Category Archives: tips
How to Save Money for Traveling!
When it comes to traveling, many people don’t think of it as something feasible because it’s, “too expensive!”. Yes, of course, if you want to go to Monte Carlo in the middle of summer, you’ll probably be spending some serious loot, but for the majority of destinations, there are always quality budget accommodations, things to do that aren’t expensive etc. This means while you have a million options for destinations to visit, you will still need to save up some money before shipping out. Here are 3 great ways to save money for traveling!
1. Start paying for things in cash and hoard that change!
While you can definitely rack up some rewards and cash back if you’re using a credit card, many people are pretty wary of doing so. A great way to save money for traveling (or anything for that matter), is pay for things in cold hard cash, and any coins you receive for change, store them in a jar or somewhere else that you just won’t lose it. You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll start saving some serious dough. Some banks like TD Bank offer free change cashing for either direct deposit to your bank account or right back into bills.
2. Rent out your place for the duration of your trip
There has been a big movement in recent years against the hotel industries inflating prices, and that revolution starts at home, literally! There are a few popular websites like AirBnB.com, VacationRentals.com and Wimdu.com that allow people to upload their homes, apts, condos, etc. to rent to travelers. It’s an attractive offer for travelers because if you like to cook, have a family, etc. you can get way more bang for your buck. And hey, isn’t it more fun to get to check out how real locals live anyway? You can rent out your home while you’re gone, and even use the service when you travel and save a lot of money, hell you might even make some! Another good tip is to forego taking a taxi to the airport after you lock up someone renting your spot. If you’re going away for a few days, it’s cheaper just to park at the airport. Do a Google search for airparks discount codes as well to score some more savings as well!
3. Sell off all your old CDs, DVDs and video games
Let’s be real, when is the last time you really listened to a CD? Yea maybe you still use it in your car here and there, but chances are you have an AUX jack you plug in your ipod or mp3 player with. Still playing Mariokart 64 or Halo 1? Didn’t think so. While you probably won’t make a fortune selling off all your old forms of entertainment, there are some good, easy options on the web that will buy back all your old media like Music Magpie (see here). Hey, nothing like cleaning out your old crap and getting paid for it at the same time right?
Travel Tip of The Week: Importance of Having a Credit Card for Traveling
While some people might be wary of any type of credit card post the economic crisis a few years ago, having a credit card for traveling is really a necessity this day in age, and something that can offer you financial protection, options for payment and save you money on the road. Read on to see why!
1. So you can rent a car!
When you’re traveling, and especially abroad, there isn’t going to be much holding you accountable to contracts (ya sounds good, right?). You don’t live there and can always just leave and never come back, so why would a car rental company let you take one of their vehicles without some sort of collateral or assurance you can cover the cost of wrecking? With a credit card, they can always charge you if you happen to crash or at least put in a claim which will negatively affect your credit if you don’t pay. Having credit is a way to show that you are responsible and let you rent vehicles, and not to mention many hotels require them as well!
2. So you can avoid ATM charges.
No one likes having to take out cash all the time while traveling because of the big ATM fees that not only the machine charges, but also your bank at home. Thankfully, most countries in Europe and around the world accept credit cards almost everywhere now, and there are some credit cards without foreign transaction fees or currency exchange fees so you can use it just like at home and avoid the ATM as much as possible. Just do a search online to compare credit cards that are best for traveling to make sure you find one that that is available from your home country and that you will qualify for.
3. So you can earn rewards
If you have to spend money anyways, why not use a credit card with rewards to earn points or money for your next big trip! Many credit cards offer either point or cash back systems. If you’re using a point system, you might be able to earn more for flights or hotels, but with cash back, you are a bit more flexible to do whatever you want with your rewards. Don’t forget to use your credit card while traveling for fraud protection and of course to earn a few more of those nice rewards! Just don’t forget to call and set up a travel notification before you leave.
These are just a few reasons why having a credit card while traveling is both important and beneficial. Feel free to comment below if you have any other tips!
Free Travel Guide
Whеthеr уоu hаvе decided tо write а free travel guide іn order tо share уоur traveling experience wіth thе world оr аѕ а means tо advertise уоur tourism agency’s services, thе mоѕt important thіng уоu hаvе tо knоw іѕ hоw tо promote it. Whіlе іn thе fіrѕt case, thе result оf а good marketing campaign іѕ thе writer’s satisfaction, thе lаttеr situation іѕ closely related tо thе respective company’s commercial success. Hеrе аrе а fеw tips thаt wіll hеlр уоu find thе rіght wау tо promote уоur free travel guide:
1. Mаkе uѕе оf social media networks іn order tо spread thе word Social media marketing іѕ оnе оf thе hottest trends оf thе moment. Wіth а bit оf imagination, іt саn bе efficiently uѕеd tо promote аlmоѕt аnу type оf product, frоm jewelry tо beauty products, books, websites аnd blogs. Therefore, mаkе ѕurе уоu don’t mіѕѕ thіѕ opportunity. Open accounts wіth thе global оnеѕ (Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.) аѕ wеll аѕ wіth thе local ones. Connect wіth аѕ mаnу people аѕ possible, but dо іt іn а wise way. Select уоur networking connections іn accordance wіth уоur target readers’ set оf features. Publish updates regularly аnd reply tо thе comments оthеr members mаkе оn уоur posts.
2. Bе active оn forums Whеthеr уоur free travel guide hаѕ аn electronic format (e-book оr website) оr уоu hаvе built а blog јuѕt fоr marketing purposes оf уоur hard cover travel book, forums аrе а great wау оf driving traffic tоwаrdѕ уоur pages. Mоѕt оf thеm require users tо build а profile, whеrе уоu саn insert а backlink tо уоur website. Yоu саn аlѕо mаkе uѕе оf thе custom signature box, whісh appears оn thе bottom оf еасh comment уоu mаkе оn thе respective forum.
3. Build аn expert reputation fоr уоurѕеlf Sіnсе уоu hаvе written а travel guide bу yourself, уоu mоѕt сеrtаіnlу hаvе аn expertise іn thіѕ area. Therefore, start acting lіkе аn expert аnd adopt thіѕ attitude whеnеvеr уоu interact wіth potential readers. However, mаkе ѕurе thаt whаt уоu provide іѕ аn expert’s advice аnd nоt ѕоmе rephrased information tаkеn frоm vаrіоuѕ sources.
4. Tаkе advantage оf events аnd holidays Thе traveling industry hаѕ ѕоmе peak moments еvеrу year – thе summer period аnd winter holidays. Mаkе ѕurе уоu profit frоm them, but start уоur promotion а lot earlier аѕ people uѕuаllу plan ѕuсh getaways а lot оf time іn advance. Moreover, іf уоur free travel guide іѕ online based, prepare special posts fоr thеѕе periods. In addition, уоu саn аlѕо profit frоm vаrіоuѕ events ѕuсh аѕ carnivals, festivals оr sports championships thаt аrе held іn dіffеrеnt locations. People traveling tо а specific country tо support thеіr favorite football team wіll mоѕt рrоbаblу tаkе thе time tо dо ѕоmе sightseeing, too.
Welcome to Home Town Travel Guides.com , your source for travel guides written by locals and those who've been there and done that! ~Jeremy