This summer, many Americans will be taking to the roads and skies to vacation domestically and internationally. Since the costs of hotels, airfare, and travel activities can be high, we have compiled a few tips for saving money on these things now.
*Book a local trip at the last minute. Airfares tend to increase a lot if you wait until the last minute to book them, but hotels often offer last minute rates that are enticing. For instance, websites such as priceline.com and hoteltonight.com offer lower-priced last-minute bookings.
*Use Google’s flight tracker to track airfares. By entering your departure and destination cities and your dates of travel, google will inform you about whether airfares advertised right now are above or below the normal price for that trip. You can also have the website send alerts to you when airfares change.
*Don’t check a bag on your flight. Checking a bag can cost $25 or $50 one-way. If you can purchase a small carry-on bag with enough space for the clothes you need, that saves quite a bit of money. Even doing laundry during your trip is a lot cheaper than paying for checked luggage.
*Use an app such as Gasbuddy or Upside to locate gas stations on your route that have cheaper prices.
Sage Personal Finance 