Travel Savvy

After a two year travel pause, the Australian borders are open. I can’t quite believe it but my husband and I are looking forward to a trip to Singapore. We had a trip booked in August of 2020 but obviously that trip was cancelled due to COVID-19.

It was super exciting to be able to plan and re-book our trip, however even now with travel insurance we were more conscious now than we had been in the past about booking for example, cancellable accommodation. I find that booking things like airfares and accommodation is like trying to pick the lottery numbers. The prices change and fluctuate constantly, everything seems to be priced differently on different websites and then you sometimes have to factor in taxes, exchange rates and discount codes. It sure is hard work trying to find the best possible price.

That brings me to the main point of today’s post. My husband and I hunted down the best deal we could find for a hotel in Singapore which we ended up booking directly through the hotel on their website. The rate we booked was fully cancellable up until a certain date. Prior to that date, my husband received an email from one of the cashback rewards sites we are a member of offering a pretty good deal.

For those of you not aware, these websites such as Cashrewards and Shopback are great for getting a financial return on things you were going to buy anyway. The email we received was offering 18% cashback on hotels bookings through Agoda. We immediately logged on and started browsing. The SAME hotel we had booked directly through the hotel was $100 cheaper on Agoda, then we were also eligible for 18% cashback on top of that which came in at $190 (note all the amounts referred to are in AUD).

In a few minutes we had cancelled our previous booking and re-booked at a total saving of $290. If anything this proves if you’ve booked a cancellable hotel rate, it is always worthwhile check back every few days or weeks and seeking if you can find a cheaper deal. I can’t believe how much we saved for only a few minutes extra work. It’s the same time of room, in exactly the same hotel. I much prefer to have the $290 in our pocked rather than someone elses. If you are booking a long holiday or where you may be away for an extended period of time, finding savings here and there on all your airfares and hotels can make a big difference to the total holiday cost.

Its easy to book, set and forget. But believe me when I say, sometimes you can save big dollars for a few minutes extra work. Sure some people find it tedious but for us, we’re big on bargain hunting.

How do you travel without spending the big bucks?