7 Simple Tips on How to Save Money for Traveling

I’ve been a professional travel writer for 25 years now.

But, like most people, there was a time in my life when the idea of traveling the world seemed like it was way beyond my financial means. 

Back then, figuring out ways to save money for traveling seemed incredibly difficult, especially when I was working multiple jobs just to make ends meet. 

These days, with prices for virtually everything from groceries to getaways soaring, finding innovative ways to save on travel can make a huge difference in your bottom line. 

Read on for our suggestions on for to save money for travel, including tips for saving money on flights, hotels, rental cars, travel gear, and more! 

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How to Save Money for Traveling Guide

1. Save Money on Flights
2. Save Money on Rental Cars
3. Save Money on Hotels
4. Save Money by Using Travel Credit Cards 
5. Travel During the Shoulder Season (or Off-Season)
6. Volunteer Via Trusted Housesitters, Work Away, or WWOOF
7. Buy Used Travel Gear

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1. Save Money on Flights

One of our favorite tips for saving money comes from consumer advocate Clark Howard, who suggests finding an inexpensive flight BEFORE you choose your destination. 

We’ve done this for flights to Kenya, Hawai’i, Alaska, etc, and there are a variety of services that make it easy. 

Flight aggregators (a.k.a. airfare search sites) make it simple to save money on travel by allowing you to select how much you’re willing to pay, and then showing available destinations in your price range. You can also drill down further by entering your preferred season or month of travel.

The most popular flight aggregator services include Kayak Explore, Skyscanner, and Google Flights. 

We really like WayAway, which offers a subscription that allows you to get up to 5% cash back on all airline tickets and hotel reservations you purchase. They’ve also launched a new eco-friendly initiative to help you offset the carbon footprint of flying internationally by purchasing carbon credits. 

Green Global Travel readers can get 10% off the cost of the annual subscription by using our WayAway affiliate link.

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2. Save Money on Rental…