travel budget
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6 tips to keep travel budget on track. #travel

Keeping Travel budget on track

It is not a secret… I love to travel.  Whenever I am traveling I am in my happy place. But traveling can get expensive, and it helps if you set a travel budget and do things to stay on track.

Traveling can be an incredible experience for both you and your family, but you want to make sure it is not going to be a costly experience as well.

Here are some of the things I try to do to stay on track within the travel budget I have set out for my (our) trip (s).

#1 Travel off season.  

Travelling during the off or shoulder season means that there are likely to be more accommodation available and you will likely get better prices as well as getting better deals on activities and attractions.

travel budget

#2 Fly midweek

If you can be more flexible and fly midweek (Tuesday or Wednesday) you tend to get better prices. Some say purchasing tickets Tuesday afternoon is best. Getting your seats a fair bit ahead of time can also get you a better price.

#3 Pack light

If everyone in the family can take one carry on luggage each and you divide one checked luggage between the family, you will save the added checked luggage fee, or try to fit everything in your allotted carry on and save even more!

travel budget

#4 Alternative Accommodation

Travelling in off season guarantees better selection as well as price, but finding alternate accommodation to hotels such as vacation rentals, and Airbnb can save you a fair bit of money as well. Plus, it can cut down on the cost of food when you have space where you can prepare your own meals – a real convenience when there are any types of dietary restrictions.

travel budget

#5 Save on food

Whether flying or road tripping, always be prepared by carrying extra snacks and food.  If there is a delay in flights, backed up traffic etc., you don’t have to worry about frantically trying to find something to eat that may taste bland and be very overpriced.

Stay in hotels that offer a free full breakfast so you can then have a smaller lunch and enjoy a nice dinner and save you a bit of money. Or switch it up and have your main meal at lunch or get the cheaper lunchtime specials to go and save them for dinner. Some restaurants may also offer early bird specials too – look for those while traveling.

Keep on the lookout for restaurants/cafes where the locals hang out, generally better food and prices and you might make some new friends.  If you have an apartment or house, save money by preparing your meals and shopping at local markets for food.

#6 Save on exchange rates

Exchange money at home before you go. Make sure to have some money available for incidentals when you first get to your destination, exchanging money at home will save the huge exchange fees that they can add on at the destination.

travel budget

 

Budget your spending wisely.

The Canadian dollar is constantly fluctuating,  which can cause a problem when you come home from being away traveling. Suddenly, those items you thought were a great deal,  turn out to have cost a lot more because of the exchange rates and fees on the credit cards at the time of the transaction.

But there is an option…

SellOffVacations Travel FX Card

SellOffVacations actually loads the card with a foreign currency at the time of load, so you enjoy safe and convenient access to funds in the country or countries you are traveling to (only one currency is loaded on the card at a time). Preloading in the country’s currency also means you lock in the foreign exchange rate, so the only fees you pay are the initial charge for the card and exchange rate at the time of conversion (live rates), which protect you from fluctuations while spending abroad.

It’s easy to make transactions directly using your SellOffVacations Travel FX card; you can use the card at millions of locations worldwide, including online, over the phone, and at ATMs – wherever MasterCard is accepted.

You can also load up to the equivalent of $3000 CDN in US Dollar, Mexican Pesos, British Pounds, and Euros.

The Cards are protected with PIN and chip technology with a 24/7 online support team, so security is a priority.

The convenience of being reloadable should you require more funds while you are away, is definitely a plus. You can also track your spending activity so you know if, and when to reload the card. Find out more here  or here.

Coming soon: Load & match deal when you book a Sell Off Vacations trip over a certain value;

    • Load $50 get $50 when you book a Sell Off Vacations trip with a value of over $695;
    • Load $100 get $100 when you book a Sell Off Vacations trip with a value of over $1,100

Do you have any travel tips to help you stay on a budget?

*DISCLAIMER: This post is brought to you by SellOffVacations™. All thoughts, opinions are my own.

 

Photo via Visual Hunt

 

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  1. Packing lite is definitely a great idea everywhere you go. It saves space, time and money! 🙂

    1. Yes, so many people take so much more than they need… And they have to carry it around!! 🙁

  2. I find the best exchange rates by using my ATM card in the country I’m visiting – much better than buying currency in the U.S. (may be different in Canada). Plus I have an ATM account with no foreign fees so that helps too. You’re so right about bringing your own snacks – not only is stuff in airports a fortune and lousy but it isn’t healthy either. Yuck!

    1. Yeah… I think it does work a little different with Canadian accounts.. in some ways, you guys do have some advantages! The food in the airport is way too expensive and you are right, not always the healthiest!

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