A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Happy Sunday! I hope you’re gearing up for the next week. I want to apologize for not writing last week due to travel. I’m officially moved back into Los Angeles after spending seven months in Houston. My mission is to continue helping others with money and I wanted to write a specific article on travel since moving back. As always, I am not a financial advisor. I hope you enjoy this one and you share it with friends and family!
Traveling in a Pandemic
It seems that more people are open to traveling (like Ted Cruz) as cities continue to relax their Coronavirus mandates and America continues to vaccinate citizens. On today’s issue, I want to cover domestic travel within the U.S. especially as we receive increased freedom to travel. I want to note that it’s under your discretion on when to travel but I hope you find these tips helpful. I’ll only be covering planes and cars, but I encourage you to do your research on trains if you’re interested in saving money while traveling!
Mode of Transportation
Airplane
When you’re traveling, the most important question to ask yourself is which mode of transportation you plan on taking. In a hypothetical scenario, let’s say you can either take a car or plane from Los Angeles to New York City. Which one is the best? What are the pros and cons?
For airplanes, this will be your fastest mode of transportation. Depending on the airline you choose, you could wind up paying hidden fees that amount to more than the expensive carriers! Make sure to do your research on individual flights, but I mostly fly Spirit.
“Yuck! Spirit!” you might say, but you wouldn’t roll up in a Uber Black for a thirty-minute ride, would you? I haven’t flown another airline in years due to the savings from Spirit. I hardly have any flight delays and the service is decent. I try to avoid packing luggage, opting for packing my belongings in a single personal item like my backpack. As always, this depends on individual flights and times. Here are a few websites to check out when planning a flight:
Pro Tip: Studies have shown that the cheapest time to buy a flight is 2-3 months before your trip (especially for the November/December holiday visits).
Car
In 2019, I drove from Houston to Los Angeles. This experience was one of my favorites because I underwent the great American road trip. Along the way, I encountered West Texas tornadoes, scorching deserts, and the dreaded dashboard service light.
I rented a car through Enterprise and drove to my destination, spending $120 in gas. Along the way, I spotted competing gas stations for the lowest price and stayed at the cheapest hotel in each town when possible (taking into consideration Google reviews).
One app I recommend for gas prices is GasBuddy. It’s an app that updates in realtime to show you prices in your area from all gas stations. The app itself has opportunities to win gas gift cards.
If you have the time to drive to your destination, I highly recommend driving instead of flying. I have precious memories from my road trip more than any flight I have ever taken. A few factors to consider if driving: your current gas mileage, car condition, driver’s license expiration, insurance, etc.
Pro Tip: When renting a car, your current car insurance usually covers rentals. The car rental company will try to sell you on insurance but it’s not needed if your current plan has this included.
Making the Most of Your Vacation
If you’re on a budget while traveling, be sure to use the following checklist:
Stay with a friend whenever possible to avoid paying for hotels
Have a set budget from the start. It’s important not to have all your fun on day one.
Research dining options in your area. Are you planning on either steak or street tacos for dinner?
One show I highly recommend is Budget vs. Baller: Travel at any Cost on Hulu. Throughout ten episodes, two brothers traveled across different cities. One wins a "baller” budget and the other has a meager amount to spend throughout the week. From the two separate experiences, you can see how they each prioritize their dollars in different areas.
I hope you have a great rest of your week and be on the lookout for next week’s edition!
-Jordan