Five Ways to Stretch & Save Your Travel Dollars: Great Escape Publishing Staff Picks

** Swap Manicures for Travel

From Marketing Assistant, Jackie Gray…

I’ve decided to give up my monthly manicures and pedicures to save for a trip to Alaska this summer with my folks. $50 a month (plus tip) from January through June will mean an extra $300 in my pocket by the time we set sail. I set up an online savings account at EmigrantDirect.com and I set it up so that every month $50 comes out of my account and goes straight into savings. I don’t even notice the pinch.

** Re-route Your Travel

From Marketing Director, Jackie Flynn…

I live in Ireland and we’re feeling the pinch here too. I have no intention of cutting back my travel plans this year but I do intend to reconsider where I’m going. It’s cheaper than ever for me to fly to the States so I’m planning more of my trips there. Last year at this time I paid $1,200 to get to our photo workshop in Austin, TX. This year to get to our New Orleans workshop, I paid just over $500 — and I added a stop in Baltimore, Maryland to visit old friends with no additional fees.

** Hit the Ground Running

From Editorial Manager, Bonnie Caton…

I’m saving up for two trips this year. The first is a big move back to my hometown of Portland, OR at the end of March. And the second is a trip to France with my boyfriend. Flight prices to Paris are cheaper right now than I’ve seen them in years but I’m thinking about expanding my trip down to the South West of France where I lived for two years after college. To afford my move — and also a big trip — I’ve decided to discontinue both my regular gym and my rock climbing gym memberships (saving me about $100 per month). It’s a lot cheaper to just go running outside. Plus, I’m training for the Portland Marathon in October, so I need to get a lot of running in, anyway

** Diss the Designer Brands

From creator of The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program, Jennifer Stevens…

With three boys in the house, we’re already pretty careful about how we spend on food (and it’s still a lot). But one thing we’ve cut back on is expensive coffee. As much as I love my morning cup (and believe me, with all these kids, I need it), I haven’t really missed the high-end brands we used to buy. (Now it’s the bulk stuff from Costco.) It’s not a lot of savings, but I’ve been putting that money aside ever since AWAI asked me to lead a writing expedition in Ecuador at the end of April.

I’ve always wanted to try my hand at import-export, so when we’re touring through the local craft markets, I’m planning to stock up on a few items I think I can sell when I get back to the States. My coffee savings won’t buy me mounds of stuff, I imagine… but it should definitely be enough to get me started. Plus I’m also planning to write an article or two while I’m in Ecuador, snap some photos to go along with the words, and sell that, too. That should make my trip a business expense… and an income generator.

** Digital Coupon Clipping

From Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen…

Before I buy anything online, I do a quick search for the store name and/or the product name and the word “coupon” or “coupon code.” A search for “Old Navy coupon,” for instance, yields pages of coupon codes you can use for purchasing Old Navy clothes online at a discount. I do the same with my groceries. If I need paper towels, I search for “Bounty paper towels coupon.” Sometimes these coupons get mailed to me. But most of the time, I can just copy and paste the coupon code into my online order form and the discount is taken off the price immediately.

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]