Budget travel tips
• Benefit from the greater buying power of travel wholesalers by shopping among the packaged air fare and accommodation deals. A good travel agent can work wonders if you specify your budget requirements. Compromise on some tour details can mean huge savings.
• Be very wary of getting trapped in a resort where the price includes nothing more than the room and there are no alternative sources of food. A couple of Australia’s best- known islands come to mind.
They offer attractive packages, but there is no alternative to eating in restaurants which charge resort prices (yes, expensive).
• Unless you have to, don’t go on holiday now. Wait for those of us with school children to retreat, and watch the prices plummet as we leave. I’m jealous just thinking about it.
• An essential item for any outing is some sort of cool bag or esky, especially at the beach with children. It allows you to pay supermarket prices for the inevitable soft drinks. The savings can be substantial.
• Finding the location of the nearest major supermarket is an early necessity. It might take a little more effort to get to, but one good shop at the start of your holiday can save a bundle compared with the tourist centre’s corner store prices.
• Do you like to read on holiday? Visit your local library before you
go - you’ll find a better range of books than at the airport, at a better price!
• An absolute necessity for overseas travel is insurance to cover the risks of sickness and injury- Hospital charges in the US really can send you broke, while some Third- and even Second-World countries are great to visit, but you wouldn’t want to be operated on there. Shop around for quotes, but it’s better to have too much insurance than not enough.
• The primary role of the phone in your hotel room is to make money for the landlord. Outrageous mark-ups on hotel phone bills can be avoided by using a pay phone. A Telstra Telecard allows you to bill calls back to your home phone account.
• Leave buying mementos until the end of your stay — by then you’ll have a better idea of prices and products.
• Go native. Use local public transport rather than taxis or tours. For example, visitors to Sydney can enjoy the harbour on public ferries rather than dearer tourist cruises.
• Buy the local newspapers. The features and advertisements will be more up-to-date than the best travel books, and the best shopping specials more current, regardless of whether you’re a visitor or a local.
• Finally, remember the best things in life really can be inexpensive - the time to relax and enjoy the company of those you holiday with. Sunsets and a beach walk are still free.
