10 Ways of Saving Money While On Holiday
For those of us who have been bitten by the travel bug, We all know that going for a holiday usually takes a couple of months for us to save up and we will always be willing to cut back on our spending just for that little getaway with our loved ones. Forgoing that nice little dress that you have been eyeing, having one less sumptuous meal at your favorite restaurant, going for one less session of manicure and pedicure and buying one less tech toy are just part and parcel of the things that we will do just to save up for the getaway from the hustle and bustle of our daily life. Unless of course you are pretty well to do and can afford to splurge on yourself.
It just occurred to me that there are tonnes of things that you can do while on a holiday to cut back on your expenses and yet enjoy yourself tremendously at the same time! Here are just 10 of them! Please feel free to contribute more if you can.
#1
If you can afford it, cancel all your auto roaming service that you have with your mobile provider, yes, even the pay-as-you-roam or whatever you call that service. You are supposed to be on a holiday, not working.. NOBODY needs to look for you and you can always save the day on some other occasions. My mobile bills always balloon up to a couple of hundred dollars whenever I'm out abroad. However, If you have to be contactable at all times, there's always tip number 2! :)
#2
Check the roaming rates of the destination country that you are headed for. On my current trip to LA, I realised that there are 3 providers which I can roam on and the price differences are STAGGERING!! One provider charges me USD$1.8 per minute whereas another provider just charges me USD$1.2. That's a 33.3% of difference! Quite a lot I would say, especially when I'm charged in USD! Just spend 5 minutes prior to your travel to check on the roaming rates, lock on to the cheaper provider when you reach and there you have it! Instant savings!! This can probably save you enough to pay for your next meal onboard Singapore Air's marvelous jets.
#3
If you are a techie just like me who can't do without high tech toys, internet and your laptop , always look for accommodation with free Wi-Fi access!! "Plug and Stay" instead of plug and play! :) Cool isn't it? Alternatively, always hunt around for unsecured Wi-Fi! I almost paid USD10/day for Wi-Fi access in Shanghai! Managed to find an unsecured Wi-Fi connection which can only be picked up by the window and I'm happily surfing away with natural light somemore! More funds for my next holiday! Yay!
#4
Speaking of free Wi-Fi and phone bills, always remember that Skype is your best friend when it comes to communicating with people around the world! With a laptop in hand, you can literally call anywhere in the world without incurring hefty charges! Alternatively, get one of
these! You are truly mobile with this!! The initial investment is a little heavy, I'm sure that you will save enough in a jiffy!
#5
If you have friends living in your destination country, ask them to help you look for a nice and cozy local hotel. Not everyone is on the internet you know! (even though they should) :) If you are travelling in a group, sometimes it makes more economical sense to just book a serviced apartment for a couple of days! You have the luxury of people cleaning up for you and yet be able to immerse in the local culture and interact with the community! Last resort, bunk in with your friends! Offer to clean their homes for them, cook for them, help them keep the couch warm at night, you can get as creative you would like to!
#6
For those of us who are small eaters, you can always share a set meal with your companion while having meals abroad! The servings in USA are H-U-G-E and I definitely can't finish all of those at one go! Junking them would be a waste and having take aways is boring. I would have easily gained like 5-10 KG if I have one of those for each meal that I have in LA. :( I spent 10 weeks in LA this year alone.
#7
Never get any last minute souvenirs at the airport! While on a 1 day forced lay over at Narita airport when flying on ANA, I grabbed the chance to visit Narita Town in the 24 hours that I had before I continue my journey back home. Cute Japanese trinkets costs almost three times more expensive at the airpot when compared to those that you would find in the shops in Narita Town!! However, the Onigiri that you can buy at the convenience store near to the Yahoo! internet corner is yummy! :D
#8
Always ensure that you drink lots of water when you are traveling. You wouldn't want to get sick while on a holiday do you? What I'd typically do is to go on down to a nearby gas station, get myself a big bottle of water and just lug it back to the hotel room. Economics of scale! Sure beats paying USD 2 for a small bottle of water at Universal Studios! You can be pretty much sure that the water is clean! This should never be the case for backpackers though. The weight alone will kill them! :)
#9
When in Rome, do as the Romans do... Always visit the local weekend market and you will definitely find lots of good buys! Chatuchak in Bangkok(BKK) is a great place for shopaholic ladies. I'll definitely go to the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica on Saturdays whenever I'm here. The products are so fresh and so many interesting things to buy! Raw honey... Bee Pollen... Fruits... and the prices are pretty affordable too! Venice Beach is another great place that I'd go to. Lots of knick knacks available and definitely an eye opener for the first time visitor.
#10
Last but not least, always look out for tourist discounts whenever you are at any major departmental stores. I remember a couple of major shopping malls in BKK offers tourist discounts of 10-15% if you show them your passport. Alternatively, if you have an Isetan card, you can also flash it at the Isetan in BKK and they will give you 10% discount for card members! For those of you who didn't know of it, simply show your passport at the Customer Service counter in Macys when you are in USA and they will give you a discount booklet which entitles you to a 13% discount! Cool isn't it?
There you have it. 10 tips that will make your trip more enjoyable, help to contribute to your next holiday and yet will not compromise too much on the quality of your getaway! See ya at the air port fellow travelholics!
For those of us who have been bitten by the travel bug, We all know that going for a holiday usually takes a couple of months for us to save up and we will always be willing to cut back on our spending just for that little getaway with our loved ones. Forgoing that nice little dress that you have been eyeing, having one less sumptuous meal at your favorite restaurant, going for one less session of manicure and pedicure and buying one less tech toy are just part and parcel of the things that we will do just to save up for the getaway from the hustle and bustle of our daily life. Unless of course you are pretty well to do and can afford to splurge on yourself.
It just occurred to me that there are tonnes of things that you can do while on a holiday to cut back on your expenses and yet enjoy yourself tremendously at the same time! Here are just 10 of them! Please feel free to contribute more if you can.
#1
If you can afford it, cancel all your auto roaming service that you have with your mobile provider, yes, even the pay-as-you-roam or whatever you call that service. You are supposed to be on a holiday, not working.. NOBODY needs to look for you and you can always save the day on some other occasions. My mobile bills always balloon up to a couple of hundred dollars whenever I'm out abroad. However, If you have to be contactable at all times, there's always tip number 2! :)
#2
Check the roaming rates of the destination country that you are headed for. On my current trip to LA, I realised that there are 3 providers which I can roam on and the price differences are STAGGERING!! One provider charges me USD$1.8 per minute whereas another provider just charges me USD$1.2. That's a 33.3% of difference! Quite a lot I would say, especially when I'm charged in USD! Just spend 5 minutes prior to your travel to check on the roaming rates, lock on to the cheaper provider when you reach and there you have it! Instant savings!! This can probably save you enough to pay for your next meal onboard Singapore Air's marvelous jets.
#3
If you are a techie just like me who can't do without high tech toys, internet and your laptop , always look for accommodation with free Wi-Fi access!! "Plug and Stay" instead of plug and play! :) Cool isn't it? Alternatively, always hunt around for unsecured Wi-Fi! I almost paid USD10/day for Wi-Fi access in Shanghai! Managed to find an unsecured Wi-Fi connection which can only be picked up by the window and I'm happily surfing away with natural light somemore! More funds for my next holiday! Yay!
#4
Speaking of free Wi-Fi and phone bills, always remember that Skype is your best friend when it comes to communicating with people around the world! With a laptop in hand, you can literally call anywhere in the world without incurring hefty charges! Alternatively, get one of
these! You are truly mobile with this!! The initial investment is a little heavy, I'm sure that you will save enough in a jiffy!
#5
If you have friends living in your destination country, ask them to help you look for a nice and cozy local hotel. Not everyone is on the internet you know! (even though they should) :) If you are travelling in a group, sometimes it makes more economical sense to just book a serviced apartment for a couple of days! You have the luxury of people cleaning up for you and yet be able to immerse in the local culture and interact with the community! Last resort, bunk in with your friends! Offer to clean their homes for them, cook for them, help them keep the couch warm at night, you can get as creative you would like to!
#6
For those of us who are small eaters, you can always share a set meal with your companion while having meals abroad! The servings in USA are H-U-G-E and I definitely can't finish all of those at one go! Junking them would be a waste and having take aways is boring. I would have easily gained like 5-10 KG if I have one of those for each meal that I have in LA. :( I spent 10 weeks in LA this year alone.
#7
Never get any last minute souvenirs at the airport! While on a 1 day forced lay over at Narita airport when flying on ANA, I grabbed the chance to visit Narita Town in the 24 hours that I had before I continue my journey back home. Cute Japanese trinkets costs almost three times more expensive at the airpot when compared to those that you would find in the shops in Narita Town!! However, the Onigiri that you can buy at the convenience store near to the Yahoo! internet corner is yummy! :D
#8
Always ensure that you drink lots of water when you are traveling. You wouldn't want to get sick while on a holiday do you? What I'd typically do is to go on down to a nearby gas station, get myself a big bottle of water and just lug it back to the hotel room. Economics of scale! Sure beats paying USD 2 for a small bottle of water at Universal Studios! You can be pretty much sure that the water is clean! This should never be the case for backpackers though. The weight alone will kill them! :)
#9
When in Rome, do as the Romans do... Always visit the local weekend market and you will definitely find lots of good buys! Chatuchak in Bangkok(BKK) is a great place for shopaholic ladies. I'll definitely go to the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica on Saturdays whenever I'm here. The products are so fresh and so many interesting things to buy! Raw honey... Bee Pollen... Fruits... and the prices are pretty affordable too! Venice Beach is another great place that I'd go to. Lots of knick knacks available and definitely an eye opener for the first time visitor.
#10
Last but not least, always look out for tourist discounts whenever you are at any major departmental stores. I remember a couple of major shopping malls in BKK offers tourist discounts of 10-15% if you show them your passport. Alternatively, if you have an Isetan card, you can also flash it at the Isetan in BKK and they will give you 10% discount for card members! For those of you who didn't know of it, simply show your passport at the Customer Service counter in Macys when you are in USA and they will give you a discount booklet which entitles you to a 13% discount! Cool isn't it?
There you have it. 10 tips that will make your trip more enjoyable, help to contribute to your next holiday and yet will not compromise too much on the quality of your getaway! See ya at the air port fellow travelholics!
