The Best Travel Tips to Save Money and Time

Traveling is a learning experience. It has taken us a lot of hard work and “learning as we go” to save time and money. We have listed our top 10 tips for traveling in hopes that it helps others along their journey!

Adventure is worthwhile. – Amelia Earhart

1. Use miles and loyalty points to help with the cost of travel. Have one or two credit cards you use to build frequent flier miles. Our preferred cards are the American Airlines Citi Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa Card. We pay groceries, gas, and other expenses using this card. Then at the end of the month, we pay the card off (thus paying zero interest) – this is key to saving you money!

We have flown with miles or miles + cash and have saved thousands of dollars on flights. This way we can travel more, and just use our money wisely.

We also recommend to have another credit card for a hotel brand that you will use consistently. We use the Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card. With this card we pay utility bills and various expenses. We also get a free hotel night stay each year (up to a certain amount of points). We use this nightly stay award on our annual trip to the Caribbean for our anniversary. For example, we fly in a day early to wherever our final connection is. Then we stay at a hotel near the airport (using the points award). That evening, we go to a nice dinner then get to bed at a decent time. The following morning, we get ready then take a shuttle or Uber to the airport to catch the first international flight out to our final destination. This way, we are not only well-rested but we also have the peace of mind that we are just one flight away to officially beginning our vacation. And, once we get to our resort/destination – we typically arrive on or before check-in time!

2. Always look for discounts! Are you a member of AAA? Are you a first-responder? What about military? There are a number of brands that give discounts to various groups.

Speaking of discounts…My husband and I have traveled to 11 Sandals properties. One of the perks of Sandals is that they give firefighters (members of IAFF) a 10% discount. Additionally, Sandals has a loyalty program that is free to enroll in after your first Sandals stay. It’s called Sandals Select. If you are a returning Sandals guest, you can visit the loyalty department at your Sandals resort. You will be given coupons (example – 10 to 15% off the resort shop or photo shop), a bottle of rum, and a t-shirt. They loyalty desk will also quote future vacations for you and if you book on site then you can receive anywhere from an additional 10-12% discount on a room category. Sandals also has other specials, such as the 7-7-7 deal where they have 7 different rooms at 7 different resorts on special for 7 days. We have taken advantage of this a few times and have saved quite a bit of money!

More recently, we just earned our FREE week at a Sandals or Beaches property. What that means is if you have 70 paid nights at a Sandals or Beaches resort, then you earn a free week for a future stay. We are so excited to enjoy another beach vacation next summer!

3. Search flights BEFORE you book a trip! Always go online and check the flight schedule and prices before you commit to a destination. We sometimes have to book trips a year or more in advance due to work schedules. But, we still go online and check flight schedules to make sure our date/s will work. Then when it is time to book the flights, we search incognito or in privacy mode to check flight prices. We have found that it’s better to purchase flights Monday through Wednesday.

4. Do your research. Look at guest reviews, neighborhoods/locations, restaurants, attractions, and any travel authorizations prior to your stay. We take many road trips with our pups in the U.S. I spend quite a bit of time finding a vacation rental that is pet-friendly and in a safe location. If we are traveling internationally, we typically do all-inclusive. But if not then it’s important to know the cost of living, including groceries, housing/accommodations, transportation, etc.

5. Set a budget. As I mentioned above, we take a number of trips each year. For each destination, we have a set budget. With road trips, we budget for gas, the stay/VRBO rental, as well as food/drinks and attractions/experiences. For international trips, we budget for transportation (air/car), hotel/resort stay, food & drinks, and excursions.

6. Travel Insurance. It is so important to have travel insurance! You never know what may occur due to flight cancellations, illness, weather, theft, etc. It is worth it to have the insurance that will cover costs for unexpected events.

7. Travel apps are useful to help with tracking flights, managing bookings, navigating, and planning. We always have the apps for the airlines we frequently fly as well as hotel brands, VRBO, and AirBnB. Additionally, we use Maps and weather apps like MyRadar. And, WhatsApp is a convenient app we use for messaging. Technology definitely makes travel easier!

8. Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. We have had Global Entry for a few years now since we typically travel internationally once or twice a year. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, and let me tell you it has saved us from long lines in customs (and saved us from missing flights!). We highly recommend applying for Global Entry if you travel internationally at least once a year – it is worth every penny! And not to mention that some credit cards (like the United Chase Card) will reimburse you a certain amount of the fee. It’s a win/win!

9. Packing: We take a clear gallon sized Ziploc bag with packaged snacks in case of a layover or delay. It’s also a great idea to keep a reusable water bottle or yeti cup in your travel bag. This way, you can stay hydrated during your travels. There are filtered water fountain stations at many places now, thus allowing you to fill up a water bottle/cup.

10. Ladies: Take a small cross-body purse and keep in your carry-on bag. I use this neoprene carry-on bag (pictured above) that I purchased on Amazon. It has zip-up side pockets on the inside. I can fit my snacks, a book, my sweater, and a light blanket inside. It also makes a great beach bag!

Finally, enjoy the journey – smile and say hello to others. Have friendly conversations with staff and guests. Not only will you learn new things, but you might just make some new friends. In fact, we have formed wonderful friendships with people we have met as we’ve traveled.

Work, Travel, Save, Repeat.

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