We enlisted our mates at Wotif.com to share why we should still be planning a holiday and the best budget hacks to get away.
2020 has been the year of stoic and sensible. We stayed at home to fight a global pandemic. We saved our pennies as talk of recession began and job stability became a little less stable. We entered deeper self-reflection as social issues became much louder on a global scale.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with how things are this year and that’s why it’s important to offer ourselves some respite as well. So really, it’s only sensible to revisit self-care by engaging in activities and experiences that can help maintain and enhance well-being. When we travel, we broaden our horizons, get real-life education, understand ourselves better and get a break from the routine of everyday life.
The good news is, travelling can still be done within current travel restrictions and on a budget! In fact, your next trip can be as thrifty as it is fun and to prove it, we’ve put together seven tips that will help you save cash on your next holiday and get you out and about in the best possible way.
- Be flexible and grab a steal for tomorrow
Flexibility can often help you nab a great deal. Sure, the early bird catches the worm (and can often lock in a competitive rate) but booking at the last minute can also save you $$ with hotels that are keen to fill empty rooms. If your plans are flexible, you can often find plenty of opportunities to save.
- Travel mid-week or out of peak season
If you need to book travel in advance, try and travel around weekends or during off-peak times, when hotel rooms are generally cheaper. Less people travelling during off-peak times could also mean a quicker check-in or potentially even an upgrade.
- Stay ahead of the best deals
Great deals go to those in the know, so make sure to sign up for travel newsletters and emails. Here at Wotif, we have secret (shhh! 🤫) Mates Rates available when you log into your Wotif account or search for a stay on the Wotif app (on both iPhone and Android). If you don’t have an account, you can easily create one here. Make sure you sign up for Wotif emails too to get a heads-up on all our fantastic sales and deals. You’ll not only get access to the great deals that are sent out regularly, you’ll also find inspiration for your next holiday as well.
- Choose practical accommodation with extra facilities
Sure, hotels can be great but choosing a serviced apartment with a kitchen or a property with BBQ facilities means you can cook meals at home, saving valuable dollars for adventure and other activities. This is a financial lifesaver when travelling as a family or in larger groups.
- Get savvy and tackle food waste
We tend to waste a lot of food in Australia but there are handy apps out there which allow users to buy meals from cafes and restaurants on the cheap that would otherwise get thrown out at the end of the day. Saving waste AND money? It’s a win-win.
- Do your research
Holidays are awesome but there are some people who try to take advantage of tourists. Scams can happen anywhere and a big part of saving money is not losing it so doing a bit of research into your destination is key – for both your wallet and your safety. Check out smartraveller.gov.au before your trip.
- Take yourself walking
Walking tours are a great way to get to know a new city, but they can be a little pricey. Try using a free walking tours or head to your destination’s local Information Desk and find out if they have any free walking tours on offer.
How are you going to budget hack your next getaway?
Important note about travel and COVID-19:
Before booking, travellers should consult the latest government restrictions for the area in which they wish to travel. Travellers should be mindful that government restrictions are in constant review and travel guidelines may change between booking and travel.
About Wotif.com
Wotif… it’s Aussie For Travel. Wotif offers travellers access to accommodation, flights, packages, activities and car hire both locally and overseas, with verified accommodation reviews from almost two million Australian and New Zealand travellers.
Get Social with us!
The Wotif Social Team love to share great content with our 300,000+ community of travel lovers. Be sure to tag @wotif on Facebook and Twitter or @wotifcom on Instagram.
Shop with Wotif through the Raiz app and a percentage of your purchase price will be invested back into your Raiz Account for the following categories: Hotels: 4%, Flights: 0.70%, Packages: 2.10%, Car Hire: 3.50% and Activities: 5.60%. Reward will be credited only for completed, eligible travel. Please note that due to COVID-19, there may be a delay to your reward being credited to you. We appreciate your patience during this time and will update when we can. (Reward amount as of 13/11/2020).
Important Information
If you have read all or any part of our email, website, or communication then you need to know that this is factual information and general advice only. This means it does not consider any person’s particular financial objectives, financial situation, or financial needs. If you are an investor, you should consult a licensed adviser before acting on any information to fully understand the benefits and risk associated with the product. This is your call but that is what you should do.
You may be surprised to learn that RAIZ Invest Australia Limited (ABN 26 604 402 815) (Raiz), an authorised representative AFSL 434776 prepared this information.
We are not allowed, and have not prepared this information to offer financial product advice or a recommendation in relation to any investments or securities. If we did give you personal advice, which we did not, then the use of the Raiz App would be a lot more expensive than the current pricing – sorry but true. You therefore should not rely on this information to make investment decisions, because it was not about you for once, and unfortunately, we cannot advise you on who or what you can rely on – again sorry.
A Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for Raiz Invest and/or Raiz Invest Super is available on the Raiz Invest website and App. A person must read and consider the PDS before deciding whether, or not, to acquire and/or continue to hold interests in the financial product. We know and ASIC research shows that you probably won’t, but we want you to, and we encourage you to read the PDS so you know exactly what the product does, its risks and costs. If you don’t read the PDS, it’s a bit like flying blind. Probably not a good idea.
The risks and fees for investing are fully set out in the PDS and include the risks that would ordinarily apply to investing. You should note, as illustrated by the global financial crisis of 2008, that sometimes not even professionals in the financial services sector understand the ordinary risks of investing – because by their nature many risks are unknown – but you still need to give it a go and try to understand the risks set out in the PDS.
Any returns shown or implied are not forecasts and are not reliable guides or predictors of future performance. Those of you who cannot afford financial advice may be considering ignoring this statement, but please don’t, it is so true.
Under no circumstance is the information to be used by, or presented to, a person for the purposes of deciding about investing in Raiz Invest or Raiz Invest Super.
This information may be based on assumptions or market conditions which change without notice and have not been independently verified. Basically, this says nothing stays the same for long in financial markets (or even in life for that matter) and we are sorry. We try, but we can’t promise that the information is accurate, or stays accurate.
Any opinions or information expressed are subject to change without notice; that’s just the way we roll.
The bundll and superbundll products are provided by FlexiCards Australia Pty Ltd ABN 31 099 651 877 Australian credit licence number 247415. Bundll, snooze and superbundll are trademarks of Flexirent Capital Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of FlexiGroup Limited. Lots of names, which basically you aren’t allowed to reproduce without their permission and we need to include here.
Mastercard is a registered trademark and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.
Home loans are subject to approval from the lending institution and Raiz Home Ownership makes no warranties as to the success of an application until all relevant information has been provided.
Raiz Home Ownership Pty Ltd (ABN 14 645 876 937), an Australian Credit Representative number 528594 under Australian Credit Licence number 387025. Raiz Home Ownership Pty Ltd is 100% owned by Raiz Invest Australia Limited (ABN 26 604 402 815).