by Andrea Woroch posted in Tips & Tricks

If you?re visiting family or heading somewhere tropical for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you likely booked your flights and made accommodation arrangements already. While airfare and hotel costs represent the largest portion of your travel spending, smaller expenses like gas, meals and entertainment add up quickly and can blow your budget. That?s why it?s important to factor these into your spending and look for ways to cut back.
Here are 7 tips to help you trim holiday travel costs.
Pack snacks. 

Regardless of whether you are driving or flying when traveling over the holidays, your family is going to get hungry along the way, and snacks and drinks at rest stops and airport shops are overpriced. Save yourself a lot of money by packing travel-friendly food like fruit and granola bars or a sandwich to stay fueled during your trip.
BYO entertainment. 

Most airlines will charge you a pretty penny to watch TV or a movie, or access the Internet. Although it can be costly, such entertainment can help make a long trip go by faster, especially for the little ones, which is why many parents will splurge. Bringing your own entertainment, however, is a great way to keep everyone occupied on the cheap. Make sure to download movies to your iPad before heading to the airport or bring a portable DVD player with your family?s favorite movies. Don't forget to pack any travel-sized games you have at home as well as magazines or books.

 

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