Ruth's Radical Cost Cutters
page last updated 1/27/2025
Ever noticed how the airfares seem to double or triple when the kids are out of school? It’s no accident. Airfares fluctuate to maximize revenue per seat and if there are more dollars chasing a given seat, the price can quickly skyrocket. Ditto for lodging and just about anything else. It’s not some sinister plot; it’s just the simple law of supply and demand at work. So, what’s a person to do?
Be flexible in your travel plans. This means thinking “outside the box” to use a grossly overused phrase. What does it mean for you? The following pointers can help you cut your costs by more than 50%!
Above: September in the Colorado Rockies.
1 . Travel in shoulder season. This is when that $300/night condo goes for half price and the crowds are gone. It’s also when the airfares from LA to Honolulu drop below $300 a person and you can show up at Yosemite without a reservation.
Consider this: In an average year Yosemite receives 60% of its visitors between June-September. This means the other 40% are spread out over the remaining eight months of the year. Fewer visitors, means better availability of campsites, cabins and parking spaces.
Above: Kids can do school work while traveling.
2 . Take the kids out of school. This can easily be done by giving your child’s teacher advance notice (one month) of a trip. This gives them time to prepare a packet of take-along assignments which your child can easily complete by working an hour a day. It serves the dual purpose of ensuring that the school (if public) gets paid for your child’s enrollment when they are out and ensuring they keep up with their peers.
3. Identify Your Perks: Are you a member of the Armed Forces? How about retired military or veteran? Department of Defense (DoD) employee? Over 50? Under 28? If so, there are deals for you. See below for my absolute favorite perks.
4. Sign up for airfare alerts: My all time favorite airfare alert site is Going.com (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights). Many websites advertise low fares, but when you try to book them they’re mysteriously unavailable—for whatever reason. This website is the real deal.
It works is like this: You subscribe to the website, enter the airports from which you're willing to depart, and sign up for alerts. So for example, I live in San Diego and prefer to fly from there. But if the price is right, I will drive to Los Angeles (LA) or Orange County. If you're traveling with children, the savings can add up quickly. Google Flights also allows you to sign up for airfare alerts so you can purchase tickets when they go on sale.
5. Sign up for frequent flier mile programs: The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp card has no annual fee and allows you to earn American Airlines miles with each purchase. Often times, you’ll be rewarded with a generous sign on bonus if you spend a specified amount within the first 3 months or apply for it while you're on one of their flights. You’ve got to spend a certain amount of money each month on groceries, utilities, and regularly recurring expenses. Why not put them on a credit card that helps you earn frequent flyer miles?
The only downside I have noted with using American Airlines frequent flyer miles is that all routes flying to Europe seem to have a compulsory stop in London's Heathrow airport and each touchdown is taxed at $200. This adds $400 per person to a "free" ticket, effectively wiping out the benefit of the frequent flyer miles. I get around this by never using these miles to fly to Europe.
6. National Parks Pass: Free entry to all active duty members of the US military. Just show your Common Access Card (CAC) or DD-1173 to get your annual pass. (Please note: there is no discount on camping fees.) Otherwise, the annual pass is $80 and can be purchased at most National Park kiosks or REI. For more information see US National Parks where I discuss the US National Parks in greater detail.
Above: Share vacations & expenses with friends.
7. Share Expenses with Another Couple/Family: For couples who enjoy each other's company, especially if both have children of similar ages, sharing a vacation and expenses my make sense. The kids entertain each other, giving the adults more uninterrupted time together.
8. Opt for lodging with free breakfasts and/or kitchenettes. Eating out three times a day can get expensive, not to mention unhealthy. Try to choose lodgings with either free breakfasts or cooking facilities. Lunches can be thrown together by combining grocery store items to make nutritious and convenient picnics.
If I'm going to rent a car at my destination, I always pack a small plastic cooler. It takes up very little room in the suitcase, but saves big in convenience and nutrition.
I also bring insulated beverage containers to fill with hot chocolate or coffee. That said, see my next tip.
Above: Lunch specials can be great values.
9. If you're going to eat out, opt for lunch rather than dinner. Many countries have fixed price lunches that are a very good value. Most include soup, an appetizer and a main course. And since you're out sightseeing anyway, they can be very convenient.
10. Buy an Entertainment Membership. Remember that thick coupon book that used to give 2-for 1 deals on things like helicopter rides in Hawaii? Well, now it's an easy-to-use app that can be purchased for $24.99 annual membership. Not sure if it's for you, or just want to see a sample of the savings? Sign up for a free 30-day trial to see if it makes sense for you.
11. Purchase airline tickets directly from the airline. Why? Two reasons: to avoid hidden fees and to be alerted of schedule changes. Let's face it; you never really know what you're getting if you buy through a third party, and communications is at best delayed.
For example, during my recent trip to Taiwan, I encountered problems with the English versions of two airlines: Hong Kong Express and Scoot. In both instances-- even though I knew better-- I was compelled to purchase tickets through e-Dreams and Expedia.
When I got to the airport Hong Kong Express hit me with a whopping $81 charge to check my 15 lb carryon. This, despite my best efforts to purchase the "lite" option (which included a 15.4 lb carry on) from e-Dreams. In the case of Expedia, my 10:50 AM flight was rescheduled to 06:50 AM, which required me to leave my Hong Kong hostel at 02:30 AM to make the 04:50 AM check in. I was made aware of the schedule change via e-mail from Scoot. My fellow travelers all had similar stories. When dealing with middlemen, you feel like you're "getting away with something" if you actually get what you paid for!
12. Consider Rail Passes: Students age 27 and under pay up to 25% less for Eurail passes than the adult fare; seniors 60 and over pay 10% less. These passes periodically go on sale for 10% off.
That said, I have generally found point-to-point tickets purchased in advance to be lower than buying a rail pass. The primary advantage of a Eurail pass is convenience of not having to purchase individual tickets and flexibility.
The exception to this rule is the Swiss Travel Pass. In Switzerland, it's the way to go. (For more information, see my section on Switzerland.)
TIP: On European trains, the differences between 1st class and 2nd are subtle. First class coaches are designated with a large “1” and second class coaches have a “2”. First class seats are marginally wider and the coaches are less crowded. But beyond that, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference. My personal experience is that it wasn’t worth paying almost twice as much, and on Swiss trains the electrical outlets for charging your phones are in the second class cars.
Perks for Active Duty Military
Armed Forces Vacation Club (AFVC)- Open to all active duty personnel in the US armed forces. This company offers week-long and short stay vacation and resort rentals for as low as $319/week. And, as if this weren’t deal enough, the company runs frequent BOGO sales throughout the year to reduce unsold inventory. Yes, you read that right. It’s Buy One Week, Get One Week free! The catch is that the “free” weeks must be chosen from a select inventory and used in a relatively short time. For example, the last time I took advantage of this deal, my husband, son and I stayed in a 1 bedroom condo in the Canadian Rockies in September and then stayed another week in a 2 bedroom condo at a timeshare in Cancun. There were no hidden fees or compulsory “all inclusives”, so it was a tremendous deal. https://www.afvclub.com/
Like everything, AFVC has it’s downsides.
You must compare condo costs with the broader market, because they’re not always the lowest cost. This is especially true in Hawaii, where we usually do better by searching online for weekly condo rentals.
Some properties charge per person/per day resort fees, whether all amenities are available or not. (Think 60 F degree pool.)
Some charge a mandatory cleaning fee for rentals of less than 1 week.
Some, particularly in the Caribbean, charge mandatory utility fees of $45-$360.
Most will require a security deposit, which typically runs from $150-$200.
Some will add a mandatory hotel tax, which is in addition to the price of the rental.
Units are priced for specific dates, often requiring a weekend check-in. This may require you to fly on a weekend when fares are often higher than midweek.
Perks for Veterans
Vacations for Veterans: Open to all veterans of the US military. This website offers a different inventory than AFVC, but the same low price. All you need to subscribe to this service is the DD-214 of the veteran. https://www.veteransholidays.com/
Savings on Car Rentals
1) Always book the least expensive car you can find. If this category is not available, the vendor will upgrade you for free.
2) Book and pay for your car rental with a credit card providing free Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) as a cardholder benefit. For this insurance to be active, you must decline the CDW offered by the car rental company by initialing the declination box on the rental agreement.
Print a copy of your cardmember agreement (it must have your name on it) and bring it with you as some countries (Germany) mandate insurance and will charge you for it if you cannot provide proof of coverage.
Above: The adventures of right-hand driving!
3) Pick up the rental car in town rather than at an airport to avoid the high concessionaire charges that some airports charge, or consider a car-sharing service like Turo (see below).
4) Avoid one-way drop off fees by returning the car where you picked it up. This can save you hundreds of dollars.
5) Chose a manual transmission over an automatic if you're renting a vehicle outside the United States.
Why? Gas is more usually more expensive outside the US and manual transmissions are more fuel efficient. So, manual transmissions are widely available from different rental agencies and you can shop for the lowest rate.
If you must have an automatic-- as I must when driving a right-hand-drive vehicle-- book early and be prepared to pay 30% over what you'd pay for a manual transmission.
Above: Narrow roads in Ireland are shared with carriages.
6) Take a video of your car before you drive away. This way you won't be charged for existing damage to the car.
7) Consider renting from a car-sharing company, like Turo. Similar to Airbnb, which allows hosts to rent out their homes, Turo is a peer-to-peer vehicle renting service (available in the US, Canada, UK and Germany) that allows owners to rent out their vehicles on their own prices and terms. Hosts will often deliver the car free of charge to your door if you're renting for a minimum of 1 week. Savings are generally 25%, but the minimum age is 21.
8) If you're under 21 or Just need a car for a few hours consider another vehicle sharing service, like Getaround, Zipcar and HyreCar.