Frugal Travel Tips
Tips on Travelling Frugally

Frugal Travel has become more popular these days with gas prices soaring. High gas prices lead to higher air fares and costs in general.

If you have chosen to include budget vacations in your money management plan, it can't hurt to be frugal about it. With just a few tips you can save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on your travel plans without sacrificing comfort or fun.

Below are some tips on how to travel frugally from transportation booking hotel rooms, vacation packages, dining out, or road trips.

Frugal Travel - Booking Hotel Rooms

Here are some ideas for frugal travel tips for booking hotel rooms:

• Shop around! This is the most important tip for travelling that you can have. Research the destination where you want to go and check out what companies are offering the hotel you want to stay in. I have seen the same type of room go on a hotel website for $300 a night, be offered on a hotel booking sight for $150/night. So it really does pay to shop around.
• Join travel forums and see what companies people are using to book hotel rooms
• Book last minute - Wait until the last minute to book your hotel rooms. Find a hotel room at www.wotif.com in the next 28 days. Websites like this can cut your hotel prices in half.
• Bid on a hotel room - If you aren't too picky about where you stay, book your hotel through a website like www.priceline.com. You will save money and get the class of hotel room that you are looking for just maybe not the actual hotel you are looking for.
• Use your Air Miles or other rewards programs to book your hotel rooms. We use the Sheraton Cash and Points programs often. We get $250/night rooms for $60 and points.
• Use whatever organization discounts you can use that you belong to. For example AAA, CAA, Costco or the AARP.
• Ask for upgrades when you check in - sometimes a tip and a smile will get you a free upgrade (or the cost of the tip anyway)
• Do a home swap or rent an apartment or condo.
• Stay at a hostel or the local YMCA - Hostels in Europe and Australia are sometimes nicer than budget hotels.

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Frugal Travel - Meals While Travelling

Meals in local restaurants are a huge part of travelling and are definitely not to be missed. However it can be expensive, especially in larger cities. Here are some ideas to lower your food bill:

• Take your hotel's breakfast package if reasonable - many hotels offer free continental breakfast for it's guests - however make sure that if you have to pay extra for it that it is a reasonable cost.
• Ask for a small refrigerator in your room and buy cereal and milk or other continental breakfast foods and snacks. Ask hotel for bowls and flatware.
• Avoid room service - they usually charge a fee to bring it to you and a gratuity on top.
• Look in the local area of the hotel for small diner or local restaurants. Ask the employees of the hotel where they like to go to eat.
• Have your big meal at lunch instead of dinner. Value is usually better.
• Skip at least one meal a day in a Restaurant. Go to the local markets and buy breakfast or lunch food and eat in your room, or make a picnic of it.
• Avoid mini bars - don't even touch them as they may have sensors on them that will charge you automatically
• Get your Order to go - you will spend less then if you eat in the restaurant.

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Frugal Travel - Road Trips

Road Trips may make great budget vacations. Here are some frugal travel tips for road trips:

• Rely on local transportation when you arrive at your destination - cut out parking and gas costs.
• Look for incentives from hotels - some will give away gas cards or give you a discount  to offset gas costs.
• Rent a bike or bring yours with you - especially nice for beachside resort type vacations.
• Pick a destination where you can walk a lot - great exercise and will save you on gas costs.
• Drive slower - speed increases your fuel consumption so take it easy on the gas pedal - after all you are on vacation!
• Make sure your car is maintained well - check tire pressure, oil and air filter.
• Meals on the road - take a cooler - or look for where the truck drivers are - they usually know the best food deals.
• Downsize your car - drive a smaller car - better fuel usage.
• Avoid using the A/C if you can.
• Plan your route to avoid traffic congestion.
• Looking for a motel room on the road? Try negotiating with the motel/hotel desk clerk. This may work best if you choose a more expensive motel chain.

Start by checking out the parking lot - is it empty? Half full? (make sure there isn't an attraction or restaurant nearby that has taken over the parking lot of the hotel - that might skew your results). Be friendly as you greet the hotel clerk and ask if they have been busy this evening. If they say it's been slow - ask if you can have a room at a discount. It can't hurt to ask and chances are they will want to fill the rooms. Especially if it is later at night. (note: only try this in smaller towns - larger cities don't have the same type of motivation to fill their rooms). It's better for the hotel to get something for a room then leave it empty.

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Learn More about Frugal Living

To learn more about more about this type of money management and frugal living see the articles below. More will be added regularly, so come back and check them out.

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These articles will outline how to live frugally day to day, tips on saving money, living frugally as a family, the benefits of living frugally, having awesome holidays while still living frugally, and my story of living frugally.

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Frugal Meal Tips
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