Tuesday, August 24, 2010

5 Ways to Minimize Your Holiday Expenses

Note from the editors: The following is a quest post. As such the owners of this blog may or may not agree with the topic matter. We will see you all, when we get back from our honeymoon. In the meantime, we hope you will enjoy this guest post.


It’s an indulgence we owe ourselves at least once a year; we slog it out at the office or at our business for the better part of a year, and when it’s time for a vacation, we’re glad to leave hustle and bustle of daily life behind. There’s just one hitch however – holidays tend to cost a lot, especially if you want to go abroad and see new places every time. However, if you’re cost conscious and willing to plan ahead, there are ways to minimize the amount you spend, from the time you leave till the time you get back:
  • Book your tickets and hotel well ahead of time:
    This is easy enough if you know when exactly you’re planning to take a vacation. If you have kids, it’s going to be during their vacation, and even otherwise, you and your spouse could plan to take time off work at the same time. Plane tickets cost less when you book them ahead, as do hotels and resorts. You can save up to 30 percent or even more when you plan a few months ahead.
     
  • Get the best rates possible:
    Ask for discounts –most hotels and resorts are willing to offer discounts if you book package deals or if you book through certain online portals. Check for the best deals online – some portals offer instant cash back offers while others let you take along a child for free when you book a package tour for two adults. And as much as possible, take advantage of off season rates for two reasons – you save money, and you beat the crowds. 
  • Don’t go shopping:
    When you visit new places, enjoy the weather, the location, and the sights and sounds that the place has to offer. And other than the odd souvenir or two, don’t spend all your money shopping for things you probably won’t use when you’re back home. Explore the place you’re visiting, take long walks, laze in your hotel, eat good food, see all there is to see, and experience your holiday thoroughly instead of wasting time hunting for bargains and hopping from store to store. 
  • Don’t use your credit or debit card abroad:   
  • While it may seem like the most convenient thing to do, when you use your credit or debit card abroad, you end up having to pay a large amount by way of fees when you get back. So before you go abroad, buy foreign currency either as cash or as travelers’ checks – take a little more than necessary because you always have the option to come back and convert it back into dollars (or your home currency). 
     
  • Minimize transportation costs:
    When you’re on vacation, walk or cycle as much as possible and avoid hiring private transportation because it could turn out to be a costly proposition. Use public or mass transport where available, but on the whole, your vacation turns out better when you’re willing to walk or cycle as you explore the vicinity and go to places that are far off the beaten path – you get to enjoy locales without a crowd in tow.

Vacations don’t have to be expensive to be enjoyable; it’s the little things that make a holiday memorable and satisfactory.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Omar Adams, he writes on the topic of online accounting degree . He welcomes your comments at his email id: omaradams47@gmail.com.


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