There nothing worse than making a plan, getting excited about doing the actual plan, making arrangements for said excellent plan, and then realising that you haven’t accounted for the millions of pounds it’s going to cost you to actually get there. Transport seems to always get the last laugh. Travel is the last great pain in the ass.
We’re all too aware that travel ain’t cheap, and you’ve probably heard tales of students flying into lectures from various Nordic countries in Europe because it’s cheaper than renting and commuting over in the UK. But, regardless of how true these stories are, very few of us have the luxury of swapping overcrowded train carriages for Ryan Air flights. And we don’t have the patience to work out the logistics either.
Whether you’re trying to get to work without having to sacrifice being able to afford work, or you’re trying to make it abroad for that holiday you and your mates have been promising yourselves for years, we’ve gathered some of the best ways to save money on travel. And we’ve kept the faff to a minimum.
1. Be flexible. Like, actually
Okay, I know this is easier said than done. And I also know that it’s probably not something you haven’t heard before. But when you’re booking flights how often do you actually select that ‘+/- 3 days button next to the calendar? Thought so. The trick is to commit to a wide-enough window of time before booking any sort of accommodation if you’re planning a holiday. If it’s more of a cost of commute thing you’re trying to tackle, don’t forget that travelling at off-peak times could save you a pretty penny. It all adds up, people! It’s always worth having a word with your boss to see if they’d be up for shifting your hours to help you out.
2. Separate your spending
What you don’t want to do is accidentally spend money you’d mentally put away for train rides and bus fares on that last round of after work gins. It sounds both silly and miraculously simple, but dividing and conquering could be the answer. Use a different debit card or order one of those pre-paid debit cards like Monzo that notify you every time you make a purchase and tell you exactly what it was on. That way, if you do the maths at the beginning of the week, or set your travel budget in advance of your hols and put that money far, far away from the method you usually use to buy things, it’ll always be there and never compromised by drunken decisions.
3. Two singles make a return
When you’re buying train tickets, it might be easier to absentmindedly hit the return button and fork out whatever price the site throws at you. But taking an extra ten mins to work your mental arithmetic skills and check whether or not it might be cheaper to buy two singles could save you a lot. Particularly because opting for a fixed return will often limit you to using one specific train line. That normally costs more, folks.
4. Revisit the railcard
I wouldn’t blame you for giving up on the railcard life as soon as the realisation that you’re too old for the old trusty 16-24 discount set in. It’s emotional. But there are in fact other railcards that you can buy and still be eligible for the same sort of discount. If you’re in a relationship the two of you could split a Two Together Railcard to get a third off all your train travel. Also if you live in the south east of England, there’s a whole railcard just for you. Particularly exciting if you travel in and out of London from places like Brighton, Margate and Bournmouth.
5. Forget buying airport food
You guys. There is a ban on taking liquids through airport security, yes. But that doesn’t apply to solid food, and I don’t know about you but I’ve never even considered taking my own snacks to avoid spending everything in Pret/Weatherspoons/WHSmith. Turns out that it’s a totally legit thing to do as long as you avoid spreadable things like dips, and hummus and, erm, soup. Gatwick Airport has some guidelines on its website of what’s okay to take with you. Have a read.
6. Third parties aren’t the answer
More often than not, if you’re buying a ticket through a website or service that isn’t directly the one that you’ll be travelling with, they’ll be taking a percentage of what you pay so the prices might, therefore, be higher. Most of us are familiar with where to hunt for train tickets at home, but it is all too tempting when it comes to planning trips abroad, to throw money at a middle man and get them to sort it all out for you. Don’t do that. It might be a little more intimidating and take a few extra minutes of life to do, but make sure you book European train tickets directly from the national operators. If there’s a way to avoid paying someone’s commission, wouldn’t want to do that one?
7. Cashback is a legitimate thing
For some reason, cashback feels like one of those dodgy, untrustworthy things that real people don’t actually meddle in. But the reality is that it’s a really good way to make some extra money while you’re spending it. Anyone can do it, it just involves clicking through a cashback site before you get to the retail one. MoneySavingExpert.com has a really handy guide to which sites are best but lots of them will reward you for using sites like Trainline. You might have spotted links to them after you’ve bought a ticket online, so go ahead and click one of them next time. Just make sure you’re paying attention because it’s the sort of thing when you really do want to read over the T&Cs first.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.