6 Travel Hacks That Money Expert George Kamel Actually Uses To Save Money

Traveling is fun and exciting and it gives you a chance to explore new destinations. While enriching experiences are important, they’re also pretty expensive too.

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A recent GOBankingRates survey polling 999 Americans highlighted that 26.87% of respondents will spend $1,000 to $1,999 on summer travel this year and 18.32% will spend $2,000 or more.

With the cost of travel on the rise, there are some smart moves you can make to save money when booking your next trip.

Travel Tips and Tricks That Can Save Your Money

Here are six travel hacks that money expert George Kamel actually uses to save money:

1. Shop airfare early: In many cases, the earlier you book your travel, the better. Experts recommend booking your tickets anywhere from three weeks out to three and half months out to get the best flight deals. If you’re traveling to an international or extremely popular destination, booking with a longer lead time is usually best.
2. Travel during ‘shoulder season’: Instead of traveling during peak summer season, consider traveling during ‘shoulder season’ instead: April through early June and September through October. You’ll save a bundle and probably also avoid big crowds at your destination too.
3. Use travel apps and websites: Using travel apps and websites is crucial to save the most money and find some of the best deals. Google Flights, Going.com (previously Scott’s Cheap Flights), Next Vacay, Hopper, and Skyscanner are all great tools when it comes to booking travel.
4. Travel on the cheapest air travel days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are historically the least expensive days to fly. Meanwhile, flights on Fridays and Sundays are typically the most expensive. It’s reported that you can save about $100 by traveling on a Tuesday or Wednesday rather than on a Sunday.
5. Don’t exchange currency at the airport: Exchanging currency at the airport is one of the most expensive ways to do it. No matter which currency you’re converting to, you’ll get a lot less for your money if you do the exchange at the airport. Instead, consider ordering currency at your local bank or credit union before your trip. Alternatively, use a no foreign transaction fee credit card for all your purchases abroad. Each charge you make will be converted from USD to the local currency, taking the work out of exchanging physical currency in person.
6. Travel with a carry-on instead of a checked bag: Most airlines allow a carry-on plus one personal item. If you can travel light, you’ll save about $25-50 per checked bag by only using carry-ons. You can also choose airlines that include free checked bags like Southwest or, if you must, share a checked bag with your significant other or kids to reduce the number of checked bags you’ll have to pay for at the airport.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Travel Hacks That Money Expert George Kamel Actually Uses To Save Money

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