As Memorial Day Weekend comes to an end, I figured I would talk to you guys about one of my favorite things to do - Travel! When we left for our trip to the Virgin Islands two weeks ago, I had already been traveling for over a month to Florida, New York City, and Denver. I got asked by a ton of you how Ryan and I travel so much, and since this isn’t the first time, I thought I’d share my tips for traveling more!
PLAN AHEAD
This is probably the hardest tip for us to follow ourselves, since Ryan's schedule is ALWAYS changing! Luckily, we usually know tour dates pretty far in advance. I try to squeeze in trips here and there when we have time off, whether we go somewhere local for a "staycation" (like our trip to The Essex Resort & Spa this winter!) or we get on a plane to an exotic location (like our trip to Aruba at the end of last summer!). To get the best deals, we plan as far in advance as we can. The major reason for this is... it's a game changer financially. It’s amazing how many deals you can find if you give yourself ample time to plan. I usually start my planning by researching the best spots to go during a certain time of year. If you know your vacation will be in October, try researching the best destinations for October in terms of what you are looking for (weather, less tourists, cheaper airfare, etc.). Then, I usually set up alerts for the destination we choose. A website we frequently use for deals is Hotels.com. We take advantage of Hotels.com's stay 10 nights, get one free reward regularly, and since we travel so much we end up getting a few free hotels per year. We also get secret sales through them for our high reward status. Planning ahead makes for a way less stressful experience. Once you have the travel plans locked down I love researching what I want to see and do in our destination.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LONG WEEKENDS
If you look back at the Travel section of my blog, you'll see that a lot of the trips Ryan and I take are over long weekends. While we don't have conventional 9-5, Monday through Friday jobs, I know that many of you do! Long weekends are the perfect chance to get in a quick getaway that doesn't feel rushed. You can take the opportunity to visit somewhere a short car ride away (like our getaway to Kennebunkport, Maine for Valentine's Day!) or take a flight to a different part of the country (like our trip to Big Sur in California!). There are so many travel guides for 48 hours in a city, plus you can always take flights early in the morning or late at night to take advantage of every minute! Or use your Summer Fridays if you are so lucky! Fun Fact: Ryan hates when I book red eyes because he can't sleep on planes... but I still do it anyway!
GET REWARDS FOR TRAVELING
If you've known me for a while you know that I am the master of credit card rewards (feel free to contact me any time if you have any questions!). Ryan and I spend a lot of money traveling, which is why we opted for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. While this isn't the only travel credit card we have (we also have the American Express Delta Skymiles card - amazing if you fly Delta exclusively, or a lot!), it is the one that I think will be the most rewarding for you guys. The reason being - you can use the points you receive to purchase airfare on any airline. I would be happy to refer you to the card if you are interested - which will give us both added perks! Reward programs have made a huge difference for us. This year alone I used airline points for my trip to the northwest for Twiddle tour, my trip to Red Rocks, and our trip to the Virgin Islands. Traveling will always be expensive, so signing up for a good rewards program can make your dreams become more of a reality.
NO EXCUSES!
Like I said, the reason I decided to write this post is because you guys have been asking me how I travel so much. I know that everyone's situation is different, but my biggest tip is DON'T MAKE EXCUSES! If you want to travel, you can! Planning ahead, saving up your money towards your vacation goal, taking advantage of your time wisely, and getting travel rewards from your everyday purchases is possible for EVERYONE to do! Making excuses for why you can’t go somewhere will only result in you not going! Caution: There may be times where you truly can not or should not go on a trip. Be honest with yourself and do not make compromises!
I hope these tips help. Now, start planning that trip!
xoxo. Alexandra
