Travelling life hacks to save you money

Who doesn't love traveling from time to time? There are so many exciting new places to look out for, experiencing cultures far different from your own. But as with any endeavour in life - all it takes is one mishap and everything you love about traveling can go out the window.

There's no escaping some simple mistakes you may be making when you're out and about in your new travel destination. So here are some ways to avoid some of travelling's inconveniences with these simple hacks.

1. Scan and keep copies of IC, passport and itinerary

While photocopying your important documents can help, the next best thing is to have soft copies of your documents available within your smartphone. This can definitely help provide an extra copy of each in the event of loss or theft, and you can display it if all else fails. You can email them to yourself to ensure that the copy remains within the phone, and be sure that you have the right app to open them installed on your phone. Not having the right documentation at the airport can cause major delays which may end up costing money if they don’t let you fly at the time you need to!

2. Keep rolling when packing

Rather than folding piles and piles of clothes, the best option is to roll them. Rolling allows you to fit in more things in your suitcase, and you can even roll underwear and socks within your clothes, saving you space and possibly money from having to buy another suitcase or spend more money buying clothes you forgot to pack (unless of course the plan was to shop- then shop away!)!

3. Mark your bag as fragile

If you can get your hands on the fragile stickers or signs, use them on your baggage. This will ensure that your baggage is handled correctly and it will be kept on the top. It doesn’t always work but if you’re lucky and you do get a conscientious baggage handler – you won’t end up with a suitcase filled with shampoo covered clothes and broken souvenirs.

4. Bring your power bank

If you’re traveling for more than 6 hours, your best form of entertainment (if you didn’t indulge in buying an entertainment pack on your budget flight) would be your smartphone. And nothing would be worse than reaching your destination with a dead phone and no chance to charge it anywhere. Your best solution would be to have a power bank to charge your phone during those times of emergency.

5. Have bright ribbons mark your suitcase

It would be embarrassing to grab what you think is your bag, but it turns out you grabbed a bag that looks similar to your but it isn’t yours. Your best bet would be to use brightly coloured ribbons that you can see from afar tied to your baggage to help you recognise it from afar. Want to stand out more? There are sushi bag covers that are currently being sold from Japan online where you can turn your baggage to look like sushi on a conveyor belt.

6. Use plastic wrap for your toiletry bottles

Due to the air pressure in flights, some of your toiletries may end up spilling its contents – leaving a sticky trail of mess for you to deal with upon unpacking. Use plastic wrap to cover your bottles, or open the bottles, wrap the opening with plastic wrap and then close it, to prevent such a mess from occurring. No mess, no need to buy new toiletries.

7. Use ATMs to get local cash currency

Using money converters, especially at the airport, usually comes with their own fees and the exchange rates are a lot higher than the usual rates too. So if you need money at a local currency without having to pay fees that are too high, use your debit card at the local ATM to get the cash that you need.

8. Shop for groceries outside instead of the hotel

Let’s face it; buying items at the hotel is super convenient, but it will cost you a lot more. If you’re in need of water and snacks in your hotel, head to the nearest grocery store either on the way to the hotel or to one nearby (you can ask the receptionist on this!). Not only will it save you money significantly, it gives you a chance to explore your destination better.

This was brought you by MICHELLE BROHIER from RinggitPlus.com. RinggitPlus compares credit cards, personal loans and home loans to help Malaysians get more for their money.