Six Business Travel Hacks to Save Money
Do you travel regularly for business?
If you’re on the road more often than not, you probably have a business travel routine all your own. It’s no one’s place to mess with that — whatever you do, it works, and that’s great for all involved.
You don’t have to radically alter your travel rhythm to reduce your travel out-of-pocket costs, though. A few minor tweaks here and there — call them “hacks,” if you must — can significantly reduce your expenditures without getting in the way of whatever it is you need to do out there.
Let’s take a closer look at six of the easiest to implement.
Opt for Extended Stay Hotels Whenever Possible
If you’re spending more than a night or two on the road, price out extended stay hotels in your destination. Some start long-term pricing at seven days, but others have intermediate tiers for stays longer than two or three nights. That’s plenty long for a midweek business trip. Plus, lower-rung extended stay hotels are cheap by any standards — if you’re willing to sacrifice a free hot breakfast each morning, you could make out well.
Get an Airline Rewards Credit Card
Is your territory too big to cover by car? Get a credit card that pays you back every time you take to the skies. Seek out the best airline credit card for your spending patterns — whether it’s an unbranded travel card that earns rewards on all air travel or a brand-specific product. Earn enough and you can redeem your rewards for award travel (cheap getaways!) or fare upgrades (more legroom!)
Set Price Alerts
Use online booking platforms like Kayak, Booking.com, Hotwire, Trivago, Google Flights — whatever seems to give you the best results on a consistent basis. Reduce the amount of time you need to invest in actually searching for flights, hotels, and car rentals, and cut your final out-of-pocket expense, by setting price alerts for upcoming (or recurring) itineraries. When the algos tell you to buy, or your travel hacker spidey sense starts to tingle, jump on those deals.
Negotiate Bulk Pricing
If you’re not the only road warrior on your team, negotiate bulk pricing with your company’s preferred travel vendors. This tactic is particularly effective with occupancy-obsessed hotels. Guaranteeing 20 or 30 room-nights a month is a great way to drive down per-person costs.
Check the Short-Term Rental Scene
Hotels not doing it for you? Check short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and HomeAway. Depending on your destination, you may well find more generous digs for less — and you’ll probably have a kitchen well-stocked enough to obviate takeout or restaurant dinners.
Eat Cheap
Speaking of eating cheap: if you don’t have a kitchen at your disposal, hit the prepared foods section at the nearest grocery store or patronize health fast-casual eateries. Unless you’re wooing a client, there’s no reason to sit down for a fancy meal on the road.
Stay Cheap on the Road
As a savvy career professional — or business owner all your own — you know just how important it is to keep business costs under control.
Fortunately, frugality is a muscle: the more you exercise it, the stronger the impulse gets. Work on these six money-saving travel tips and you’ll find yourself going farther on the same dime than you ever thought possible.