Unexpected Travel Expenses and Ways to Avoid Them

When we travel, most of us plan our budgets keeping in mind with big expenses like airfare, accommodation and food. However, no matter how well we plan our trips, there seem to always be some unknown expenses. To prevent us from wiping our wallets clean in our future trips, here are some common hidden expenses and ways to avoid them.

Items we forget to pack

Obviously, if you forget to pack correctly, or to take all necessary items, you will end up shooting up your travel cost. Some items might not be easy to find at your destination, which is why I am always mindful of what I pack in my luggage. I would recommend making a checklist and checking it twice. Necessities like toiletries, proper clothing and footwear, umbrella, sunscreen and more. With the global pandemic still going on, there are more cleaning items to bring, here are 6 New Travel Essentials to take with you on your next trip.

Credit card foreign transaction fees

You are likely to encounter foreign transaction fees from your credit card company when you travel aboard, maybe even on your debit cards as well. These fees may seem small, but they can quickly add up during your trip. Before we depart, I would recommend to research your credit card terms ahead of time and to take credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees. Another way to avoid this is to use cash, but even so, you should download handy currency exchange apps on your phone to ensure that you are paying a good price.

International mobile roaming charges

Using your mobile phones overseas may lead to some hefty roaming charges. Without
intervention, you are likely to find yourself charged with huge fees. Although it is necessary for us to keep in contact with our family back home, and share our awesome vacation on social media. We can to buy a local phone card with data, it gives a better reception too. If you need to make calls, I would recommend WhatsApp calls which only require data usage or Wi-Fi. In order to avoid using up all the data on your card, I would switch to Wi-Fi whenever I am in a hotel or a restaurant.

Emergency Expenses

Having an emergency is the last thing anyone wants on a vacation, but accidents happen. I have once had a friend needing to head to an emergency room in the middle of the night, the expenses are huge since we were not citizen of that country. To make sure expenses are covered, I would recommend you to purchase travel insurance for every trip, and have your emergency contacts written down on your wallet. Make sure your insurance also cover missed flights, and any accidents.

Snacks on the plane

On short flights, you are unlikely to be served with a meal. But not every airline provides free snacks on plane (so long, free peanuts). I would recommend eating a big meal before your flight, and to pack some snacks in just case. But with the global pandemic still going on, I would not advice you to remove your mask during your flight.

Hope the above methods can help you save your travel expenses. Do you have another way to save your costs? Comment and share with us!