Traveling is hands down my favorite thing to do. I absolutely love to explore this beautiful world we live in and soak up all the culture around me. While I love to travel, my wallet disagrees. It’s a love-hate relationship. Right when I think I’ve paid for every expense, another one pops up! It can be so frustrating dishing out dollar after dollar on a trip, which can often cause tension and prevent you from completely enjoying the experience.

Even though traveling is expensive, and it is impossible to go backpacking around Europe without spending a dime, there are simple hacks to cutting corners and saving money! Next time you catch a travel bug and want to go exploring, make sure you read up on the following tips so you’re not breaking the bank!

1. Rack up those Frequent Flyer Miles! If you love exploring the world and often find yourself traveling, you NEED to be taking advantage of a credit card that earns you miles, such as the Alaska Airline’s mileage card. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, make sure that your credit card is working for you!

2. Pick your destination wisely. Before heading off to wherever your heart takes you, check the currency exchange rate! If you want to get the most bang for your buck, choose a location where the US dollar is worth more. If you’re ballin’ on a budget, avoid destinations that are known to be super pricey. There are endless locations in this world, many that won’t break the bank!

3. Bring your own food (and reusable water bottle) to the airport! Why spend seven bucks on a ridiculously over priced, mini bag of Chex Mix when you can bring some from home? As long as you bring solid items (no liquids!), you’ll be good to go! Make sure to bring an empty reusable water bottle as well. Once you get through security, you can fill it up at a fountain! Flying can be exhausting, so make sure to pack healthy snacks that will give you energy throughout your day and stay hydrated. My go-to snacks are almonds, carrots, meat & cheese, and pretzel chips! Your wallet and stomach will be thanking you later.

4. Pack airplane shots. If you want to have an alcoholic beverage during your flight or layover, don’t pay the crazy airport price for a drink! Pack some airplane shots to pour into your free cup of coke or whatever your drink of choice may be and save those dollars. Remember, make sure they are 3 ounces or less!

5. Avoid those dreaded Foreign Fees. I cringe a little every time I hear these words. Do yourself a favor and make sure you research what type of fees could occur when you use your card abroad or you’ll end up like me circa 2014. Like an amateur, I went to Canada for the weekend and decided to take advantage of no sales tax… charging my card WAY too much. Lets just say checking my bank account when I returned to the states, only to see all of the fees that resulted, wasn’t the greatest.

6. Look up deals and discounts for hotels! The Internet is full of so many great promo codes for literally everything. Before you pay for a room, check to see if you can find a discount code. Cheapoair is a great place to start! If you want to experience your destination through a locals view and avoid the touristy scene, check out Airbnb! It is a great option for finding a place to stay and can be a lot cheaper.

7. Speaking of Airbnb, make money while traveling and put your home on Airbnb while you’re away! It’s a great way to have people “house-sit” while you’re gone, and you’ll be making money while you’re out exploring! It’s a win-win.

Those are all my tips for now but I will definitely be adding to this list when more come to mind! I’m off to Las Vegas tomorrow so I’m pretty sure I will think of plenty ways to save after that trip! (I’ll most likely be doing a little post about that trip, so keep your eye out for it!

Anyways, do you catch the travel bug frequently and have your own tricks to being a master traveler? I would love to know, I’m always looking for better ways to explore this amazing world!

xo, Heather Marie

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Travel Hacks You Need To Know