Are you dreaming of a getaway to relax and recharge, but finding it difficult to save money for a holiday?
No need to worry, we’ve got you covered with our comprehensive A to Z savings guide. Some of these money-saving tips may seem so straightforward and obvious, yet you never implemented them, we are here to remind you. Some of these other money saving hacks will truly amaze you and transform the way you save money for a holiday in paradise!
At the time of writing this savings article, we have been traveling full-time for more than two years, and we consistently apply each of these money-saving tips we will mention in this article.
Don’t let the term “full-time travel” give you the impression that we’re enduring a rugged lifestyle while exploring the globe. Contrary to what some people may believe, we are not living like paupers, we do enjoy our luxury as well during our travels!
Each money-saving tip we will give, helps you save money without compromising on quality. Let’s waste no more time, we have lots of money saving hacks to get through!
Save Money for a Holiday: A to Z List
Here’s are our own A to Z list of money saving hacks to save money for a holiday – all of these money saving ideas can be related to a weekend trip, or any travel-related adventure.
Here’s our personal A to Z compilation of money saving tips that will help your cost saving strategy for a holiday. However, each of these suggestions is also applicable to a day trip, weekend getaway or any travel-related adventure you may be going on.
A. Assumption:
The very first money saving tip we want to share is assumption. Have you ever heard of the term – Assumption is the mother of all F-ups?
Don’t just assume, that because certain accommodation is cheap that it will be of bad quality.
We have stayed in places in Thailand and Indonesia, for under 15 Euros, featuring beautiful rooms with air conditioning, complimentary breakfast, and access to a swimming pool. Yet many people wrongly believe that we must stay in cardboard boxes while we travel the world…..
When saving for a holiday, think about opting for budget-friendly hotels or guesthouses rather than luxury accommodations that can cost up to five times more, as you can often find similarly high-quality stays at a fraction of the price.
B. BYO:
Our next money saving hack while on holidays is BYO. Just as some restaurants allow you to bring your own alcohol (BYO).
Heading to the beach for the sunset? Grab some drinks from a local store at half the price of a beachfront bar to enjoy while you watch. Later that night you can go out for drinks in the bar
Why not apply the same idea to tours and day trips? Bringing your own lunch , drinks, and snacks can save you a significant amount compared to the inflated prices of food at tourist hotspots.
Read all about how to use booking.com flights.
C. Cashback:
This is one of our favorite tips to save money for a holiday.
Use cashback credit cards or apps that offer rewards for travel-related expenses. We book our accommodation through TopCashBack and ShopBack apps and have saved over $1000 in the past year. It is free money people!
D. Deals:
A great cost saving strategy for holidays is to keep an eye out for package deals that include flights, accommodations, and activities at a discounted rate.
You don’t have to wait for the craze of Black Friday to get good deals, there are always good deals out there, you just have to keep a look out.
Book accommodations that provide complimentary breakfast, free airport transfers, and access to coffee and bottled water at no extra charge.
Don’t forget to sign up with Money saving platforms such as Groupon, and living social that offer fantastic deals on restaurants, tours, and other activities.
E. Early Bird:
Another cost saving strategy for holidays is to book your trip early to take advantage of early bird discounts or promotions.
Keep an eye out on such sites as these for amazing early bird deals on flights anywhere in the world.
F. Flexibility:
For our next money saving tip we want to discuss the word flexibility. If you are flexible with your travel dates and consider off-peak seasons you will come across mazing offers and a lot cheaper prices for accommodation and flights.
Most of our travel tips to save money for a holiday involve becoming a bit of an Hawkeye, and you guessed it, keeping a look out for those unbeatable deals!
Trust us, nabbing that fantastic deal will not only save you money but also make your holiday experience feel even more rewarding!
Begin exploring flight options now by looking into off-peak seasons. You will be surprised at the many affordable destinations you can find on Trip.com that not only features a very rewarding loyalty program and perks such as free airport lounge access, but also great deals that will save money for a holiday.
If you appreciate our tips and recommendations, please consider supporting us by using the links we provide. They earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for being part of our journey!
G. Gas:
Use gas-saving apps or websites to find the cheapest fuel prices for your road trip. When we were planning our big Australia road trip we always checked Petrol Spy app for the cheapest petrol.
This may feel like an insignificant way to save money for a holiday, but every penny adds up (you will read this a lot!)
Obviously, don’t drive 100km out of your travel to fill up on cheaper petrol – this would not be smart saving!
H. Hitchhike:
Of course, this rule doesn’t apply if you’re on a family vacation! However, if you’re traveling solo, with a small group of friends, or as a couple, you might want to consider hitchhiking.
In many Central Asian countries, hitchhiking is a common way to get around. We’ve hitchhiked in Indonesia, Tajikistan, and even in Sudan during our travels, and it can provide an adventurous day filled with the opportunity to make new friends.
However, for safety reasons, we wouldn’t recommend this option it for solo female travelers.
I. Insurance:
Invest in travel insurance to protect yourself against unexpected expenses or cancellations.
WorldNomads – Travel insurance is our go-to insurance company. They have the best fine print of all travel insurance companies and are number one for a reason.
J. Justify
To save money whiles on holiday, it is important to occasionally reflect on whether you can justify spending a certain amount of money on an attraction or activity. Ask yourself the question – Is it truly worth it?
We’ve encountered national parks that charge a $20 entrance fee per person, even when there isn’t anything remarkable to see! Why spend that money then?
We’ve often made conscious decisions about specific attractions and concluded that we didn’t want to spend that much money on them, and that’s perfectly OK.
K. Keep:
Another important way to save money for a holiday is to keep an eye on your expenses and track your spending to avoid overspending.
We use a budget app called TravelSpend to track our spending while travelling, but there are many apps out there that all pretty much offer the same services.
L. Low-Season:
Travel during the low season (off-peak) for lower prices on flights, accommodations, and activities.
We love travelling during low season and feel that the pros outweigh the cons in many ways, cheaper accommodation and fewer crowds – yes please!
Just do your research that it is not a destination that experiences flooding, cyclones etc during this time, that is a different story altogether!
M. Money Travel Cards:
Another top tip to save money for a holiday is to use Money travel cards.
You can order these from some banks such as Commonwealth Bank or set up a Revolut account.
We have both, just to have spare ones in case we lose any.
The main benefit of travel money cards is that their are no foreign transaction fees, and if you have experienced these fees before you know how much they can add up while on holiday.
Other benefits of having a travel money card include:
Preloaded Funds: You can load a specific amount of money onto the card before you travel, which helps with budgeting and avoids overspending.
Lock in Exchange Rates: Many travel money cards allow you to lock in exchange rates in advance, protecting you from fluctuations in currency value.
Widely Accepted: They are accepted at millions of locations worldwide, including online, in stores, and at ATMs, making them a convenient option.
Multiple Currencies: Some cards allow you to hold multiple currencies on the same card, which is useful if you’re traveling to several countries.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: Many travel money cards do not charge foreign transaction fees, which can save you money compared to using a credit or debit card abroad.
Budget Control: With a preloaded amount, you can control and monitor your spending more effectively.
Easy to Use: They function like a regular debit or credit card, making transactions straightforward and familiar.
We highly recommend using a travel money card as part of your way to save money for a holiday.
N. Negotiate:
Negotiate prices with service providers, such as taxi drivers or tour operators, to get a better deal.
Always ask for a discount, for anything! You never know, and the worst that can happen is that they said “no”.
We once were with a friend in New Zealand on a quiet Sunday evening who asked a barman for a discount on pints ordered, and the barman gave him one!!
Now that was a first even for us! If you don’t shoot, you won’t score!
O: Opt for Generic Brands
Choose generic or store brands instead of name brands to save on groceries and other items.
We are a couple who enjoys their chocolate, but we can tell you that we don’t purchase a snickers bar everyday. Instead, we opt for the generic brand of a snickers bar for a third of the cost.
All those $ add up. And, it tastes just as good too!
P: Prepare Your Meals
This is probably the tip to save money for a holiday that has saved us the most money – prepare your own meals.
By preparing meals at home, you will significantly reduce your dining out expenses. For instance, consider the cost of bacon and eggs when going out for breakfast compared to a meal you can easily prepare yourself at a fraction of the cost.
For lunch, try making your own sandwich. Not only will it will much cheaper, but it will also be much healthier without the addition of French fries on the side that come with many lunches in holiday destinations.
And when going out for drinks, why not enjoy a pizza that you can pop in the oven when you get home.
All of these easy trick will save you a lot of money when on holidays.
We booked accommodations which offer kitchen facilities so we can cook our own meals or to prepare our own foods to have outside “picnic style”.
You can read all about how we eat cheap around the world.
Q. Quotas:
Use quotas or limits on your credit cards or accounts to stay within budget.
R. Research:
Research your destination thoroughly to avoid unnecessary expenses and plan ahead.
Know the general gist of visas, accommodation and tours in the area so that you can best save for the holiday of a lifetime. Most importantly, with no big surprise costs!
S: Set Up Automatic Transfers
Automatically transfer a set amount of money into your savings account each month.
We highly recommend UBank as after researching many Australian banks, UBank offered the best interest rate on our savings.
So much so, that after 2 years of full time travel we are still receiving over $1000 interest per month on our savings.
T. Transportation:
This tip to save money for a holiday is another big money saver. Taxis and private drivers are expensive!!
Use public transportation instead of taking taxis or renting cars for expensive transportation options.
The most economical choice to save money while on holidays, and one of our favorites, is to walk! Take the time to explore the local neighborhoods, engage with the residents, and immerse yourself in the unique culture and atmosphere of the area.
Take some time to research a local route and to use local transport. For a small bit of effort this money saving tip will save you a fortune. You will be sitting down travelling in the same direction after all, you just have to figure out the bus number that’s it! But at a fraction of the cost.
Plus, it is much more of an adventure and no doubt, you will have a story or two to tell when you return from your holiday by travelling this way.
Remember, most people are lovely and will help you along the way.
Read our 77 easy travel tips from our real experiences.
U. Upgrade:
Consider upgrading to a higher-tier accommodation or activity package at a discounted rate.
To save money for a holiday get to the genius level (or equivalent) on apps such as Booking.com and Trip.com.
On booking apps, “Genius Level” typically refers to a loyalty program or tier that offers exclusive benefits to frequent users. For example, on Booking.com, the Genius program rewards frequent travelers with perks such as:
- Discounts: Special discounts on bookings that aren’t available to regular users.
- Free Upgrades: Complimentary upgrades to better rooms or properties when available.
- Exclusive Deals: Access to deals or promotions that are exclusive to Genius members.
To achieve Genius Level status, users generally need to complete a certain number of bookings or meet other criteria set by the platform.
We always get either free breakfast, free room upgrades or discounted costs when booking our accommodations nowadays. On occasions, we even receive VIP lounge access prior to a flight. When traveling full time such perks are very much appreciated.
V. Visa-Free:
Visas can be expensive when traveling so consider visiting visa-free countries and destinations to avoid additional fees and expenses. On our Cairo to Cape Town trip we had to spend a lot of money on visa’s, including a fee of 150 USD per person for Sudan.
Fortunately, there are numerous countries that offer visa-free entry, including our all-time favourite Thailand, Taiwan, South Africa, and destinations in Central Asia, Central America, and South America.
W. Water Bottle:
Bring a refillable water bottle to avoid buying overpriced bottled water during your trip.
An even better tip for how to save money for your holiday is to invest in a bottle filter if you are planning on visiting such countries as Tajikistan.
Trust us, you will save money by avoid food poisoning and possibly ending up in hospital!!
X. X-Factors:
Consider X-factors like weather, festivals, or events that might affect prices and plan accordingly.
Y: Yard sale
Do you have a shed or garage filled with items you consider to be rubbish? Instead of tossing all that clutter away, consider hosting a yard sale.
You’d be surprised at how many people are willing to buy your unwanted items, and those small amounts can quickly add up to a substantial sum that can contribute to your holiday savings.
Before we started our road trip across Australia, we decided to sell a variety of things we were planning to throw out, such as a well worn barbecue, old bicycles, and outdated exercise equipment. And would you believe, everything sold giving us nearly 600 dollars extra!
Z. Zero-Inflation:
Set a zero-inflation budget for souvenirs and snacks to avoid overspending on unnecessary items.
Setting a “zero-inflation” budget for souvenirs and snacks means allocating a specific, fixed amount of money for these expenses before your trip and sticking to it – yes this relates to chocolate too!
It can be easy to allow such spending as they are only a few $, but as we keep saying the big saving are in the small actions and all these “small spending” do eat into your over all budget.
Remember, budgeting is all about making smart choices and being mindful of your spending on holiday. With these A to Z money saving hacks, you’ll be well on your way to a stress-free and affordable travel adventure!
Enjoy These Money Saving Tips for a Holiday!
There you have it our A to Z tips to save money for a holiday. What do you think? Are there any ones we have left out?
By implementing these money-saving tips, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying your holiday without breaking the bank.
Not only will you save money, but you might also find yourself able to extend your trip or plan an additional holiday.
Each money saving tip ensures you can save without sacrificing quality.
You are welcome. Happy travels!
What are your thoughts? Do you think by using the tips above that you too can save money for a holiday?
We would love to hear what you think. Please feel free to leave us a message below or contact us through our socials.
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