Don't go broke traveling this summer. Airfare can go up as much as 40% in the warmer months (yikes!), but if you plan early, you can combat those crazy rates by getting the best deal and also saving a bunch of money on everything else on your trip, so airfare doesn't kill your budget and ruin your trip. How can you do that? Here are a few tips to help you out:
Shop for airfare on Tuesday and Wednesday
...and look for flights that depart on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday for the lowest fares. New fares are posted every Tuesday and Wednesday are the perfect time to get the best deals, and when you fly on less popular days, you can pay less and have a better chance of not getting bumped off your flight due to overbooking. One thing that'll make you happy is that this summer, flights will be the cheapest they’ve been in seven years. Of course, that doesn't mean you should slack and leave booking until later. You still need to get on that ASAP.
Drive
Airfare can become a costly burden if there are many of you traveling. If you can spare the extra travel time, take a good old fashioned road trip to get to your destination. Make sure to plan fun stops along the way, like to see the world’s biggest ball of yarn, ghost towns or museums. It makes the whole trip seem like an adventure if you don’t just drive straight through.
Don't forget your cash back!
Help keep a little money in your pocket or stretch the dollars you have by using Ebates to book your flights, hotel rooms and rental cars. You can even get cash back for buying essentials like sunscreen and shorts! It's totally free to join and it's super easy. In fact, they give you a gift just for making your first purchase. How can you beat that?
Hit the lake
Going to the beach? You know you’re not the only one that thinks this is a good idea, right? No, you and millions of other people want to pack their swimming suits and sunscreen and lie on the beach and play in the water. Fake them out! Trade in the ocean for a nice lakeside location. Not only will it be a fraction of the price of an oceanfront property (or even an ocean“view” one), but you can do almost the same things you can otherwise. You can lay out on the beach, make sandcastles, go snorkeling, fishing, swimming, jet skiing and almost everything else you can do at the beach by the ocean.
Plan ahead
Start planning for a cheap summer trip next year by picking up my Secrets to Summer Savings ebook. I give you all my travel saving tips to make summer travel cheaper and packed with more fun.
Where are you hoping to travel this summer?
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