Painless Ways to Keep Holiday Spending Down
You may have saved all year for your holiday and want to go out and enjoy yourself but you can still be careful with your spending. Here are some tips to help you keep track of the pennies on your next holiday.
Learn the exchange rate
This seems obvious, but knowing the exchange rate will help you when you’re making purchases. We all try to convert the local currency back into the currency we are used in our head. By knowing what £1, £5 & £10 is equivalent to in the local currency, you’ll be able to quickly work out if you’re happy to spend that amount of money.
Make a budget
By setting yourself a boundary on what you can spend each day, you’ll start to subconsciously limit yourself. Alternatively you could set yourself budgets for food, gifts, activities, etc. for the duration of the holiday. That way if you have a couple of expensive places you want to eat or expensive activities to do, you’re not blowing your whole daily budget as the budget is based on the length of your holiday not a daily amount.
Walk
Instead of paying for taxis or public transport, why not get a little exercise and save money at the same time? You’ll be amazed at how much better you get to know the area you are visiting. By foot, you’re sure to notice so much more than you would whizzing past in a car.
Don’t follow the crowds
Visit the less significant shops that you find but aren’t all that crowded. You will discover beautiful things at lower prices because they’re not catering to the tourists that are going to be there.
Talk to the locals
When you’re interested in something, talk to the locals about where you might be able to find it. You will learn things that you wouldn’t get out of your guidebook as well as where these activities are cheaper.
Don’t drink your money away
That goes for soft drinks and alcohol. When you’re out all day, the chances are you’ll get very thirsty. If you add u how much you spend on drinks everyday it can soon eat into your budget. Instead bring a refillable drinks bottle with you. Also try to limit your alcohol wherever you can or save it for a few special days. It’s easy to spend too much.
Eat where the locals eat
Restaurants looking to attract tourists will sometimes charge more as they know tourists aren’t as used to the local currency and are often looking for somewhere convenient to eat rather than good value. Also tourist restaurants aren’t always the best quality. Find out where the local people go to eat. You’ll usually get a much better meal and at a much better price.
You only live once
When all else fails, just spend a little more than you thought that you would. You aren’t going to be there everyday, so why not make the most of it when you are?
