Hands up if you love travelling.
Well, we can’t actually see you, but we’ll assume you raised your hands. Who doesn’t love exploring new cities, countries, the world?
The only downside is that the costs can certainly add up. After factoring in flights, accommodation, transportation, admission costs, plus food and drinks, travelling can get seriously pricey. And that’s not even considering the souvenir shopping you’ll likely do!
With the right strategy, however, it can be simple to cut your costs here and there, which is all the more important as we approach the holiday season.
Cutting costs doesn’t mean you need to compromise on having fun — we promise. Here are some tips on how to stick to your budget when travelling abroad.
Travel during off-season
This one’s a no-brainer, but if you’re willing to travel during seasons that aren’t as busy, then you’ll be saving yourself on both flights and accommodation. Not only that, it’ll be less crowded when you roam around!
If you’re not on a super tight schedule and can be flexible with when you’re flying (or even the number of layovers you have), then play around with the dates and see if the prices drop. Sites such as Google Flights let you set notifications to receive updates whenever prices change, too.
There are many websites that update on flight deals, such as YVRDeals, YYZDeals, YYCDeals, and YULDeals. So, make sure to check those regularly, especially if you’re not fussed about where you’re travelling to.
Research city tourism cards
If you’re planning on hitting up a lot of the top visitor attractions, it may be worth it to get a city tourism card, which most cities offer. Depending on the city (and the card), you’ll usually be able to gain entry and even skip the line at the main tourist sites, get discounts at restaurants and shops, and ride on public transportation. Hello savings!
Look for free activities
If you just do a bit of research, you’ll find that there are plenty of free activities in any city you travel to! Do a self-guided walking tour around the landmarks in the city or take a look at what free community events there are going on while you’re in town. Better yet, combine the two and look up an underground walking tour hosted by a local. There’s no fee, but you’re encouraged to tip!
Many art galleries and museums also host one day a week with discounted admission, so just research what you can before going. (It’ll save you a lot of money, as admission prices usually tend to be quite high.)
Find a hotel that has a fridge or kitchen in the room
You don’t realize this but going out to buy a coffee every morning while you’re on vacation seriously adds up. And coffee is just coffee!
If you can find a hotel that has a fridge or small kitchenette in your room, you’ll definitely save money by being able to make and store small meals for yourself (especially breakfast!). And if you save by eating in for breakfast or even lunch, you’ll feel less guilty about splurging on dinner. Having a fridge in your room can also help if you have leftovers that you want to bring back to your room to eat later.
Get rewarded for travelling
If you plan on travelling a lot, do your research on the types of credit cards you could be getting rewards with. After all, there’s no point in getting a credit card that gives you rewards you don’t really need! There are plenty of options for credit cards that offer travel perks, such as frequent flyer points.
When paying off those hefty vacation bills, you can also be earning rewards from brands we all love, such as Uber (and Uber Eats), Sephora, Esso, Starbucks, and more, simply by using the Paytm Canada app!
For every transaction that you make with the app, you collect Paytm Points; 1 Paytm Point = $1 spent paying a bill. You can choose to redeem your points for free and get discounted e-gift cards from popular brands. The choice is yours to decide how you want to treat yourself!
Paytm accepts multiple bill payment methods including credit or debit cards, a linked bank account, or Paytm Cash. And when you pay your bills through Paytm, you’ll earn not only Paytm points, but credit card points too. And then, when paying off your credit card bills through Paytm, you’ll get even more Paytm points! That’s what they call a triple-dip.
Visit the Paytm website to learn more, or download the app today and start collecting points — you’ll earn 1,000 points just for signing up!