{"id":4357,"date":"2013-12-21T12:48:37","date_gmt":"2013-12-21T20:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/first2board.com\/wanderlusty\/?p=4357"},"modified":"2013-12-21T19:46:26","modified_gmt":"2013-12-22T03:46:26","slug":"save-money-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/first2board.com\/wanderlusty\/2013\/12\/save-money-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Money Money Money, It’s Not a Rich Man’s World"},"content":{"rendered":"

i recently commented on a post by Milenomics<\/a> (who, by the way, is perhaps the best voice of reason when it comes to the miles and points game — well worth your time to follow) about saving money on your travels, and i realized that my blog post on this topic<\/a> is over two years old and way overdue for a revisit.<\/p>\n

\"photo-(1)\"<\/a>much of what i said in 2011 still holds true, but i’ve really ramped up my travel since<\/a> then<\/a>\u00a0which not only means more experience but also a greater demand for frugality (since i don’t, you know, have a money tree).<\/p>\n

so here goes — the way i travel without breaking the bank. (note that i am not into the manufactured spend and cards thing, so i’ll save all that for the experts<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

be flexible — go where it’s cheap<\/h3>\n

while this is not an option for everyone, i’ve found that it’s saved me the most money and allowed me to really get out there. put simply, i let the price dictate the destination.<\/p>\n

\"Untitled\"<\/a><\/p>\n

thanks to the folks at The Flight Deal<\/a>, i’m alerted to fare sales and mistakes, meaning, say, i was able to fly to South America this year for around $400, about the same to Russia, and next year i’m taking advantage of a mistake fare from Mexico City to Buenos Aires for about $150.<\/p>\n

if you’re using award miles, be sure to be flexible with your dates and maybe even your destination so you can redeem for the lowest level. this is when it helps to plan early — check for seats as soon as the booking window opens and keep checking if you don’t see anything. Gary Leff has thoughts on this.<\/a><\/p>\n

in the same vein, award redemptions are great for aspirational travel — getting to go places and on certain flights that would be expensive or otherwise not easy to obtain, like when i did two Hello Kitty flights<\/a> back-to-back in business class. this is probably my main reason for sticking with an airline\/alliance and wanting elite status (so those miles rack up faster, especially since i don’t do the points game).<\/p>\n

live like a local — stay where it’s cheap<\/h3>\n

while there are times when i stay in a hotel (e.g., it’s convenient for an airport overnight, or i need a visa support letter [Russia]), for the most part, i’m a devoted Airbnb<\/a> user. it’s usually cheaper than a hotel and you get much more for your travel dollar. much more space, free internet, washing machines, a kitchen, and way more local color than you’ll find at a hotel have made me a fan.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The main living space of my Airbnb in Singapore. There was a large bedroom with a king-size bed and ginormous bathroom beyond the wall. You definitely couldn’t get this at a hotel for how much I paid.<\/p><\/div>\n

apartment rentals especially make sense when there are multiple people in your party. instead of getting separate hotel rooms which can really add up, get a single large apartment with multiple bedrooms and save save save — assuming you can stand everyone in such close proximity ;). (this is how i normally travel with my parents.)<\/p>\n

you may also get some local perks such as a refillable subway card (so you don’t have to deal with the deposit) or a bikeshare membership card to use during your stay.<\/p>\n

\"BIkeshare

BIkeshare use via my Airbnb host in Hamburg.<\/p><\/div>\n

update<\/em> oh, forgot to mention, having a washing machine at your disposal, at least at one point during your travels, means you can pack less, meaning you can fit everything into a carry-on, meaning fewer fees and no chance of lost luggage! (i almost always travel with just a rollaboard.)<\/p>\n

if you need\/want to be connected, get a local SIM card<\/h3>\n

yep, i’m a social media addict and i need to be connected to work email as well. so i forget roaming plans with their crazy overage charges and use my phone with a local SIM card<\/a>. note this really only applies if you have an unlocked GSM phone, or a CDMA (aka Verizon or Sprint) phone with GSM capabilities. something to note is that all Verizon iPhones are unlocked by default so you can use any SIM card in them.\u00a0use this wiki<\/a> to determine local SIM options, including prices and purchase locations.<\/p>\n

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With O2, 400 MB of 3G for 50 cents a day, SIM card with over \u20ac1 of credit was \u20ac3,50. Score!! pic.twitter.com\/ybb8nxAVGc<\/a><\/p>\n

— Jonathan Khoo (@jonk) August 17, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n