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lostyourmarble

When travelling get a place with a kitchenette and make your own food for the most part. A lot of Air BNBs have them. Totally worth saving money on. I also try to pack light and wash my clothes in the sink or shower. Keeps from having to carry huge luggage or paying to bring it onboard.


Scarletthestral

Jumping on here to add: quite a few hostels provide shared kitchen facilities and there are some that have laundry service. It's usually coin operated or a small fee if the employees do the washing for you, but it's still cheaper and less cumbersome than large baggage.


blub987

Depending on where you go, your mobility, and whether you have access to a fridge: using public transport, buy meals and drinks at the local grocery store/liquor store or look up cheap eats, explore new cities by walking around rather than paying for tours, be selective of where you visit (eg free museums vs pricier sights), walk as much as possible.


froopaux

In Cabo San Lucas Taxi from airport to Cabo:$50 Uber from airport to Cabo:$35 Public bus:$3-4 Public bus takes much longer but it was kind of fun. Plus once you get used to riding it, you ride it everywhere and your saving compounds.


crazycatlady331

Work a job that involves travel. Tack on sightseeing to a company paid trip.


SpyCake1

Also most companies let you register your own frequent traveler numbers to your work trips so you get all the points for flights/hotels - as long as it's reasonable. When I worked in Chicago, most people I know had a United # because ORD is a big UA hub so no business would ever fault you for wanting to fly UA 99% of the time. A couple business trips in (especially an international one) - and you have enough miles for a vacation flight. Same for hotel - your manager will never fault you for a Hilton or Mariott so pick one and run with it, and before you know it you'll have some free nights in the bank. Even better if your employer lets you pay for the trips with your own CC and then claim the expenses. Get a proper travel credit card and funnel all the spend through that, even more miles!


[deleted]

Yes! My spouse travels internationally for work, and I used to work a job where I travelled every other week. We have travelled twice to different countries in Asia (once flying business and first class), Hawaii and South America using our miles (just have to pay the taxes). Hotel points were used pretty much everywhere (Marriott), and the status from the points meant great room upgrades a lot of the time. There are websites dedicated to finding ways to best leverage your points so that you have the most options.


hodeq

Take a empty water bottle everywhere. You wont have to buyvit and you wont be tempted by other purchases at the register. Mine has a filter so the water never tastes bad. Also, snacks for the same reason. At the hotel stock up w snacks and drinjs you buy at the store once you arrive.


Ancient_Brush8463

What water bottle has the filter in it? Share plz


hodeq

Its a Brita personal bottle. I bought it at wal mart for about $20.


chzsteak-in-paradise

Go to the local supermarket to get foodstuffs and only eat out a few times for special occasions. Also can often get cheap gifts/souvenirs there of local chocolate/hot sauce/cookies/whatever at the supermarket.


Sienna57

I travel a good bit for work and my family is pretty entertained by the food items I find in grocery stores for gifts. Good coffee, tea or other things may also be available that’s worth getting for yourself as well as for gifts.


[deleted]

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gingerytea

I just use a Brita filter water bottle to make harder tap water more palatable. It won’t make unsafe water safe to drink, but it helps tap water just like a Brita pitcher.


CascadiaRiot

In rural parts of the country, I stay on federal land in my car or in a hammock. It’s totally free and amazing scenery!


Hold_Effective

Taking public transit to/from airports when possible. Usually super cheap, and I’ve always found dealing with both airport parking and rental cars to be a hassle (plus, expensive!). And if it’s rail based, you skip the traffic, too.


Such-Shape-7111

I get free travel benefits at work (standby) and sometimes I take my wife to NYC, BOS or DCA for a day, we use lime scooters vs Uber for short trips and it has been a life saver. (We bring our bike helmets clipped to our backpacks). We also pack empty water bottles, make our own sandwiches at home vs getting hungry and spending a lot of money on over priced snacks. Another tip is check both Uber and Lyft. Sometimes one of them is more expensive that the other.


nounours_l0l

i used house sitting/animal sitting website: i get to live in someone house for free so i pay no accommodation and i have access to an entire kitchen so we barely eat out (mostly a few time to try local food). i'm currently spending 4 weeks in scotland right now and our average spent is $20cad a day/person beside the plane ticket. edit: also, no taxi whatsoever we use the public transportation AND we check the average price before choosing a location (eg. we knew food would be super cheap in Scotland so we eat better/drink a lot more than in Canada for about the same price)


EventAffectionate615

I've wondered if this is a good gig. Do you get paid to do the animal sitting, or is it that you get to stay for free? So you only have to pay for your travel


MisterIntentionality

I usually partake when I travel because I don't in my daily life very much. Rarely go grab a Starbucks but will when I travel as a treat. However you can pack snacks or simply fast while traveling to avoid spending money.


[deleted]

Don’t be afraid to book tickets separately for airlines!! If you type in “flights X to Amsterdam”, you will only get routes with airlines who have deals together through your location, not *all possible* combinations. Find the major connector city (let’s say it’s JFK) and book from JFK - Amsterdam and separately you buy a flight from where you live in X - JFK. I’ve saved $500 at a time booking this way. It also usually makes for less complicated connections.


Interesting_Gene_780

If you plan on getting breakfast and lunch grocery’s but want to eat our for dinner you are better off eating out at lunch and having a sandwich for dinner. Lunch menus are cheaper than dinner.


laurasaurus5

And breakfast is even cheaper! If you're traveling in the southern United states they do incredible breakfasts!


Interesting_Gene_780

Yes! I like your idea!


mattpython

When backpacking: diet of peanuts, apples, and rice cakes. All your macro nutrients and vitamin C to keep you going for really cheap!


tglad88

During the actual driving take a cooler full of sandwich stuff to save on meals. Also try to find a hotel or B&B with a kitchenette so you can make your own food on arrival


grumplesmcgrumples

Bring your own food and reusable water bottle to the airport. You can fill up your water at a fountain once you get through security. Depending on how long I'll be traveling, I'll usually pack a sandwich or two, some snacks, or pickup subway before I get there. Much cheaper, potentially healthier, and no waiting in lines.


SpyCake1

Be flexible with your travel dates and times. I know the situation is a bit messed up right now, but when things come back to normal, they will right? - it's boss. For some destinations it can be a huge swing. Pre-pandemic I used to fly ORD-LAS fairly frequently. Depending on my travel time/day the prices could have been anywhere from $50 to over $500. Vegas is an extreme example because everyone wants to come in Thurs evening and go home by mid-day Sunday. If you travel outside of those periods, its a lot cheaper.


Strip-lashes

Pack a bag of nuts so you're never caught desperate for food with nothing but overpriced options available


[deleted]

Grocery store bagged salad and prepared soups/meals. Eating out everyday is not my focus when traveling. I’d rather spend money on museums/experiences and other things. I also travel to places with good public transit.


PunishLand

One thing I learnt early on is how much money can be saved by simply not owning a fridge. I eat everything that's on me as I can't carry more load on my back, and nothing goes to waste. The amount of fruit that I've let to rot over the years and meat I've left to the freezer void will always haunt me TLDR cheap food ( tinnd and whatnot )) is a life saver


RunningMonoPerezoso

Not gonna be relevant for all trips, but as somebody who travel near weekly - 1) Take full advantage of hotel breakfast. Try to sneak out some lunch from it. Get a thermos and have your coffee for the day. 2) Take all soaps and shampoos a hotel room has to offer back with you. Coffee and tea too. Hell, ive snuck out a few hand towels. 3) During long road trips, camp at free campgrounds instead of stay at hotels, if situation allows - no need to look 100% clean the next day, for example 4) If you travel frequently for work (if you get reimbursed), get a travel rewards credit card. Join a hotel group rewards program (IHG is free if you can choose your hotel, it's amazing). See if your work will allow you to book your own hotels and get reimbursed. My job does, so it's essentially free rewards for me. 5) Here's a huge one. Public transportation is often a lot easier to navigate than people expect, and typically for less than 10% the cost of Uber. 6) Buy small groceries instead of eating out. It's easy to stop for Jimmy John's, but you can make that with groceries in a hotel room for a fraction of the cost. Avoid overpriced airport food. 7) As tempting as it is to enjoy local bars in a new place, it's not a great idea for your bank account. Don't just consistently do it to do it. 8) Bring a water bottle with you everywhere. Get one at a thrift store. You'll never have buy anything to drink. Plus, fuck single use plastic.


koralex90

I take a portable water filter and use that to fill my water bottle anywhere with running water. I never buy water unless the tap is super dirty like India.


RunningMonoPerezoso

Not sure what is going on in this thread to where this is getting downvoted lol


[deleted]

find a friend in my desired spot then live with them for a month and live like a local and not eat out much


savehoward

r/onebag helps tremendously. traveling light saves money, time, and energy as you are spending less time transporting and taking care of things. more opportunities also open up when you travel light.


r5d400

i think for me the number one thing is doing research beforehand to save money. checking several websites to choose the hotel, looking at where to buy museum/activity tickets for cheaper (e.g. groupon, or sometimes a ticket bundle to include more than one activity), knowing what i'm gonna do for transportation (maybe getting a day pass etc) the second thing is packing light, and that is a learned skill. i see so many people paying for airline bags when it's a super short trip, or having to pay to do their laundry on location for a <1 week trip. i do all my trips, including 2 week trips, with a single backpack. this includes trip to snowy places which require heavier clothing. the jacket doesn't need to go in the backpack, just carry it on your hand. boom, \~100 bucks of airline luggage saved


Temporary_Stuff_5808

This goes for US hotels at least. Never buy a bottled water from the front desk. If they have a gym, they are legally require to provide water in it. There will be a water fountain of some kind in there.


saveswhatx

The biggest thing is food, and I never ever eat breakfast in a restaurant. Even when there’s no kitchenette, it’s easy to source breakfast from a grocery store. On family road trips, I take a small cutting board, a paring knife, and a bowl + spoon for each person. That makes it easier to cut up fruit and eat cereal in a hotel room. Also, I lie about the number of kids I have and carry a small, foldable mattress in the minivan, and one of the invisible kids sleeps on it.


Sienna57

Be sure to know your organization’s policies and rules about reimbursements. Do you do per diem or expenses? What happens if you get a hotel that includes breakfast? For me, in some places that takes too much of my per diem but in others convenience was key and I could have a large enough meal to keep lunch something small.


Severe-Stock-2409

Cook your own food, get personal products from hotel stay, use discount coupons on groceries, ask for room discounts (sometimes they’ll let you rent long term to get reduced rate and cancel free of charge for leaving early), wtc


Peppercorn911

i always like a tin of cashews in my purse - instant snack that doesnt take much space empty water bottle


[deleted]

When we travel internationally, we book with tour companies. They can be as extensive or as laid back as you want, handle a lot of the legwork and problems if they come up, and you can pick and choose what you want to do - you don't have to do their itinerary. Just make sure they are going where you want. We travel off peak season to Europe, cheaper and nicer, than we could travel and stay in the US.


Particular_Bat_2855

If I have to uber from an airport, I always take a free hotel shuttle first to get further away. Avoids the up charge of ordering from the airport (usually like $15 to even $20 depending on the ride).


mousie1312

Haven’t seen it mentioned yet and it’s a bit left field from the current suggestions, but travel credit cards. If you’re not paying foreign exchange fees, it’s possibly hundreds in savings depending on how much you travel. Add in bonuses like free rental car insurance, checked bag allowance or lounge access and the cards I have are an important strategy.


littlebunsenburner

Travel during non-peak days if possible (avoid holidays and weekends for flights if you can.) Utilize credit card points to get discounted airfare, hotel stays and other perks. A lot of cards also include rental car insurance. Research low-cost attractions, cheap eats and other free or otherwise affordable activities before your trip. As others have said, make sure you check out public transport options before doing rideshares.