budget Archives - Seek Your Trip

January 28, 2013 by Arlene

America Bound: How To Save on Transatlantic Travel

The last thing a tourist would wish for is to cut short a trip because of an unexpected shortage of funds. Travelers to the USA fear what they see daily on television: hikes in gas prices, or a weakening dollar which makes travel more expensive.

But though rising costs are often unavoidable, they should not ruin your travel arrangements. Here are some important money-saving tips that will keep you prepared for any such troubles.

Research your destination

Before leaving, it’s good to research your destination. Make a list of priorities, and research free or inexpensive attractions. Investing in a map and a guide book for your destination will save a lot of money and time in locating various tourist hot spots. Its also crucial to pack right to avoid extra cost due to airline baggage fees.

Shop for cheap flights

Shopping around for cheap flights is a must as it forms your first step to your trip and can make or break a visit. In choosing an airline, its crucial to look at the several considerations, such as…

Are there any discounts?
Does the airline land in or near the preferred destination?

It’s always wise to visit various transatlantic discounters such as Meridiana fly, Air Berlin, Condor or Fly Thomas Cook and compare their offers.

Once in the USA, you may need to travel from one state to another. It’s advisable to use regional airlines which service regional airports near major cities. Cheap flights to Atlanta Georgia are available on comparison of major airlines that serves Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International airport. Such airlines include Continental, Frontier, Spirit and American airlines.

If you’re stopped over for some time in Atlanta you can pay a visit to the famous High Museum in midtown or even explore the history rich Marietta suburb which is full of civil war memories.

Jump-off cities tour

Jump-off cities are two destinations which are considered as one. Using the jump-off concept can help save you a lot of money on travel costs. For instance, a visit to the sin city of Las Vegas can easily be extended to visit the Grand Canyon which is about 250 miles away. Likewise, a trip to Washington DC may include visit to the famous Baltimore inner harbor.

Home or apartment rentals instead of hotels

Renting houses or apartments is a cheap option for families and gives the traveler a chance to interact with the locals. It’s wise to research the best available rentals which suits your preferences at your desired destination. This can save you a lot of money compared to booking a hotel room for an extended stay.

Renting an apartment can also save on cost of buying food from hotels as there is the option of preparing your own meals. When on the road, its advisable to avoid tourist designated hotels and lodges. Going to restaurants that are popular with locals saves on the costs of meals and other amenities and also gives the opportunity to experience the destination as a local.

Now you see: A few minutes invested in research will make your tour to the USA enjoyable, and a trip to remember regardless of the economic state of the country and even save some cash for those extra gifts for friends back home 🙂

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Photo by martinteschner on Flickr.

January 24, 2013 by Arlene

5 financial tips to consider before you travel around the world

Whether you are alone or in the company of other people, travelling around the world can be a great experience that you will live to remember. In fact, there are several beautiful places around the world that you can visit like the valleys in Pakistan; Antelope Canyon in USA, Phi Phi Islands in Thailand, Santorini in Greece, Killarney in Ireland, Great Barrier Reef in Australia among others. However, finance is always a bigger challenge. Below are some of the most important financial tips that you should always consider before you embark on travelling around the world.

1. Prepare a budget

A budget is a detailed plan of activities and places that you are planning to visit on your trip. It is always advisable that before you travel around the world, you need to come up with a list of the places that you wish to visit, the activities that you would like to indulge in, and also the amount of money that all the activities will cost. When making the budget, you have to look into your interests and also your financial status. When preparing the budget, it is advisable that you only include what is necessary in order to avoid making the trip so expensive.

2. Start saving early

In order to ensure that your travel around the world is exciting and without inconveniences, it is always advisable that you begin saving early. By starting to save early, you can be able to meet the financial requirements for your trip when the scheduled time for it comes. There are various kinds of saving plans that you can choose from whenever you are planning to travel around the world. In case you are from the UK, ISA is one of the best saving plans that you can use in order to make some money for travelling around the world. However, you should first get answer to the question, ‘is your cash ISA flexible?’ It would be ideal to start saving through this plan in case your ISA cash is not very tight.

3. Do early bookings

Traveling around the world comes with various kinds of challenges especially when it comes to the distance of travelling. For instance, connecting flights from various places like the valleys in Pakistan to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia can be very expensive. It is therefore important that you do advance booking for transport, accommodation among other services that you will need. Early booking can help you in saving a lot on finances since you are likely to get discounts.

4. Conduct a little research online

There are several ways through which you are able to save on finances whenever you are travelling around the world. By doing some little research online, you are able to get useful tips on how to save on expenses while on the trip.

5. Sign up for Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

Response to emergencies can be quite expensive especially when you are out of your country. By signing up for Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (US residents only), you are able to avoid paying for emergency response since that will be taken care of by the state.

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Photo by sprengben on Flickr

January 19, 2013 by Arlene

Traveling On The Cheap

With many still suffering from the less than perfect economy, it’s necessary to understand how to travel cheaply. Families can quickly rack up a huge tab at a restaurant and run through an entire vacation budget in just a few days. It’s expensive to fly an entire family of four or more to any destination and many other activities can wreak havoc on your travel budget quickly. However, there are some ways to travel cheaply.

Start by searching for cheap vacation packages and even if you have to sit through a timeshare presentation, it’s a great way to save a little cash. Sometimes you can grab a deal in the off season months that’s both inexpensive and fun. Keeping a close eye on the prices of different packages online can help you land the right deal at the right time.

Other Ways to Save While Traveling

1. House Not Hotel

One of the most costly parts of traveling is lodging. Hotels are very expensive and can cost over $100 a night. Instead of just considering a hotel for your travel needs, consider renting a house or a cabin. If you play to stay in the same area for several days or weeks, you can usually save money by renting a house. This will also provide many other amenities and comforts a hotel room doesn’t provide.

2. Smart Meal Planning

Once the lodging is taken care of, often the next most expensive part of the trip is feeding everybody. You want to enjoy the local restaurants, but going out for every meal can really add up in a hurry. Instead of spending every night out spending over $100 on the family, plan your restaurant meals at lunchtime. Most restaurants still offer the same dishes, but in smaller portions and at cheaper prices. You can take a family of four to lunch for under $30 and still get the restaurant experience.

3. Grocery Shop and Cook

The only way to eliminate some of the expensive meals you simply cannot afford is to grocery shop and cook for your family. This can be fun, anyway and provide actual family time away from all the activities of the day. In addition, if you rent a home with a kitchen, cooking most of the nights will save you hundreds of dollars.

4. Bring Entertainment

Most families spend time at the beach, an amusement park or somewhere else that can wear everybody out before dinner. When this happens, you might think about just taking in a movie and relaxing, but going to the actual theater is expensive. It’s better to pack a portable DVD player or a computer and use it to play one of your family’s favorite films for the night.

5. Avoid Airlines

If you want to save money on your next trip, travel by car or railway. These are the cheapest ways to travel and even though they may take longer to get to your destination, you can save money that can be used for other fun things on the trip. Families can even plan a trip only a few hundred miles away from home to keep gas expenses down, if they are driving.

Use these tips and make sure to consider all the possibilities when you set up your vacation budget. You want to have fun and indulge some, but you don’t want to come home broke because you spent your life’s savings on one trip.

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Photo by expressmonorail on Flickr.