According to George Kamel of the Smart Money Happy Hour, “travel is meant to squeeze every dollar out of you.”
But that doesn’t mean he’s skipping vacations and refusing to take trips. Instead, Kamel looks for every discount, coupon and savings he can find to make his travel plans more affordable.
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In a recent YouTube video for the Smart Money Happy Hour, Kamel talks with Rachel Cruze about the budget-friendly travel tips they use to stay in control of their money and stay out of debt while traveling.
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TSA PreCheck over CLEAR+
During his conversation with Cruze, Kamel touts how efficient TSA PreCheck is for making it through airport security without having to take off your shoes, but he draws the line at getting CLEAR+, and it’s easy to see why. TSA PreCheck costs $77.95 for five years, while CLEAR+ is far more expensive at $199 annually. Kamel calls it a rip-off and advises viewers to go for the cheaper option instead.
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Bringing Your Own Snacks
We’ve all been there: Wondering why a candy bar and a bottle of water cost $20 at the airport when it would cost you $3 anywhere else. It’s one of the ways Kamel thinks travel is designed to screw you over.
To combat exorbitant airport and in-flight prices, he brings his own snacks from home and avoids buying in-flight drinks. However, he does admit to buying expensive airport coffee to avoid coffee on the plane due to rumors about questionable airplane water filters.
Costco Travel
You’ve likely heard of the deals you can find on vacations by using Costco’s travel services. However, it might be more cost-effective than you thought.
For his honeymoon and anniversary, Kamel used Costco Travel to book his vacations and save money in the process. He called their travel agents, informed them of his budget and they provided him with options that fit, so he wasn’t spending more than he had available.
In addition to booking travel through Costco, you could also purchase gift cards for certain airlines like Southwest, through Costco at a discounted price. While the gift card might be worth $500, you perhaps only paid $430 for it, which saves you money.
Strategic Trip Timing
Cruze and Kamel suggested several ways to use timing to your advantage when looking to save money on a trip:
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Booking on certain days
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Being flexible with your travel dates
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Traveling in the off-season for that area
Cruze pointed out that the cheapest times to book flights are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. As another way to save, she suggests travelling off-season when the area you’re going to isn’t usually expecting tourists. Kamel shared that he uses a site called SkyScanner to find the best flight prices and noted that he’ll shift the dates slightly to book on days that are less expensive.
Experiencing Life for Free
While this advice isn’t exactly revolutionary, it’s still an option that Cruze suggests when you find that traveling would mean taking on debt or going over budget.
Finding activities you can do with the people you love for free or at a lower cost keeps you in control of your money without sacrificing your fun. Taking a road trip, visiting a national park, camping, or arranging a family get-together are all compromises that allow you to enjoy travel without a major hit to your budget.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: George Kamel: ‘Travel Is Meant To Screw You Over’ — Here’s How To Save
