Top Tips for Budget-Minded Travelers

As the summer season fast approaches, the team behind money.com share their top tips for budget-minded travellers.

What could be better than enjoying the summer season with a purring cat resting in your lap? Or, more invigorating than a walk through the woods with a tail-wagging Labrador by your side? Summer is an ideal time for pet and house sitting, as pet owners (and sitters alike) begin to plan their seasonal getaways. 

Pet sitting provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy a fantastic change of scenery while staying local to your own backyard. If, for example, you live in New York City, why not escape to the great outdoors with a log cabin pet sit in Vermont? In fact, some 26% of Americans have opted for “staycations” since the onset of the global pandemic, and no doubt, staycations will amount to an even greater percentage of vacations in 2021.

Tips for Budget-Minded Travelers

TrustedHousesitters has been helping pet and travel enthusiasts save money for many years before staycations became the norm. Pet sitting provides an ethical, budget-friendly way to travel, but another big benefit is that it allows you to discover new destinations off the tourist trail, while combining your love of pets. 

Caring for pets and the home you’ll be staying in will always be the priority, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have some time to explore. Once you’re settled in your destination, you’ll likely want to spend some money to see the sights, dine out, and otherwise enjoy your new surroundings. So it’s best to have a few money-saving strategies in your back pocket. Let’s take a look at some of the ways savvy travelers fund and get more financial mileage out of their journeys.

Open a Dedicated Travel Savings Account

It pays to think ahead. Some of the most seasoned travelers — the ones we tend to envy for the dozens of stamps on their passports — save year-round to satisfy their wanderlust. 

You can start very simply by using the old “cookie jar” strategy. But many travelers find it useful to open a separate bank account for travel savings. It’s less tempting to spend the money you want to save for travel when it isn’t intermingled with your other funds, for one thing. But you’ll also earn interest on the money you set aside, particularly if you open a high yield savings account.

The best high yield savings accounts offer several (and sometimes many) times the interest rates offered by traditional savings accounts. Most banks that offer them are online institutions, which offers you a much wider choice than you’d have if you banked through a branch office in your home town. Look for one with high rates, no monthly fees, and no minimum balance requirement for the most rewarding savings experience.

Use Credit Cards Judiciously

We’re not recommending you take a trip you can’t afford, of course. But it’s not a great idea to travel with a lot of cash and having a credit card in your pocket can be handy when you’re on the road, particularly in an emergency. 

The best strategy for using credit cards — whether you’re at home or traveling — is never to put more on it than you can afford to pay off in one billing cycle. Interest charges add up quickly if you allow a balance to build up. Some travelers choose to use a speciality travel credit card for the perks and rewards they offer. They tend to come with higher interest rates than traditional cards and a lot of restrictions, but the best travel credit cards offer cashback on purchases, dining discounts, mileage awards, and more. Used properly, they can be an effective part of a travel savings strategy. 

Save on Activities

They say the best things in life are free, and that’s absolutely true when you travel. 

If you’re lucky enough to find a sit that’s nearby a national park or nature preserve, you can spend some fascinating hours there (often free of charge) that you can enjoy with your pet in tow. 

Before you arrive at your destination, spend some time Googling free local events and pet-friendly activities and your entertainment calendar will be booked in no time. Outdoor music and art festivals offer safer experiences than indoor events right now, but remember most events will have mask requirements.

The Hop-Skip-and-a-Jump Strategy

If you don’t have your heart set on a particular location, you may want to evaluate locations on the basis of how many jumping-off points they offer for exciting day trips. Look at a map and you may discover that urban destination includes a chance to see the countryside 50 miles away. 

An inland destination could be just a few hours’ drive from some fabulous beaches — perfect for taking Fido on a beach-side stroll. Some destinations punch above their weight when it comes to how much variety and flexibility they offer.

Already have your heart set on a destination? Why not set up a saved search, and receive daily notifications when sits matching your criteria are added?

A Staycation-Only Tip: Don’t Travel Light

Even an overnight trip involves a suitcase. Normally we’d advise you not to stuff yours too full, so you can avoid excess or overweight baggage fees. But when you’re traveling to your destination by car, you can reduce your expenses by packing everything you’re going to need during your stay. 

Take along those full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Grab the half-full box of your favorite breakfast cereal and pack a cooler with the perishables in your fridge. Chances are, they’ll be spoiled by the time you go home and, by taking them with you, you save on grocery bills while you travel. 

In general, pet and house sitting afford you a chance to save money every day by avoiding restaurant dining and cooking at home.

Need some help finding your next pet sitting adventure? Your friendly Membership Services team are on hand to help — just get in touch. 

Author Bio

Susan Doktor is a journalist, business strategist, and former frequent flier who hails from New York City. She covers a wide range of topics, including travel, finance, and food and wine. Follow her on Twitter @branddoktor.