How to Save as Much as P30,000 with These 8 Travel Hacks

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Traveling now is the most affordable it’s ever been and you might be missing out on great experiences if you haven’t embraced this opportunity.

It wouldn’t take a lot of your income to travel within the country and even going out. There are a lot of travel destinations just outside Metro Manila where you can unwind over the weekend. You can also have trips outside the Philippines for P16,000 or less.

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But how can you experience many things and not run out of money during that trip? Here are some tips:


Know how you'll pay for things before you get there

Notify your bank that you’ll be using your credit card during your trip to see if you’ll have any international charges that may be incurred during the trip. You should also find out how mandatory fees are paid for. Some airports only accept credit card payments so you should be prepared to have one instead of being stuck there without having one.

Bring medicine even if you’re feeling well at the start of the trip

Getting hospitalized in another is one big disaster for your wallet and your well-being. You can never tell when you’ll be hit with allergies on the food you’ll dry or get sick because of the change in weather at the country where you’re going.

It’s best to bring a first aid kit wherever you go so you can be sure to cure any sickness that will come your way during the trip. It will be inconvenient to go out to find a drug store that doesn’t have the same brands you use.


Use Wifi when contacting loved ones

Save on the international roaming or local load by using the free wifi at the airport, your hotel, and in restaurants. This will save you a lot of money since some of the roaming charges of cellular networks are P110 - P145 per minute for outgoing calls and P18 - P25 for a 160-character text message.

You will not get bill shock if you’re in a postpaid plan when you use this technique.


Get indirect flights to save money

Direct flights have premium prices than those with layovers because they give a shorter travel time for the passenger. There are a lot of long haul flights that you can get if money is more important to you than saved travel time.

You can also book connecting flights with different airline companies to save money. According to Skyscanner, a flight to Phuket, Thailand will cost approximately P12,086 with connecting flights from different airlines but the price can range from P12,769 - P49,086 if you book directly to one flight carrier.


Check the weight of your luggage before you leave home

Excess baggage can be a source of additional fees if you don’t really prepare for your flight in advance. Invest on a baggage scale or just use your weighing scale at home to get the weight of your luggage so you can lighten it in case of over packing.

According to SeatGuru, Cebu Pacific charges P500 per kilogram for domestic flights and short haul flights and they charge P800 for long haul flights. As for Philippine Airlines, P200 is charged per kilogram for all domestic flights and US$4- US$100 per kilogram or piece will be charged to international flights.

If you intend to bring back souvenirs for friends and family, leave baggage allowance to accommodate this without paying extra at the airport.


Find mobile applications that can give you the best discounts

There are numerous mobile apps that you can use to book flights, hotels, and tour packages with big discounts. Some mobile apps even have tie-up programs with various credit cards so that if you use them when purchasing items from their mobile app, you can get exclusive deals and save big.

Some of these apps are:

Flights – SkyScanner, Traveloka, Cheapflights, Kayak, Airlines Promo
Hotels – Expedia, Trivago, Travelbook.ph
Tour Packages - Klook


Get lunch specials

If Vikings has a cheaper lunch price than their dinner buffet, that also applies to other restaurants as well. There are many food places that offer lunch menus which are way cheaper than when you go there during dinner. This is due to the restaurant’s lower cost with a limited menu with people coming in and out every 45 minutes as opposed to the usual 2 hours according to Mikka Luster, a sous chef from Dallas.

You can use this technique if you’re eyeing to try some restaurants during your trip. Do some research to see if they have lunch menus if they don’t have any ongoing promos when you get there.


Earn frequent flyer points through your credit card rewards

The Points Guy has managed to maintain an excellent credit score while using his accumulated air miles to fly Nobel Peace Prize winners internationally so they can promote global peace to communities.

This goes to show that credit cards can be a source of free airfare if you just know how to use it properly.

You will not get bill shock if you’re in a postpaid plan when you use this technique.

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