Thrifty has everything to do with preservation or STRETCHING of funds... in other words, paying the bills AND going on the trip! In my direct selling career I have had two decades of conferences and incentive trips that didn't always happen during times of prosperity. In order to go, WE (my non-coupon-loving-husband I'm sure is rolling HIS eyes...) had to pinch a penny or two.
A few tips that I have learned might help you stretch your dollars... which means maybe being able to take an EXTRA trip, and I'm all for MORE fun! So here goes:
Take some public transportation. Investigate ahead if you can get public transportation for at least a leg, arm or elbow of the trip. Whether it is from the airport to your hotel, or just when you are heading out sight seeing, or shopping. A lot of hotels offer a shuttle to get around town, or have info about the bus system. But be careful. I was so proud of myself when I paid $2 for a rail pass in Atlanta. I got all the way from the airport to the Mall across the street from my hotel. The problem was that my hotel was on a busy highway. Walking to my hotel with my suitcase through the grass felt a little ridiculous. My favorite tip is to call the hotel directly and ask them if there is public transportation to get from airport to the hotel. Or sometimes I say, "what is the most economical way to get to the hotel from the airport." Airport websites, local tourism and visitor bureaus, and the city's website - are all great resources.
Try a discount travel site. I haven't done airfare on this, but I do hotels all the time. If you have some flexibility, do a NAME YOUR PRICE feature. You can go to Priceline.com for example and put in the dates and region of where you want to stay and then make an offer. But I will tell you, if you go for a 4STAR rating on these hotels, you may have a fabulous hotel, but you will most definitely NOT have a free breakfast, free wi-fi and free parking. And if you add up all that, you didn't save much. So to maximize your savings, go for 3 STARS for the rating and you will find that many of those hotels offer all the extras that really add up. Now if you don't need to be THAT thrifty, and really want to stay at a nice place- go 4 star all the way! I have gotten so many 4 star hotels for $50+ taxes, and I have never stayed at a BAD 4 star hotel. If they don't accept your $50 bid, just add a few bucks each time. It may take you a few days if you are not willing to change your region. But 4 star hotels always have a restaurant affiliated with the hotel, which means Room Service! Warning: this is not a thrifty tip at all... fyi - thrifty people should not order room service. (It is really fun though sometimes and seems easily justified when you got the room for $50!)
Bring some of your own food. My friend Michele was recently mocking me for bringing my small crockpot on our trip to the Bahamas. But when you spend $50 on a pizza for the children on the first night, or $60 on virgin-slushy drinks at the pool.. you will feel pretty good about the mac-n-cheese in the crock pot on day 3! When traveling with kids, a shoe box fits a loaf of bread or sleeves of crackers. A jar of peanut butter is always awesome to have for snacks or lunch. Crystal-lite in those little stick-like slim packages added to water makes a fantastic addition to your water-bottle full of vodka. (Just don't mix up those water bottles! yikes). And whatever you do, get a fridge for the room. Sometimes they charge a fee for it, but if you can put your left-overs in there, then you can have them for a lunch or two. (And you can heat up the leftovers in the crock pot!) Stop at the local grocery for milk, juice and a 12 pack of Diet Coke to help you save as well. And as Michele taught me, most hotels will give you a free fridge if it is for medicinal purposes.
Feel free to comment if you have some more value-minded tips ... I may have a couple decades of experience in being cheap... but I'm sure I have more to learn!
Try a discount travel site. I haven't done airfare on this, but I do hotels all the time. If you have some flexibility, do a NAME YOUR PRICE feature. You can go to Priceline.com for example and put in the dates and region of where you want to stay and then make an offer. But I will tell you, if you go for a 4STAR rating on these hotels, you may have a fabulous hotel, but you will most definitely NOT have a free breakfast, free wi-fi and free parking. And if you add up all that, you didn't save much. So to maximize your savings, go for 3 STARS for the rating and you will find that many of those hotels offer all the extras that really add up. Now if you don't need to be THAT thrifty, and really want to stay at a nice place- go 4 star all the way! I have gotten so many 4 star hotels for $50+ taxes, and I have never stayed at a BAD 4 star hotel. If they don't accept your $50 bid, just add a few bucks each time. It may take you a few days if you are not willing to change your region. But 4 star hotels always have a restaurant affiliated with the hotel, which means Room Service! Warning: this is not a thrifty tip at all... fyi - thrifty people should not order room service. (It is really fun though sometimes and seems easily justified when you got the room for $50!)
Bring some of your own food. My friend Michele was recently mocking me for bringing my small crockpot on our trip to the Bahamas. But when you spend $50 on a pizza for the children on the first night, or $60 on virgin-slushy drinks at the pool.. you will feel pretty good about the mac-n-cheese in the crock pot on day 3! When traveling with kids, a shoe box fits a loaf of bread or sleeves of crackers. A jar of peanut butter is always awesome to have for snacks or lunch. Crystal-lite in those little stick-like slim packages added to water makes a fantastic addition to your water-bottle full of vodka. (Just don't mix up those water bottles! yikes). And whatever you do, get a fridge for the room. Sometimes they charge a fee for it, but if you can put your left-overs in there, then you can have them for a lunch or two. (And you can heat up the leftovers in the crock pot!) Stop at the local grocery for milk, juice and a 12 pack of Diet Coke to help you save as well. And as Michele taught me, most hotels will give you a free fridge if it is for medicinal purposes.
Feel free to comment if you have some more value-minded tips ... I may have a couple decades of experience in being cheap... but I'm sure I have more to learn!
2 comments:
Hello darling,
A word to the wise: do not take your jar of peanut butter thru security, as they will confiscate it. I told the guard, at least take it (brand new jar, mind you, w/the factory seal!) to the breakroom so it doesn't go to waste. He didn't laugh...
WOW -had no idea they would confiscate that! I guess put that one in your checked bag with your loaf of bread :)
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