How to Save Money for Traveling!

KLM airplane flying

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?