Penny Pinching Travels

Your Passport to Savings

Author

Madelyn
November 07, 2023

Hey Girlies! It’s me, Madelyn, coming to you on this late Tuesday night to throw some knowledge at your beautiful shining, thriving, or (just barely surviving) faces. Whether there be bags under your eyes or designer bags under your shoulders, you deserve to save some money and experience the world without it disemboweling your bank account!! Yikes, ew.

🦋Monarch Menu

  • Penny-Pinching Adventures: Maximize Experiences, Minimize Costs

  • The Art of Frugal Wanderlust: Thrifty Travel Tips

  • The Savvy Traveler's Toolkit: Apps, Websites, and More

Adventure is just around the corner, if it be finding local gems or pouncing at low priced flights! (Bailey and I just found round trip tickets to Florida for only like $32 or something) All sounds so good, right? It IS good, but there’s also a lot of hidden costs quickly added onto the overall price; (picking seats, checked bags, etc.)

Here are a few little tips and tricks I found to help keep you and your wallet happy…

Actual footage of me packing “light”

Penny-Pinching Adventures

  • Plan your trip for seasons that aren’t going to be super busy at the airport. Try to avoid traveling for leisure around holidays or spring breaks, as these events will skyrocket your ticket prices because demand is higher.🎫🌴

  • Book your stays while on a private browsing window. Clear your browser cookies and go incognito when you're hunting for flights. Websites can play tricks by remembering the prices they showed you before. So, keep things competitive and your trips budget-friendly by searching in secret mode! 😎💰

  • Do your own research pertaining to your trip, a major slip-up for savvy travelers is rushing into things. We get it, patience isn't always our strong suit, but why not take a breather, dive into some exciting blogs, shop around, chat with fellow travelers, and check out reviews? Your wallet and your adventure will thank you! Look into hostiles (if that’s your thing) they are usually way cheaper, but be aware that you could be sharing your space with total strangers. I’d advise you to only stay in a hostile if you are traveling with others.🌟💬

  • Travel Tuesdays!!! When booking flights, Tuesdays are usually always the cheapest day to book, if your calendar and schedule allow it, try to take off and come back on the day that starts with a “T” and ends with a “oozday”! 🗓️☀️

  • Unlock the world of travel hacking and enjoy incredible adventures on a budget. It's all about amassing travel points and miles from credit cards to score amazing freebies. With these rewards, you can snag free flights, hotel stays, tours, and even luxurious experiences. Imagine sipping wine in a Roman villa or exploring the Galapagos Islands for a fraction of the cost! The best part? Anyone can be a travel hacking pro. Just grab an airline, travel, or rewards card with a juicy 50,000+ points signup bonus and make everyday purchases with it. For a turbo boost, take surveys and do some online shopping. Feel free to mix and match cards to cover everything from accommodation to airfare, leaving you with more cash to create unforgettable travel memories.✈️💳

Actual Footage of me using Frontier Airlines

The Art of Frugal Wanderlust

  • Save big on airfare with some savvy strategies. While popular platforms like Google Flights and Booking(.com) help, there are even better deals out there. Try WhichBudget, a fantastic site showcasing a multitude of budget airlines across 200+ countries. Hunt for your flights ahead of time and steer clear of holiday booking, when prices skyrocket. Smaller airports in your destination can also mean lower costs. Plus, keep your expenses down by skipping checked luggage, especially on multi-country trips. ✈️💰 (Pack light, your back and wallet will thank you)

  • Be smart and avoid tourist traps before you travel. Know the potential pitfalls in each city, whether it's overpriced public transport or touristy scams. Negotiate prices upfront for transport or attractions. (That’s right b!tch, learn to haggle.) To save on food and lodging, book through trusted websites before you arrive. 🌍🚌

  • Enjoy smaller local resturants with authentic food, drink like a local and stop at the corner store before going out. Stock up on your preferred alcohol and get a buzz before you go to the bars. (House wines and bottom shelf will still get you feeling right, plus since you’re in a whole new place, even the low quality stuff can be exciting to experience for the first time! 🍷🥐

    Actual footage of Bailey and I cheersing bottom shelf liquor

The Savvy Traveler’s Toolkit

  • Using apps can make things easier for you when planning a trip, apps like Hopper, Roadtrippers, TripCase, Tripit and Airbnb can help you save and alleviate some stress planning may bring. (Remember to be incognito mode.)🤫📱

  • Take the fear of language barriers out with a quick download and probably a lil lunch money! Depending on where you are going you may want to download a translating app such as iTranslate, TripLingo or Papago. There are many options out there and some are cheaper than others, but I’d rather pay for something that’s going to help than risk it for the language barrier biscuit. (Doesn’t sound tasty and may even be a bit dangerous at times.)🗣️❓

  • Want to join some local events to get an authentic feel for your destination and the people living there? Meetup and Eventbrite are websites that can do just that! Select the kind of events you’d like to join and badabing-badaboom baby, all right there. I actually used Meetup for “Shy People” Meetups when I was lacking friends lmao I cant believe I’m telling you guys this. I never went though because of this little thing called ~anxiety~ But they are ALWAYS posting events! Also- pretty sure our local bar crawl planners use Eventbrite! Both reliable sources amongst many other ones!🌃🎉

    Actual Footage of me at a Shy People Meetup

Well Folks, I know this one was a little shorter than our usual, but I hope you found some new knowledge within it. I listed my sources below and linked them (as we always do!!) So feel free to look around those articles too when planning your next trip or just wanting more insight! Until Thursday, safe travels.

Sources