BUDGET TRAVEL BLOG
Russell Hannon - July 1, 2022
When's the last time a trip cost less than you expected? This travel spending survey says 68% of travelers overspend when on vacation. If you're like most people, you likely don't get to travel as much as you'd like to. And when you finally do break away for a quick escape, you justify overspending using the logic you deserve it, and that you won't let a dollar deprive your long overdue holiday.
TRUTH IS you don't need to spend a fortune to have a great vacation, and here are some quick and easy ways you can save money on a weekend road trip.
WAYS TO SAVE
on ROAD TRIPS
To find the best price for gas at nearby gas stations, Gas Buddy is a GPS integrated app that lists all nearby gas stations with prices by fuel grade and directions from your current location.
If you are a Costco member, nearly every Costco store sells discount coupons redeemable at nearby restaurants, hotels, spas and attractions in the form of 00 pre-paid gift cards you can purchase for 0, and also in bundles of 3 for the price of 2. You won't always find these discounts on the store's website as they are local deals, so you can call a store in your destination city to find out what discount coupons they have, or simply stop into a store once you arrive:
If you subscribe to either Groupon or Living Social, two weeks before your trip, change your hometown in your account to the destination you will be visiting to get emails with discount coupons that target locals. These deals target locals and tourists are often unaware of them:
For 2-for-1 coupons and upward of 40% OFF activities, restaurants, golf, spas, hotels and excursions in most major U.S. cities, TravelZoo.com has more than 1,600 discount coupons neatly organized by city. On their homepage, simply type the name of the city you will be visiting in the search field, then browse all the discount coupons specific to that destination. I did this prior to visiting New York City and scored 2-for-1 tickets to the Lion King on Broadway:
To find inexpensive things to do, before your trip, run a google search using the name of the city you will be visiting with the words 'events newsletter.' When your google search returns all the local events newsletters, sign-up to those that interest you. This is a clever way to learn about free and inexpensive events most tourists do not know of. I did this before traveling to Phoenix, and it's how I learned of a Major League Baseball Cactus League festival taking place in old town Scottsdale. The festival was free to attend, and I would have never known about it had I not signed up to that newsletter:
If you are looking for a last-minute flight, air traffic are prices are heavier on long-weekends, so being flexible is important to getting a good deal. I find great flight deals by following a handful of newsletters and social media pages that scour thousands of online deals and share the crème-de-la-crème for you to cherry pick from. They consistently impress me with great deals, and I list them here.
The most common mistake travelers make on a weekend escape is trying to do too much by cramming as much as you can into the little time that you have. Yes I get that you want to make the most of your weekend escape, but don't discount the value of rest and relation.
The most common mistake travelers make on a weekend escape is trying to do too much by cramming as much as you can into the little time that you have. Yes I get that you want to make the most of your weekend escape, but don't discount the value of rest and relation.
CLICK HERE to hear me discuss ways to cut the cost of a weekend road trip on CBC.
Once feeling unable to afford to travel, Russell Hannon uses lean principles to travel at a fraction of the going rate. He has been featured on CNBC, FOX, CBS, America Tonight, CTV, CBC, Around the World Travel TV and nationally broadcast lifestyle and personal finance shows. He also wrote 'Stop Dreaming Start Traveling: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling More and Spending Less'.
FREE GUIDE: Download 'Beat the best Online Fare - Every Time, Every Flight at breakthetravelbarrier.com