Save $100 in 10 Minutes: Christmas Travel

The Christmas season is almost here, and that can mean a few things: fun, festive treats, and definitely expenses. As we’ve detailed before, getting in front of your holiday expenses is important. Now it’s time to look at Christmas travel and how you can save cash and still have a great December.

When it comes to Christmas, there is a lot of travel. Roads are busy, airports are packed and all of it comes at seasonal rates. If you want to save some cash on holiday travel, check out these tips:

Use the Net

The day of the travel agent is (almost) dead. Discount travel sites like Hotwire and Priceline can save you a bundle. These sites will get you great last minute travel deals – even during expensive seasons. Let these virtual agents search multiple airlines and destinations for you from your own computer. A bit of time searching for travel deals could save you tons of dough. This is your 10 minute tip to saves $100. Using these sites, I’ve saved upwards of $300 on flights alone!

Drive – but be careful of the Canadian winter

If your car is in good shape (and you’ve got snow tires) it’s a great choice to drive instead of fly to visit your family. I’m going to see my in-laws in Kelowna next month and we’re going to drive (from Vancouver). When you factor in 2 hours at the airport, potential delays and the drive from the airport… driving for 5 hours is well worth the savings in cash. We’ll make sure to do the trip during daylight, with proper tires and emergency gear and use the savings on presents!

Use the Net… Again

As a money-savvy web user, you can use the internet to bring your family close together. There have been times when I just couldn’t afford the trip home for the holidays (hello Kraft Dinner Christmas!), but that didn’t mean I couldn’t see my family. Using a free Skype-to-Skype call, you can video chat your way into your family’s home – which can actually be a great way to see your in-laws.

Happy holidays… and happy saving!