Money Saving Tips For Traveling, College Students
Do you want to save money when you commute to work, travel, or go to school? These simple money savings tips and ideas below can help you save every day on these expenses. Here's another great way to save money this year: prepare and e-file your tax return on eFile.com. We provide the same features as other popular tax return preparation and e-fling sites for less and everyone gets free premium tax support. See other reasons to prepare and e-file your return on eFile.com.
Save Money On Simple Expenses
In addition to these tips, find ways to get the most out of your Return, such as tax credits when you work or live abroad, tax credits and deductions for education, other tax deductions, and the difference between itemized and standard deductions. You can also use this free tax refund calculator to get a high-level understanding of your taxes.
Navigate below to find tips on transportation expenses, travel expenses, and tips for traveling college students.
Tips for Saving Money on Work-Related Car and Transportation Expenses
- Washing your car is cheaper than going to the car wash.
- Check your tire pressure. Pressure that is too high or low can hurt your fuel budget and mileage.
- Buy a used car. Not only are they cheaper, but older cars are cheaper to insure because they are not as expensive.
- If the local climate allows, ride a bike to work. Not only will you save money on gas, you will also be in better shape, potentially saving you money on health bills. Just make sure to wear a helmet.
- Don’t accelerate or brake abruptly.
- Remove anything in your car that you don’t need, including things in your trunk. Carrying less things will not only free up space, but it may also slightly increase fuel efficiency.
- If your grocery store has a gas station, chances are it gives discounts to customers that spend a certain amount at the participating grocery. If you get that discount, take advantage of it. Even saving several cents per gallon once or twice a month will add up by the end of the year.
- Squeegees for cars can be more expensive than ones used in bathrooms. Buying a bathroom squeegee instead of one in the automotive section will save you significant money.
- Take advantage of public transportation in your area.
- Carpool with coworkers or friends when possible.
- If your work allows it, try to avoid arriving and leaving during rush hour.
- Shop around for gas prices. Keep tabs on which gas station has the cheapest gas in your area. There are even websites that can show you where the cheapest gas is.
- Rotating your tires regularly can prevent excessive tire wear and save you money.
- If your job allows you to telecommute or work from home, take advantage of it. It will not only save you money on gas, but will also save time you spend stuck in traffic.
- Try buying a car at the end of the month. Dealers have quotas and if they are not met by the end of the month, they will be more willing to negotiate with you so they can meet the quota.
- When filling up, tighten your gas cap until it clicks to prevent gas fumes from evaporating.
- When renting a car, keep this in mind: by the end of Spring, car rental companies move their cars from the South to the North, and the opposite happens in the Fall. If you time it right, you can get an incredibly cheap one-way rental without any drop-off fees because you will be doing their work for them.
- Visit various dealers (in person and online) to compare cost, mileage and anything else you are looking for in a vehicle before purchasing it. Check used cars for signs of repainting, look in the trunk and under the hood for hints of excessive wear and make sure all electronics work. While purchasing older vehicles may be less expensive in the short term, it may be worth the extra cost to go with a newer vehicle that has newer technology for better fuel efficiency (this can save you more money at the pump).
- If you purchase car services at the dealership, always ask a representative for any service advisory. You may be able to save on a repair that is covered by the manufacturer, even if the warranty has expired.
- When you're finished filling your gas tank and the pump is shut off, invert the pump nozzle 180 degrees while it's still in the fill hole. There's an extra ounce or two of gasoline in the pump, and it's usually best to not pay for gas you don't need.
- Keep car windows closed when you're driving over 55 miles per hour on the highway. Opened windows can reduce your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Save gas in stop-and-go traffic by opening the windows and turning off the air conditioning.
Tips for Saving Money on Travel Expenses
- Avoid buying airline tickets on a weekend; that is often when the prices are highest. Instead buy them on a Tuesday or Wednesday because new deals go out on Monday, and competitors will rush to match them by the next day, producing a choice of cheaper tickets.
- Look for the earliest and latest flights of the day; those are usually cheaper than middle of the day flights.
- Stay in a business hotel for weekend travel. The business people will be gone, as well as the high prices.
- Don't travel when conventions are held. Cities such as Orlando, FL and Washington, D.C. have the best hotel rates when conventions are not in session. Check out a city's official tourism website under a Convention Calendar to spot the best times to visit.
- Go to ski resorts in the summer and beach locations in late August or early September.
- If traveling abroad, use your debit card at ATMs to withdraw local currency from your home bank account. Keep fees down by making fewer and larger withdrawals. If your U.S. bank has a partner in Europe, use the European partners' ATMs for the best rates.
- Every country has its equivalent of the hot dog stand or snack street vendor, where you can grab an inexpensive and filling treat.
- Avoid expensive currency conversion. Some European ATMs and merchants capitalize on the fact that Americans may be intimidated by foreign currencies. If an ATM or merchant offers to convert euros to dollars while running your card transaction, decline the invitation: you'll be paying a premium for the conversion.
- Service is often included at overseas restaurants, so don't over tip. If a tip isn't included with your bill, a tip of 5 to 10 percent is the norm in Europe. For taxi fares, round up to the next euro.
- Waiting in lines can waste hours of vacation time. To avoid most long lines, make reservations, visit at off hours, or use museum passes.
- Never book a premium luxury car or hotel room (unless it's a special occasion and you're worried about availability). Instead, reserve a standard car or room and then ask for a free upgrade upon arrival. You can even get on-site upgrades on discounted rooms.
- Consider subscribing to a daily deal website in your destination city and take advantage of discounts at attractions and restaurants. You can easily access vouchers from your mobile device.
- Many travel apps offer discounts for same-day hotel reservations.
- Some hotels and inns offer free internet access and breakfast to guests.
- When going on a trip keep an itinerary. This will allow you to stay within your budget.
Money Saving Tips for College Students
- Apply for scholarships. Even getting a small one will be helpful because any amount will reduce your tuition and other expenses.
- Take advantage of the books offered at the library.
- Avoid buying books from your college bookstore as they are generally more expensive than at other stores or online. Also, consider buying used books, they can be significantly cheaper. The cheapest option is renting used books.
- Take advantage of free samples.
- Optimize your meal plan. Don’t pick one that’s too big or too small.
- Take advantage and save money on your school needs if your state has a Tax Free days before school starts.
- If you think that it is likely that you won’t need the book after you’re done with the course, sell the book. You can get a significant amount of the money you spent on it back.
- Don’t sign up for credit cards you don’t really need. Student credit cards often have high penalties for missed payments and high APR’s.
- Buy school supplies at the beginning of the school year, they can be found really cheap during special back to school sales that many big stores have.
- Don’t go for cash advances. They accumulate interest from the very start and will end up costing you more than an alternative in most cases.
- Optimize your cell phone plan. Pick one that’s not so large that you will waste a lot of minutes, texts, and data each month and make sure it’s big enough so you will avoid overage fees. Perhaps consider joining a family plan if it suits you as it can often turn out to be cheaper than stand-alone plans.
- Enjoy cheap or free activities like hanging out with your friends and playing sports outdoors.
- Take advantage of free streaming music or video services. Services like Spotify, Hulu, and Amazon offer deals and bundles specifically for students.
- Additionally, be on the lookout for student deals when shopping online or in person, subscribing to a service, or purchasing from a local shop on campus.
- If you have a meal plan, make sure to use all of it before it expires. This will save you money on purchases at grocery stores.
- Invest in a bicycle for transportation. It’s significantly cheaper than the cost of having your car parked on campus, so if a bicycle mostly satisfies your transportation needs, why not do it?
- If you had a job in the current tax year, find out if you need to (or want to) file a Tax Return. Discover more tax filing information and tips for college students.
See more details on Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses.
More Helpful Tax Tips and Information for Saving Money
Information on Tax Situations when Working, Living Abroad
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