Be clever about booking. Sometimes the cheapest option for booking is an all-in-one package. Often, however, it is cost-effective to book your flight and accommodation separately.
For overseas accommodation I compare flight prices on sites such as Ourasia.co.nz, Ourpacific.co.nz, HOT.co.nz, Expedia, and Webjet and use websites such as Wotif.com and Airbnb. I often save hundreds of dollars over seven or more days.
I love eating out in foreign places, but it chews a hole in my wallet. To reduce costs I make breakfast at our apartment, and for lunch eat fruit, bread and cheese from a supermarket or buy street stall snacks.
In Brazil last year, fellow Kiwis were complaining about the costs of their lunches in restaurants frequented by foreigners. My son and I were eating for $2-$3 each at "lanchonetes" (lunch bars), which were more of a cultural experience and gave us more time for sightseeing.
Some people can't bring themselves to eat street food but many years of travelling has taught me you're just as likely to get sick at a restaurant as you are eating freshly cooked street food. In restaurants, I always check out the plat du jour.
If you're staying at a resort, check out the meal plans before you go. They can save a lot of money. Friends of mine have rented microwave ovens in resorts and bring a supply of ready-made meals.
In self-catering accommodation I always shop for easy-to-cook or ready-made food we can heat. It needs to be a holiday for me as well.
Some hotels, such as the Mantra on the Gold Coast, offer a service in which you can shop online at Woolworths and have the groceries waiting for you in your apartment when you arrive.
Shop with care. I don't get the obsession of spending holidays shopping. How often have you bought clothes overseas that you never wore once you got home? And those bargain trainers aren't a bargain if you didn't need them anyway.
I always explain to my children that our holidays are about experiences, not shopping, and I'd much rather spend money on an excursion than another piece of clothing.
Use daily deal sites. If you're looking for activities at your chosen destination, check daily deal websites a few weeks or months before you travel.
I'm off to Seattle and noticed a website had half price tickets to a Manchester United versus Club America football game, albeit the wrong dates for me, and a 20-minute scenic tour flight for US$85, and many other deals.
Take public transport. Hire cars cost money, although they make sense for road trips and for large families. In many countries it's easy to get everywhere you want by public transport. Services are usually very frequent in countries where the population is densely packed, such as in Europe, or it's costly to own cars.
I usually buy the equivalent of a Hop card and download the local route planner app. MasterCard's country manager, Peter Chisnall, tells me public transport services in London now allow travellers to tag on and tag off using their contactless payment cards.
Beware of mobile costs. Roaming can be expensive. Nearly everywhere I go I buy a local SIM card allowing me to set up my phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot. We then connect our tablets and iPods to the internet through that. That saves a lot on hotel internet charges. Google the words "pre-paid data SIM" and your destination country to find a good deal.
Tips for real cheapskates
• Wear your heavy luggage, such as coats, on the flight, and fill the pockets.
• Take your sun lotion and medicines from home and make your own travel-size potions and lotions using $2 shop bottles.
• Pre-book cheap airport parking, or catch public transport.
• Rent your house out while you're away, or do a home exchange.
• Pack old clothes you can throw away to make room in your luggage for new ones you buy.
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