Before you go
1. Put money aside for your holiday each pay cycle
One of the main reasons people don't holiday as much as they would like is a lack of planning and preparation. If you automatically transfer $250 per fortnight on pay day into a separate 'holiday account' you will have $6,500 per year, or $13,000 per year as a couple/family to spend. Having these funds available is a much better approach than trying to scramble together savings at the last minute, skipping the holiday or worse, putting it on the credit card and incurring costly interest after the holiday which could affect your next trip.
2. Use Qantas points to purchase Flights and Accommodation
It may sound counterintuitive that I just mentioned the problem with using a credit card, and now I am explaining a benefit of using it. However, the key thing to understand is that, if you pay the full balance of your credit card each month you won't pay interest, and you may receive points (on some cards). Additionally, there are other ways you can accrue points such as:
Through bonus sign on points via new Credit Cards
Other programs such as Woolworth's Everyday Rewards
Using 'points' instead of cash, can obviously save you money.
3. Use your points on 'Reward Flights'
Reward flights provide the best value per Qantas point, however, they often come and go very quickly! If you are after a highly sought after route such as Melbourne to London, business class in June or July, you may need to try booking 12 months in advance.
The website Seats Aero is a fantastic website for showing all the rewards flights that Qantas and their partners offer for a small monthly subscription fee. Be prepared, you may need to hone your travel agent skills to connect different rewards flights to your preferred destination.
4. Use a bank or credit card with no fees
Most banks charge foreign transaction and other international fees. After some research, I found Up Bank to be a stand out in low cost banking.
5. Packing
I have just spent weeks lugging around 5 or 6 pairs of pants that I never wore (who knew every day in Europe is 30 degrees!). Not only was it annoying carrying extra weight up stairs, it added to the cost of luggage as some airlines have checked in baggage limits of only 20kg before you need to buy additional weight (which is very expensive at the airport!).
Whilst Travelling
6. Uber vs Train vs Taxi
At every airport you will be faced with this decision. In general, here are my take outs:
The train will almost always be your best bet if travelling solo.
When travelling as a family/group, 1 uber or taxi can often be cheaper than 3 or 4 individual train tickets.
Check the Uber cost first, this will give you an understanding of the ballpark for what Taxi's should be charging.
Taxi's from the airport will typically try and overcharge you because at many airports it is not possible to get an uber. Sometimes the best you can do is make sure they use the meter.
Always check Google Maps first. Sometimes it is actually quicker to take the train in cities with bad traffic than to get a Taxi, and you will likely save money.
7. Set a daily budget and monitor it
It is always good to know how much per day you have to spend. This means that if you have a 'blow out' day you can work out how much you overspent and try and claw it back across one or multiple other days where the expenses are likely to be less.
8. Do your research
Google and Trip Advisor are great for being able to work out what you want to spend your money on. For instance, when working out which restaurant to have dinner at, both show the expected cost per person to see if it fits within your budget.
9. Do an initial shop at a supermarket when you arrive
Prices at supermarkets are much cheaper than local corner stores and bars and restaurants. By doing an initial shop when you arrive you can eat and drink at home much more cost effectively when you feel like it. This is particularly true for larger families.
10. Pay in cash
Much of the rest of the world is still very much 'cash based' and you can find vendors are much more willing to give discounts when you ask and pay with cash.
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