anchorage stay saving us $1,496.54. As you can see with just these two examples, by taking the time to research and plan your travel hacking strategy, you can save money and enjoy a more luxurious vacation.

Bundling Components of Travel

One of the best ways to save money on a vacation is by bundling components of your travel. Whether you’re looking for a flight and hotel package deal or a discount on car rentals, there are plenty of options when it comes to bundling your travel. Many travel companies offer additional discounts for using their services as well.

EXAMPLE: The Alaska Railroad offers numerous package deals and we found one that was a perfect fit for our trip to Denali National Park. It included a round-trip scenic train ride between Anchorage and Denali, two nights at the Denali Bluffs Hotel, luggage transfers, transportation from the Denali Train Depot to the hotel, and a Tundra Wilderness Bus Tour. We saved hundreds of dollars on this trip by booking the package deal.

Reap Savings with Shoulder Season Travel

Shoulder season travel is one of the best ways to save money on your next vacation. By taking your vacation during the off-peak season, you will not only save money but you will also be rewarded with fewer crowds and more availability for activities. With careful planning and a bit of research, you can find the perfect destination for your shoulder season getaway. From beach retreats to mountain escapes, you can find the perfect spot to enjoy the beauty of nature without the hustle and bustle of peak season.

Example: We love the beach in the fall! Last year we went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and had a great time.

Reduce Food Costs by Renting Places that Have Kitchens

One way to save on food costs while traveling is to rent a place that has a kitchen. Airbnb, VRBO, and similar companies offer private home rentals that allow you to buy groceries and cook some of your own meals instead of eating out every day. Not only will you save money, but you’ll also have more control over what you’re eating and the quality of the ingredients. You can even purchase groceries in bulk to save even more money. Plus, if you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for an easy meal the next day. If you’d rather not rent a private home, timeshares such as Hilton Grand Vacations and even Disney Vacation Club rent their condos and villas at a nightly rate.

Saving on Restaurants

No vacation is complete without good food, but dining out can quickly add up. To save money on restaurants while on vacation, try these creative budget-friendly ideas.

• First, get away from the tourist areas that come with a markup for location. Next research restaurants in the area with specials, such as happy hour deals, two-for-one meals, or early-bird specials.
• You can also check out websites like Groupon or Living Social for discounts on meals.
• If you’re staying in a hotel, ask the front desk if they offer any discounts at nearby restaurants. Many hotels have partnerships with local businesses, so you may be able to get a free or discounted meal.
• Another great reference is Trip Advisor. You can select the local area and “Cheap Eats” to find great food from local mom & pop restaurants.
• Finally, consider eating out at more expensive restaurants for lunch instead of dinner. They often have a significant markup for the dinner menu. Then you can have sandwiches or street food in the evening.

Purchase Drinks and Snacks at Grocery Stores

If you’re looking for ways to save money on your next vacation, consider purchasing drinks and snacks at grocery stores. Not only are grocery stores much more budget-friendly than convenience stores and vending machines, but they also offer a wide selection of snacks and drinks to choose from. If there is a store in the area that you have a membership with like Sam’s or Costco, even better! You’ll save money by buying in bulk and taking advantage of any discounts or sales that the store may be offering.

When you’re going to be spending the day out hiking or at an amusement park, bring your reusable water bottle, snacks, and maybe even sandwiches. This will save you from pricey (and not all that tasty) fast food. If your trip is going to last a week + or you have a large group, purchasing an inexpensive cooler will be less expensive than eating $5 hotdogs and purchasing $3 water bottles.

Find Free Fun to Entertain Yourself

There are plenty of free or low-cost activities you can do to entertain yourself and save money. No matter where you are traveling, you can use the following tips to find plenty of budget-friendly ways to have fun.

• Look online for free events in the area, such as art galleries, festivals, and outdoor concerts.
• Sign up for free walking tours with Free Tours by Foot or Guruwalk (don’t forget the gratuity).
• Many museums offer free days each month.
• Often times botanical gardens, museums, and zoos have reciprocal memberships. If you are a member of a member venue, they will honor it for free admission when you travel.
• Go hiking or on nature walks in local or state parks for scenic views of the area.
• Spend a day at the beach, but don’t forget you may have to pay to park.

Look for Discounts

One of the most obvious ways to save money is to look for discounts especially when it comes to travel.

• Always ask for any you may be eligible for: AAA, first responders, military, seniors, or students.
• Look on the GroupOn website for discounted tickets to lodging, restaurants, activities, and more.
• If you’re going to be in a big city, see if they have a CityPass, GoCity, or similar sightseeing program that bundles several activities into one discounted price. You can often double up on the discount by purchasing these passes through GroupOn as I did on a recent trip to Chicago.

Take a Road Trip

Taking a road trip is a great way to save money. Especially if you travel by RV because you’ll have your room and kitchen with you to reap the aforementioned savings. If you don’t have an RV, don’t worry. Companies like Outdoorsy act as brokers between private owners and renters to help you find the perfect RV for you! And there are plenty of places to camp for free, as well as strategies to save on campgrounds and fuel.

Use Gas Buddy to Find the Least Expensive Fuel

Gas prices can be a major expense when it comes to traveling, whether you’re buying gas for a rental car, an RV, or your own car. One of the best ways to save on this expense is by using Gas Buddy. This app and app allows you to compare the prices of fuel in the area, so you can find the least expensive gas station and save money. With Gas Buddy, you can search for the best fuel prices, get directions to the station, and even get notifications when prices drop. You can even use it to project your expenses in advance by using the trip planning tool to see how much gas is along your road trip itinerary. Finally, Gas Buddy also offers a free Gas Card that offers up to 5x savings over using the app alone.

Buy Gifts & Souvenirs at Discount Stores

When it comes to souvenirs and gifts, many travelers think they need to spend top dollar to find something special. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. Shopping at discount stores can be a budget-friendly way to find unique souvenirs and gifts. From purchasing handmade items at local markets to finding deals at discount outlets, there are many creative ways to find special items while still keeping money in your pocket. Whenever we go to Orlando, we take the family to Target to purchase their licensed Disney souvenirs at a discount, rather than purchasing them in the theme parks.

Pack a First Aid Kit

When packing for your next vacation, don’t forget to include a first aid kit! Have you ever seen how much a convenience store charges for 2 Tylenol tablets? Your first aid kit should include sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun, sunburn ointment to soothe any burn you may get, pain relievers for any aches and pains, motion sickness medication for those long car rides or theme park attractions, and anti-nausea/anti-diarrheal medication for any upset stomachs.

Track Your Spending

The most important thing you can do to save money on any trip is to start by setting a budget before you even book your trip and track your spending throughout the entire process. This will help you stay within your budget and make sure you don’t forget any extra costs that may come up. You can track your spending by using a free budgeting app or by simply writing down all your expenses in a notebook. I personally like using the free Every Dollar App. I can preload it with my budget by category and then quickly enter any amount spent. Then I will know how much I left before making any additional purchases. Knowing exactly how much you’re spending will help you make smarter financial decisions and ensure you have enough money for all the activities you want to do on your vacation.

Sharing is Caring! Feel free to share this article on social media or save the image below to Pinterest.

We’re often asked if it is possible to save money traveling even when you travel often? Some people think that it’s impossible to find ways to save that make travel inexpensive enough to afford on a regular basis, but this doesn’t have to be the case. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you can do to save money when you are traveling on a regular basis. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more about this topic.

Skip the Standard Hotels

When our three sons lived at home we quickly learned one great way to save money was to skip the hotels and find vacation rentals with a kitchen so we could make our own meals. We ultimately decided to purchase a timeshare. A timeshare is a form of vacation ownership where a group of people jointly own a property. Depending on the timeshare, you either get to use a property for a specific period of time each year or you get a set number of nights, but are offered a range of dates and locations to use them. We chose the second option and appreciated the flexibility to enjoy various destinations.

Timeshares can be a great way for families to save money on vacation costs. With a timeshare, you can plan exactly how much your vacations will cost. In addition, timeshares offer families flexibility and choice when it comes to vacation planning. Families can choose from a wide variety of timeshare resorts, and they can even trade their timeshare for another resort if they want to switch things up. For example, you can look into Sapphire Resort reviews as this will give you an idea of what it’s like and how much it is going to cost.

Try an RV

Another great option to save money on frequent travel is to do it in a recreational vehicle. We’ve loved traveling around the U.S. in our RV since 2014. Not only does it give you the flexibility of taking your lodging with you and visiting multiple destinations in one trip, but RV travel offers many money-saving opportunities as well. For starters, you won’t have to worry about paying for flights or restaurants. Campgrounds are also less expensive than hotels, but they offer as many amenities and activities for the entire family to enjoy.

There are many different types of RVs and we recommend that you consider renting an RV before you decide to purchase one. This will ensure you have a chance to try different types and find the one that suits you and your travel style best.

Plan in Advance

The final thing that we’d like to say is that if you want to save some money on travel, booking in advance will typically offer the best deals on campgrounds, RV resorts, and RV rentals. The same can also be said for purchasing a timeshare. If you do your research, you’ll learn there are certain times of the year when market demand is lower, which will give you a better position as a potential owner.

We hope that you have found this article helpful. While both timeshares and RVs are an investment, as long as you use them, they will more than pay for themselves over the years.

Life is a wonderful journey, and you need to be prepared for different phases in life. You could be living in a house this month and traveling full-time the following month. One thing that can ease that transition is a viable source of income from the road.

This changing dynamic in the workforce is truly helpful for those who want to travel full-time or on an extended basis. Because you’ll still have expenses whether you are wanting to travel in an RV and pay for campgrounds, or are staying in AirBnB’s or hotels, you’ll always need some money to fulfill your wanderlust. 

After the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, many companies had to change the traditional way of doing business. It was a wake-up call that things can change; the good thing is that most people were able to continue working, just online instead of in the office.

But what will you do if after the pandemic, your company discontinues remote work? Hopefully this article will help give you some ideas to transfer your skills and experience to something new. Below is a breakdown of reliable ways to make money online: 

1. Translation Services

Can you read and write in a second language? You can use those skills to earn money. Translation is well suited to remote work and it is very flexible. Often, rather than working traditional hours, you make money per assignment. It is dependent on the speed of delivery; the faster you clear, the faster and more money you will earn. Numerous online platforms can help deliver services such as Upwork and Freelancer. After delivery, you can quickly get paid via Paypal. 

2. Graphic Design & Illustration 

Are you a fan of crafting creative designs? It is an excellent opportunity to create graphics for different companies. Graphic design is a craft where professionals create visual content to communicate messages. This can be anything from small projects like logos or presentation templates to website and application interface design. You can start small and use freelancing platforms to create a portfolio. Once you’ve established a body of work, you can start sourcing for clients and dictating your rate of payment. If funds are tight when you are starting out, you can use free tools like Gimp and Canva. After you have steady income, you can upgrade and use the paid ones such as Photoshop. 

3. Video Editing

If you enjoy editing, you can earn from that skill. You can start building your portfolio with your own travels. As you visit amazing sites, spare some time to take great videos and upload them to a YouTube channel like ours. You can eventually earn an income stream from that while building a portfolio to display your work. Then you can use that opportunity to work for others and earn more money. In fact, many large YouTube channels outsource their work.

4. Online Courses and Teaching

The best way to share what you know is by creating pre-recorded online lessons that will help others learn something new. You can create a course about anything you are an expert on including baking, budgeting, or photography. Sean & I combined our passion for personal finance and full-time travel in our course, Full-Time RV Finance.

If you are looking for regular pay related to online teaching, you can teach English to students who are based in China and are between the ages of 4-12 through a company called VIPKid. All classes are held one-on-one and conducted online through their portal (very similar to Skype or Facetime). To apply, all you need is a Bachelor’s degree and some experience teaching or tutoring kids (even Sunday School is relevant).

5. Drop Shipping Ecommerce Business

Drop shipping helps business people who want to operate their business but are scared of huge inventory costs. Drop shipping helps to sell products without having any inventory. It is a great business strategy to make sales; the disadvantage is that you will need upfront starting fees. When done the right way, you will be sure of decent pay. To get started, use an online store like Shopify and get products from Oberlo and AliExpress. Learn more from Shopify’s Ultimate Guide to Drop Shipping.

6. Blogging

Blogging is a great way to earn an income. You can write about something you love, and after gaining more followers, you will make more money. There are several different ways to earn an income through blogging. If you don’t have a blog, you can write for someone else’s. Many companies hired bloggers to write articles for them. If you want to earn money from your own blog, one of the easiest ways is through commissions earned by recommending products you use and trust. Those commissions are also known as affiliate income. Once you have regular traffic to your site, you can also earn money by selling advertising on your site.

Learn more in this FREE online course to help you get started blogging.

7. Become a Social Media Influencer

Did you know you can earn money as an Instagram or TikTok influencer? First you’ll need to build an audience, but it doesn’t have to be huge. Many companies are looking to work with micro influencers that can recommend their products or services. The key to being successful is to also be selective. Only work with companies that you trust and purchase from yourself.

My friend Lauren has written a book sharing her tips for growing your audience: How to Grow To 10K Followers, Become An Influencer, And Start Monetizing Your Account.

8. SEO Services for Small Businesses

One thing that every small business website needs (including bloggers) is help optimizing their sites for search engines. This helps them rank higher on Google, get more website visits, and earn more money. You can learn about SEO techniques online and then offer your services to other online businesses and bloggers. In fact, if you have a blog yourself, it is a great way to market your services and showcase your results. You can offer services from freelance platforms, networking, or cold pitching to new business owners. 

9. Traditional Remote Positions

As previously mentioned, many employers have embrace remote employees. FlexJobs, is a great site for those seeking remote work (also known as telecommuting) positions. Sean used it in his job search after retiring from the Air Force. Don’t worry if you currently have a job that doesn’t seem to lend itself to remote work. Sean worked in a hospital laboratory. Most people would think that can’t be done remotely, but he was able to take the skills and experience he had and find a quality control position that could be performed over the computer.

Other Ideas to Support Full-Time Travel

If you are looking for additional ideas for funding your full-time travel adventures, see this article where I discuss travel and seasonal jobs.

The possibilities are endless. If you can dream it, you can do it!