2020 Travel Tips | Ep. 27

• Tiffany explains she has significant travel planned and wants to share how she manages trips affordably while tackling debt.

• For trips under 500-600 miles, Tiffany drives. Examples include Washington D.C., New York, Florida, and Atlanta from North Carolina.

For me, it's more cost efficient. I have a car that's pretty good on mileage. I can like from here to Florida, I only have to fill up like once and to fill up is only like $30.

• Tiffany uses Google Flights (google.com/flights) to compare prices and identify the cheapest travel days via the calendar view.

• She notes Google Flights doesn't include Southwest Airlines, so she sometimes checks that site separately.

The earlier you can book, the better.

• Tiffany plans to use an Airbnb gift card for an upcoming trip. For hotels, she prefers Priceline Express Deals where the hotel name is hidden until checkout.

As long as you get a hotel that's three stars and up, you can bet your bottom dollar that it's probably going to be nice.

• She also checks Living Social and Groupon for off-season hotel deals, noting the two platforms now appear to offer identical promotions.

• Tiffany books travel on her Capital One card to access built-in travel accident insurance, 24-hour assistance, and rental car collision coverage.

I'm only booking flight or hotel or rental car if I have the money to spend. I'm not using the credit card as another means of income.

• She earns 1.5x rewards on purchases and pays the balance immediately.

• Tiffany subscribes to Scott's Cheap Flights daily email newsletter, which highlights one ultra-cheap international flight each day.

I've seen trips to Africa for like three, $300.

• She emphasizes that flights are usually the biggest expense for international trips; lodging in places like Thailand or Africa tends to be inexpensive.

• Tiffany recommends researching local experiences and food rather than touristy activities. She acknowledges being a planner but advises balancing planning with enjoying the moment.