Little Budget Travel Book Giveaway

August 9, 2009

Going on vacation is fun but I do have a problem with it.  Not only are you not earning money while you’re away, you’re also typically spending more money than you would at home.  Of course, I’m not suggesting that you skip your vacation, just find some ways to make it cheaper!

David Ning, over at Money Ning, recently came out with a book called the Little Budget Travel Book that might help you do just that.  Here is what he says about the book, it’s for those who:

    * Want to Spend Less Traveling
    * Wonder Why Your Friends are Always on Vacation
    * Like to Have More Fun Without Emptying the Bank Account
    * Care about Money but Still Believe Experiences are Key to Happiness

I also stopped by Amazon to see what the reviewers over there had to say.  Here’s a review by Mike Piper.

“As you can see from the page count, this book is quite short. There’s very little fluff. The whole book start to finish is tip after tip for saving money on your travels.

 

As to the quality/freshness of the suggestions, I found the overwhelming majority of them to be ones I hadn’t heard before. (Though admittedly, my wife and I aren’t very frequent travelers.)

 

I found myself taking a lot of notes as I read it, and there’s no doubt that I’ll be reading through it again before planning our next trip. If you actually use the tips in this book, it’s easy to see how it could pay for itself many times over with just one trip.”

 

David is going to give away a copy of his new book to two Money Smart Life readers.  To enter the giveaway simply leave a comment below with your favorite frugal travel tip. The giveaway will end on August 17th when I’ll randomly select two people who have left a comment and David will send them a book!

I’ll start it off with one of my travel tips that saves us money every time we fly somewhere.  Park in satellite parking and take the free bus or train into the airport so you don’t have to pay the high rates at the parking garages close to the terminals.

Leave your budget travel tips below, good luck!

Ben

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Ben
Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

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Comments

24 Responses to Little Budget Travel Book Giveaway

  • Greg

    My wife and I are going to Grand Cayman in a less than a month. I have heard from people after we bought the trip (at a great price I must say) that it’s soooo expensive to visit. A coworker told me she stopped through there on a cruse and bought a Coke for $6.00. Ridiculous! I wish I found this out before we bought the trip. That’s probably why we got a killer deal on it. It sounds like this book would come in handy.

  • Matt

    Some hotels have a deal where they let you book way in advance – but they hit your credit card immediately upon reservation and you can’t cancel without losing the whole amount.

    Tough rules, but if you know you have to be somewhere no matter what, its a deal. I saved more than $20 a night on their best price the last time I did it.

  • Erica

    When flying internationally (and domestic in some cases), we always look to see if we can fly in one place and fly out of another, so that we can see as many places as possible. Sometimes it doesn’t cost anymore to do that and you get to see more.

  • Gaby @ Starting Fresh

    I subscribe to airline emails and frugaltraveler to hear about fare discounts. This has helped me find good rates.

    I also try not to travel during major peak seasons or to leave on a Thursday and spend the weekend. The rates tend to be higher on Friday evenings…

    I do check for the lowest F/X especially when I’m traveling to a tourist spot. Some stores will give you a lower price if you pay in cash or US$, so I ask. Especially when in Asia.

    Those are my tips!

    Thanks for the entry.

  • Kirk

    On a flight where you have checked your luggage, make sure that you have at least a clean shirt, socks and underwear in your carry-on in case your main bag gets lost!

    Also, tie a piece of brightly colored ribbon or something around the handle to distinguish your bag from everyone elses. It makes it waaaay easier to identify on the carousel and prevents someone from accidentally walking off with it.

  • Dee

    Pack “just in case” clothes, but not too many.

    Just in case it’s cold.
    Just in case it rains.
    Just in case I need to go somewhere nice.

    Make sure these are versatile pieces, like the “nice” outfit should be something that can be dressed up or down.

    If you don’t have these just in case pieces, you’ll end up spending money to buy items you already have at home when the event arises for them.

  • ethel

    Go online to find the different satellite parking companies at your local airport. Most of these offer online coupons, and you can also price shop to find the cheapest long-term parking option. The other great thing about this is that generally you don’t have to print out the coupon before you park; you can submit it as you exit. This means that if you forget to do it when you park, you can print out the coupon as you print out your boarding pass for your return flight.

    Also, use your digital camera to take pictures of the mass transit maps in the city that you are visiting. This will usually provide you a better and more detailed visual than a guide book. And of course, it’s free.

  • Sarah

    Signing up for e-newsletters from the airlines that I travel most often has saved me hundreds of dollars. They let you know the dates and restrictions of their next seat sale, and if you plan ahead you can wait to book during these dates.

  • Amy

    When traveling overseas, you can save money by takingan overnight train or flight to your next destination – that makes one less night you have to pay for a hotel room. And, that way you don’t spend a precious vacation day sitting in an airport or on a train.

  • kelligirl

    I like to take a couple of decks of cards along for those down times– stranded in airport, etc. They really don’t weigh that much in a backpack or carryon. There are many games to play from Solitaire, to Old Maid (use joker as the old maid), War, Slapjack, etc and is a nice way to pass the time. You can also make new friends by inviting other stranded passengers to play as well.

    I have bought clearance toys/activity books/markers/colored pencils/paperback books and wrapped them in leftover wrapping paper to hand out at specific points. Weight of objects depends on whether we are travelling by car or plane.

    Also, I have gone online and googled games and activities to play in the car, travel games and activities and then printed out worksheets specifically tailored to my children’s ages and interests. I three- hole punch them and put them in folders for each child everything from mazes, to grammar and math pages, to coloring pages, to license plate bingo, etc.

  • Ben

    Thanks everyone for the travel tips, keep them coming so we can all save more on the go!

  • Chetan

    Before road trips, it helps to check the vehicle tire pressure, oil level etc. to save money and time. The worst place to have a vehicle break down is some remote highway from where you end up paying hefty towing fee above what is covered by AAA or insurance.

    Also, check rental car coupons! Sites like retailmenot have tons of those. Lot of airlines websites have coupons too.

  • JD

    Curious if he talks about house-swapping

  • Bobbi

    Pack snacks for flights and a cooler for road trips. Also games for the kids to keep them busy.

  • Megan

    When we travel, I like to look for coupons online for attractions or museums. I’ve always been able to find coupons for a few dollars off, and sometimes you come across some really cool places to visit that you might not have seen otherwise.

    Also, if you’re a AAA member, check if your hotel gives a discount and look for the AAA discount at places you visit. When we went to Niagara Falls, many of the attractions (like the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum) offered a discount to AAA members.

  • Angela

    If you’re traveling with a family (or a group for that matter), consider renting a house or apartment instead of staying in a hotel. The base price per person is often cheaper, plus you’ll have cooking (and probably laundry) facilities available.

    We have rented homes on the Eastern seabord, in the UK and in France and have had great and moneysaving experiences everywhere. You can find info. on rentals from tourist boards, real estate brokers, books (there are books just about rentals in Europe) and the internet.

  • Sandra Jensen

    Food is often the bigest expense on a road trip. Shop at a regular grocery store for breakfast and lunch foods, enjoy breakfast in your room, and a picnic lunch at a roadside park. Save your food money for a nice supper out.

  • Kathleen

    We like to take a cooler for food and drinks on our road trips. It especially helped when the children were younger. We also have travel games which helps the time move more quickly.

  • Laura M.

    Bring snacks… that way you’re not stopping on the side of the road buying chips, sodas, etc that are pricier and unhealthy.

  • Jimi

    I usually pack food for road trips. It’s much less expensive then stopping every time someone gets hungry.

  • Sue

    The cost of food at airports is outrageous. I carry food with us. I don’t want to pay the high prices and you never know when you will be stranded. We have ended up late at night, stuck at an airport or hotel (thanks to the airline) with nothing available. I always make a couple of peanut butter sandwiches, throw in a baggie filled with peanuts and one with almonds and of course some M&Ms to take along.

  • Wanda

    Pack lightly so you don’t have to pay the airline for traveling with heavy luggage.
    wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

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