Save Money Traveling
Finding a killer deal can save you hundreds of dollars, but don't forget that few dollars here and there will also add up. Here is a collection of tips, tricks, and services we use to help save money at every step along the way - booking, flying, and while traveling.
For full transparency - we are affiliates of some of the services/companies below and may earn some money if you sign up or make a purchase with them. This does not change the fact that we use these services for a good reason. We think they are genuinely great and would be using them to save money anyway.
Using the links below is a great way to support us and doesn't cost you anything, but if you would rather not use them, feel free to search for these services on your own. We will still continue to try and make the best travel guides and tips we can.
The Best Cards to Use For Traveling
The right cards can save you tons of money when traveling and are a key part of the frequent traveler's tool kit. The most important part is to make smart decisions and don't go racking up credit card debt to pay for your vacation. The interest rates will end up costing you more than any potential savings.
Charles Schwab Debit Card
Anyone who plans on traveling internationally should look into this card. Charles Schwab is not a bank like Chase or Wells Fargo, but instead offers investment accounts, including an investor checking account. That sounds fancy, but the TLDR is that you can use this card just like you would any other debit card. Deposit/transfer money to your Schwab account, and you can use it anywhere you could use a Visa card.
The Charles Schwab debit card is a must-have for three reasons:
They reimburse 100% of ATM withdraw fees. This doesn't mean you will get a better exchange rate, but when a bank charges you $5-10 just for using a foreign card in their ATM, Charles Schwab will credit that amount back to your account in the following month. This also applies to any ATM fees while in your home country.
There are no foreign transaction fees - meaning you can use your card to make purchases while abroad without Charles Schwab hitting you with an additional fee. Chances are your current bank has a 1-3% transaction fee for every international use.
There are no service fees or account minimums. You wont be hit with a monthly fee that slowly drains your checking account between trips. This also makes Charles Schwab a great short-term option for a vacation savings account (unless you have better places to keep your money).
Chase Sapphire Reserve/Preferred Credit Cards
The Sapphire Reserve credit card has been a favorite of travelers for years. There is a substantial points sign-up bonus that can outright pay for a flight, up to 10 points per dollar on travel, yearly travel credit that can be used towards things like paying for luggage, Priority Pass lounge access, and a handful of other perks that almost any traveler will use.
The only downside is the $550 annual fee (assuming you avoid the interest rates). That sounds steep, but if you travel at least somewhat often, the perks and points you get can easily be worth way more.
Chase Sapphire Preferred is a very similar travel card with a much lower annual fee of $95, but comes with less perks. There are a few other differences between them, so be sure to do your research and do comparison before making your selection - if you do end up going with Chase.
You can learn more and apply for the Sapphire Preferred card through our referral link, but please, please make sure it is the right decision for you. Do not sign up for credit cards unless you understand what you are getting yourself into, are comfortable with all of the terms, and can comfortably pay off the credit card.
Easy or Free Ways to Save Money
The dedicated savers out there want to use every angle possible to squeeze the most out of a travel budget. Here is some cool tech that you might find useful. Some of it your might already use.
Cash-Back Affiliate Services
These super-popular services are used by millions of people. All you need to do is sign up for an account, then every time you want to shop, log into your account and click through a link before you start shopping.
Rakuten is a good example of this - lets take a look at a sample online shopping trip. Say you want to buy a new sweater from your favorite store. All you need to do is make an account and login with Rakuten, click on the link to your favorite store from the Rakuten website, then just buy like you normally would. Your favorite store keeps track of the purchase you made and pays Rakuten a percentage of the sale. That percentage is then shared with you. You just earned money for free.
Usually the affiliate service collects all of the money you have earned and only pays you out a few times a year. This doesn't change the fact that it is still free money for you though.
Many people only use this for clothes and accessories, but some of these cash-back services also offer travel. You can purchase a plane ticket or hotel then get some of that money back a few months down the road. Sometimes it can take longer because you don't get paid until a while AFTER your flights are scheduled. This is because travel is often booked months in advance and they don't want to pay you if you might just cancel or change the flight.
Our favorite has been Rakuten and if you sign up through our referral link we both can earn money.
Cookies & VPNs
Websites use cookies to track users. These cookies are usually harmless and are how the modern internet is able to give you anonymous recommended content or pitch you ads that you might actually be interested in. A downside of cookies is that they let travel websites keep track of you by seeing just how many times you have looked up a flight before. How is this bad?
Lets say you are planning for a trip to Japan and find a decent deal on a flight to Tokyo. A few days later you decide you want to pull the trigger, only to find out that same flight is now $50 more. What happened? Well, the flight might have gotten more expensive, or the website recognized your cookies and wants to try and make a little more money off your purchase.
To get around this problem you can go into your browser settings and clear your cookies/cache then browse in anonymous or incognito mode. This combination should make the website think you are a new user which will help you find the best prices. Make this a habit whenever you search for tickets or hotels.
Want to maximize your savings? You can combine this method with using a VPN.
VPNs are software that encrypt your connection and let you appear to companies and websites like you are someone else, located somewhere else - usually overseas. How would this help? You can't use a VPN to get around cookies, but they can still be used to let you check out prices that are offered in different countries. For example, someone in Europe might see a cheaper price for a ticket than someone in the U.S. VPNs may let you see that cheaper price by tricking the website into thinking you are in a different country.
We have been using Private Internet Access for 6 years. You can save a ton if you sign up for a year or more, they are reliable, and we have not once had an issue with the service. Most VPNs should work just fine though, so feel free to do a bit of research and go with the one you like. If you do want to try out PIA, you can sign up through our referral link.