6 Money Savings Hacks Travel Influencers Swear By
Written by
Dawn Allcot
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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Does earning free trips, or even getting paid, to experience the world sound like a dream? For travel influencers and travel bloggers, it’s just a day in their life. However, earning money as a travel influencer isn’t easy; it requires solid content, an engaged following, and the need to showcase your lifestyle as one to emulate.
Travel influencers just getting started need to invest money in their trips to create content. Most successful influencers get very good at learning travel hacks to save money and level-up their travel experiences, leading to not just more captivating content but also lifelong memories.
With this in mind, who better to ask than travel influencers if you want to save money on your next vacation? GOBankingRates connected with top influencers to get their best money-saving secrets.
Leverage Travel Credit Cards for All the Perks
While it’s not exactly the world’s best-kept travel secret, Deryn Russell of Inside the Upgrade puts travel credit cards first on her list of hacks.
“Even one of the basic travel rewards cards that costs less than $100 can help you book flights worth thousands of dollars,” she said.
Instagram influencer and musician Megan Golden in Nashville, Tennessee, agreed. She listed her favorite benefits, as well.
“You obviously gain points you can use to book your flights or hotels. But you can [also] get free checked bags, perks for renting cars, and some airlines allow you to get free upgraded seats if they’re available,” she noted.
“You get lounge access, which provides free food and drinks at the airport. This saves my boyfriend and I easily a couple of hundred dollars a trip.”
Buy Airport Lounge Passes on eBay
If your credit card doesn’t offer lounge access, consider picking up a pass on eBay, luxury travel blogger Mona Molayem suggested.
“If a pass is about to expire, sometimes the passes are on sale for as little as $1,” she said.
Buy Discounted Hotel Gift Cards
“Every once in a while Amazon will sell Hotels.com gift cards on sale,” Molayem said. Sign up for Amazon Lightning Deals to get alerts about sales.
“Another option is to search websites where people sell their gift cards,” Molayem said, suggesting giftcardgranny.com, cardcash.com and raise.com as sites to find discounted hotel, restaurant and airline gift cards.
Pick a Hotel in the Middle of Attractions
When you’re choosing the best hotel for your stay, Vanessa Gordon, publisher at East End Taste, advised booking a central location right in the middle of the attractions you want to see.
“You will save on potentially renting a car or using taxis,” she said. “A centrally located hotel… puts you front and center near all the action, rather than spending time and money commuting to see a destination.”
Shop Locally
Whether she’s traveling domestically or internationally, Gordon stops at a local grocery store when she arrives at her destination.
“I like to stock up on one or two local snacks, maybe a bottle of wine, some local drinks, and a reusable water bottle,” she said.
Don’t Be Afraid To Spend Money on What Matters To You
When you focus on saving money on flights and hotels, you’ll find you can stretch your budget for enhancements that matter. This is especially true of influencers who want to showcase an upscale travel lifestyle, but it applies to anyone that wants an exceptional travel experience.
“It isn’t necessarily about cutting costs, but about making the most of my time, creating the most value and creating wholesome memories that are both seamless and convenient,” Gordon said. “It may be worth purchasing a VIP private tour or an after-hours experience.”
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