Since not everyone can travel like a movie star, with first-class seats and 5-star hotels, here are ways to stretch your hard-earned money when going on vacation.
1. Take advantage and maximise airline promo fares. Booking your trip on a weekday is cheaper, and so are certain flight times during the day. Reservations made as far as possible from the date of the trip also cost less.
2. Look for package deals. Sometimes airlines offer free accommodation if you book through them on a given period. Carefully check the conditions, though, because usually the plane tickets are fully restricted, meaning it's non-rebookable, non-reimbursable and non-transferable. If you miss the flight, say goodbye to your money.
3. Research the place you're going to before booking everything. Are the tourist spots far away from each other? That would mean spending more money for transportation. Look for inns and hotels that are nearest to where the activities will mostly be.
4. Google, Google, Google. The Internet is your friend. Check out travel forums and discussion boards. The best people to ask are those who have actually been there, not the flyers for the resort.
5. If you're going out of the country, keep tabs on the exchange rates. As a rule of thumb, bring unmarked US dollars. Some countries will not exchange bills that are stamped or marked in some way.
6. Don't change all your dollars just yet, unless you're going to a place where there are no money changers all the time. Having all those local currency on hand just tempts you to spend everything all at once.
7. Bring emergency money, tucked deep in a safe hiding place. Save this for real emergencies such as lost luggage or missed flights. When you're far away from home, you never know what happens.
8. You don't have to eat at an expensive restaurant to try the local food. The best is almost always on the streets. When the locals line up, that's your clue. Use your better judgment on choosing where to eat though; you don't want to be catching some exotic disease.
9. Bring out the plastic only when you have to. Credit card exchange rates are different from the published rate, so you might get a shocker when you finally get the bill. Besides, credit cards create the illusion of wealth. It's easy to sign for something now, then worry about paying later.
10. Set a budget and stick to it. From your research, make a daily itinerary so you have an idea what you're going to spend each day. Aside from your emergency money, set aside a 10 per cent contingency allowance. You know, for souvenirs.
