ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Many families planning summer trips are looking for ways to enjoy their vacation without breaking the bank.
Shopping expert Trae Bodge said, “Saving on flights is actually not as hard as you think.”
Bodge said mid-week is the best time to travel. Using tools like Hopper and Google Flights is a good way to get a sense of the cheapest day of the week to travel, but flexibility is key.
“You will see that flights are cheaper on Tuesdays and Wednesdays versus other days of the week. Of course, we usually want to travel, say, from Sunday to Saturday, but if you have that flexibility, you could save,” said Bodge.
While travel aggregators compare prices, going through the airline can be a way to save on airfare.
“When I flew to Berlin, I actually found a better rate directly with the airline than I found on the aggregator in this particular case,” said Bodge.
Being flexible in airport choice is also a smart way to save. For those traveling domestically, driving should also be considered as a way to keep money in your pocket.
“Take a road trip instead because that will save you significantly,” said Bodge.
When it comes to lodging, deal sites can help you save on rental homes and hotels.
Bodge said, “Like, for example, PayPal Honey, who I work with, they have savings at VRBO, but they also have savings at hotels.com. They also have savings at Expedia.”
And if you’re going the vacation home route, a quick run to the grocery store can save on the cost of going out for meals.
“Having that one meal in-house, like we had breakfast every day in our Airbnb after going to the grocery store once we saved significantly,” said Bodge.
