From Steep to Cheap:Travel for Less in 2019

https://issuu.com/prairie-mountain-media/docs/lmag_marchapril

Wanderlust.  The drive to explore, to discover, to experience. Not only does travel offer the wayfarer a plethora of new experiences through language, food, conversation, and art, but the new experiences that travel offers open the mind to new possibilities, spurring neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons in the brain, birthing great potential for deeper creativity and innovation in our work and home routines.  

“I’d love some new experiences and a few new neurons,” you might say, “but travel is just so expensive.”

“Going somewhere new would be great,” you might ponder, “but there are so many hidden costs and fees when I travel.  It’s such a risk.” 

While it’s true that wandering the world comes at a cost, travelling in 2019 doesn’t have to break the bank.  If your eagerness for exploit has to reconcile with the bottom line of your budget, these cost-reducing travel hacks could make all the difference, bringing the satiation of your wanderlust well within reach.

Flights:

If you’re in a hurry or are not a fan of the research-overkill stage of travel planning, matrix-based search tools like Kayak.com and Google Flights are efficient, effective resources for a quick comparison of available flights within a time-specific window.  However, if you’ve got more time than disposable income and have some flexibility in dates and times, Matrix Airfaire at https://matrix.itasoftware.com/, the software that powers both Kayak and Google Flights, can yield deep discounts on airfare.  To get a great deal using this tool, when entering your departure, destination, and flight times, you’ve got to think outside the blocks.  Counterintuitive as it may seem, with matrix software, sometimes the cheapest way to a destination is to book a flight through a destination, hopping off the flight wherever you want to end up.  For instance, that trip you’ve got next month to Los Angeles to see your favorite band ever might cost less if you book a flight to Seattle that makes a stop in Los Angeles.  Matrix Airfare allows you to see this as a possibility. Note that this fare-hack works best if you are carrying on your luggage as some airlines don’t allow to check your baggage to a location that is not your final destination on your itinerary.

These tips from Skyscanner.com based on historic flight data will help you save even more:

·       For domestic flights, the earlier in the year you purchase flights, the better deal you’ll get; that is until August, when fares traditionally take a dive before climbing back up as we lumber toward holiday travel. For international travel, April and October offer the lowest fares.

·       Booking your domestic flight on a Tuesday, at 5 a.m., 2-3 weeks in advance of your travel offers travelers some savings, while booking your international flight 5-6 months in advance on a Wednesday gives you the most bang for your buck.

Hotels:

Gone are the days when hotels and time shares were a traveler’s only viable lodging options.  Sites like Homeaway.com, VRBO.com, and Airbnb.com now offer unique lodging options that, depending on your destination, can save on cost not only in apples-to-apples comparisons of sleeping spaces, but these “home sharing” options proffer even deeper discounts when travelers make use of the kitchen amenities to cook meals from scratch instead of eating out. Though statistics vary, two recent comprehensive studies published by Forbes magazine and Money Under 30 note that the average cost of eating out is 300 and 500% higher than cooking from scratch. Based on an average cost of $12.75 per person, over a four-day vacation, a family of four would save, on average, about $460 by cooking meals instead of eating in restaurants.  Additionally, if it’s adventure you’re after, the local marketplaces adds a treasure trove of memorable experiences to one’s travels.  Though in cities like San Francisco and San Diego, hotel costs are generally slightly less than home-sharing services, travelers should consider that home-sharing options often sleep more people and, depending on the host, offer a greater sense of the local ethos than most hotels are able to offer.

Luggage:

An often-unexpected source of savings when traveling on the cheap is packing in a carry-on only. Travelling the world on a budget often lands travelers with an itinerary spanning several airlines with long layovers (another great way to see a lot of places for less). Packing light and carrying on your luggage saves money on bag check fees.  For a flight from Denver to JFK on Delta Airlines in March, you’d pay 20% of the cost of your ticket in bag fees for checking even one bag both ways.  If you invest in convertible luggage like Hypath’s 2-in-1 Convertible Travel Bag with detachable day pack, you can zip the day pack and carryon together and store both bags for the price of one should your longing for adventure lead you out of the airport on that lengthy layover.  Luggage like this also offers the option of using the wheels or the storable straps to accommodate varying terrain. 

 Travel Bundling:

As a general rule of thumb, booking all of the pieces of your own travel independently saves money over booking all-inclusive vacations.  Exceptions to this, rule however, are last-minute deals and travel booked during peak seasons.  Online travel companies such as travelzoo.com send out a weekly Top 20 Deals list to subscribers.  If you keep an eye on the top 20 and are willing to travel on short notice, you can often purchase excellent all-inclusive deals for a fraction of their original cost.

While cost is certainly an important consideration in satisfying the voyager in all of us, the right tools can make it possible to nourish our inner nomad. Whether we find adventure in a neighborhood park or on a neighboring continent, engaging in new experiences helps us lean in to personal growth and development, inspiring new heights of creativity, passion, and quality in the one little life we get to live.