EPISODE 31 ~ SAVE MORE: Cheap Vacations: Check Out These Tips To Take Trips For A Fraction Of The Cost

Save more money with The Easy Money Show

Whether you like to take lots of quick 3-day weekends or fewer but longer trips, there are clever, creative strategies for saving on travel.  My guest is Chrissy Pate, who runs the savings website BeCentsable.net and co-wrote the book of the same name.  Chrissy has been featured on Good Morning America, The Early Show, and many more and we’re lucky to have her here on Easy Money.  Welcome, Chrissy!

Let’s whet people’s appetites: what percentage would you say you save on your family’s travel with the tips we’re about to share?

It’s easy to save 50% with a little bit of planning!

Is it better to book early or book at the last minute to save money?

Booking early is usually a better way to save.  BUT if you wait to book until just 5-7 days before you plan to travel, that can yield big savings too, especially if airline seats are undersold.

Another timing question: why is it important to research the high and low seasons for places you want to go?

It’s common to save up to 50 percent by traveling in the off-season.  I’ve learned that THE cheapest air travel season is the two weeks after Thanksgiving, so if you can travel then, that’s great.

What are the cheapest days of the week to fly?

Typically, (though not always), mid-week is best.  So for example, departing on a Wednesday and returning on a Tuesday.

Do you find it useful to sign up for airline emails?  Or is it just more junk in your inbox?

I do find value in a few airlines’ emails because I get notice of fare specials and other offers.  Sometimes they will drop fares dramatically for a short period of time, so be on the look out.

You say you need to go beyond using big websites like Travelocity and Orbitz to book airline tickets.  Why?

Some regional airlines like Allegiant and Southwest don’t submit their fares to those sites.  And they can have great deals!  So you should check sites individually of any airline that flies to your destination. 

What’s your top tip for saving on rental cars?

My favorite tip is to use reward points to book rental cars.

And how about a good tip for saving on hotel rooms?

There are some many reward programs available. My best tip is to pick one and use it to get the most benefits! We like Hotels.com because it’s easy and confident when we are on road trips. 

And know the details of the program!

But maybe your favorite way of saving on a hotel room is not to book a hotel room, right?

Yes, we love booking rental houses for our vacations.  Here are some keys to getting the right keys:

—Book early —like 9m months early.

—In addition to sites like VRBO and AirBnB, try bidding on vacation rentals on eBay.

—Try to rent through an individual owner instead of an agency.  You can often negotiate with the owners.

—If you REALLY want to save: ask if they will waive the cleaning fee if you clean the property yourself.

Now let’s talk about saving on the activities you do on vacation.  Tell us about reciprocity programs.

If you are a member of your local zoo, art museum or other attraction, you may be able to get free passes to visit another city’s attraction.  These reciprocity programs exist for many:

—zoos and aquariums

—Children’s museums

—Science and technology centers

—Art museums

—And botanical gardens.

You also have a warning about deals on activities that aren’t really deals.

Find out what the regular price is before you book that “good deal.”  Many times companies will say ‘kids sail free or half off’ but then the regular price is marked up so you aren’t getting as good a deal as you thought. 

And, finally, souvenirs!  Kids, especially, always want souvenirs.  What’s your trick for those?

Take Disney for example: Many national chain stores like —Target, CVS and Walmart— will carry the SAME products sold at travel gift shops for half the price. You can buy the souvenirs before you leave home or once you get there.  Give the items to your kids as you enjoy your trip and they don’t even have to know you didn’t buy them at the pricy souvenir shop on the grounds of the attraction.

Chrissy Pate, author of Be Centsable and founder of the BeCentsable.net website, thank you so much for being my guest on Easy Money!

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EPISODE 31~ GUEST BLOG: Disney World: How To Magically Save Money

By Chrissy Pate, Founder, BeCentsable.net

Are you dreaming of a Disney Vacation? Here are some great articles with tons of Disney tips and secrets to help you plan your dream Disney vacation and stay on budget!

Disney World Secrets: Disney Tips To Save Money – We recently went to Disney World for 9 days on a family vacation for only $1438 (hotel, plane, rental car, and park tickets). That is just $359 per person for 9 days! I have outlined in this article some Disney Tips and Secrets that we used to have a wonderful vacation on a budget!

READ MORE…

Guest Name: Chrissy Pate

Guest Title: Founder of BeCentsable.net, a free savings website with tips and tricks.

Guest Contact: Find BeCentsable on… Facebook

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Guest Bio:

Chrissy is a stay-at-home mom with two girls from Missouri. Chrissy has helped thousands of subscribers save money without giving up “extras” like travel and entertainment.

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