6/13/2019
Michelle Graven
How can you afford to take a great trip without a money tree in my backyard? Now with social media, you are constantly seeing friends and family members going on amazing vacations and it may leave you wondering, how do they do it? We have come up with five tips on how to take a photo worthy trip without breaking the bank.
Activities and Excursions
Do your research when you choosing a destination. Plan ahead to find coupons or other discounts before you go. If you’re a student or senior, there are usually special discounts. Take advantage of free days! Research museums and other tourist sites to see when they are having free or discounted days. Our MarinePerks account also includes essential savings on over 50,000 activities and tours from around the world. Everything from food tastings, to sightseeing packages, to boat rides and so much more. Book incredible things at a price you can’t pass up.
Air Accommodations
Whether you’re traveling alone, with friends, or family, air travel can be one of the biggest costs when you are vacationing. Peak season and holiday weekends have a high demand which includes a higher price tag. Did you know that there are best days to fly out? According to multiple surveys, the best days to fly out are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. Our MarinePerks accounts include personal travel agents that will find you the best price guaranteed for you flight. Not only will you know that you are getting the best deal, you will also earn 3% cash back every time you book through MarinePerks. As an added perk, we include the Good as Gold Guarantee - if you find a better price for the exact trip, MarinePerks will double the difference up to $100 in addition to your Cash Back Reward. Also, trips booked through MarinePerks include $100,000 Automatic Flight Insurance.
Room and Board
Just like air travel, hotels can put a huge dent in your budget. With all of the new options like hostels and homestays you can book online, hotels are now working hard to compete. You can use discount sites, but if you call the hotel directly, a reservation specialist can give you a special rate or even find you a room if online says there are no rooms available. MarinePerks will do the job for you and find you the best price for your hotel. When booking your hotel through MarinePerks, you will receive 5% Cash Back Rewards. Are you going to a destination that is more resort oriented? The MarinePerks travel service can also find you the best deals for one and two-bedroom condominiums in virtually every resort location. Put our travel agents to work for you!
Food and Dining
Before you go, do some research on the best places to eat. This way you can inquire about daily specials and even sign up for restaurant coupons. When looking, try to avoid eating on popular tourist streets. You may find some places off the beaten path that are cheaper, more authentic and you can feel good about supporting the local businesses! Instead of eating breakfast out every morning, cut back on costs by searching for places that include breakfast. This is also a great way to make sure everyone starts the day off with a nutritious meal
Money Security
While on your trip, be careful with your debit card so that when you come back you’re not ruining your vacation vibe dealing with unwanted charges. Unfortunately, there is no technology that is 100% safe. The move toward chip cards has helped cut back on machine skimming, but many businesses are still in the process of transitioning to the chip reader.
The chip card has a higher level of security because it produces a unique one time token that a hacker can’t reproduce. In response, some hackers have been putting skimmers, a small device attached to card readers, on ATMs, gas pumps, point of sales systems and other places where we swipe our cards.
To avoid the skimmer, check the card reader for tampering. If anything jiggles or is misaligned, especially at a gas pump, don’t use the reader. Even if you don’t feel that you have been compromised, make sure you go through your statement or look at your online banking daily. If you see anything suspicious, stop by one of our branches and we are happy to help you sort it out. The Marine Bank mobile app and online banking site also allows you to turn your debit card on/off, so you can easily and quickly turn your card off to avoid more unwanted transactions. When traveling, always make sure to bring an extra form of payment. Also, do not forget to let Marine Bank know you are leaving so we can put a travel notification on your account.
The best tip we can give is to research, plan and stick to your budget. Combine our tips and you’ll not only save money, but you will also create lifelong memories. Here at Marine Bank, we want to help you save money in any way possible. We’re with you every step of the way. Bon Voyage!