Whether traveling for business or for pleasure, there are many things that you can do to travel without having to spend outside of your means. Let’s take a look at how you can save money regardless of whether you have a limited budget or are looking to splurge and have a good time on your next trip.

5 tips to travel for less

1. Book as Early as Possible

The best way to save money on a trip is to make plans as soon as possible. Buying a plane ticket or booking a hotel room six months before your trip could save you hundreds of dollars compared to those who book days or weeks before their trip. For those who do have to make travel arrangements hours or days before a trip, going online to buy tickets from discount travel sites or sites that find rooms or tickets that become available at the last minute can be a great way to keep costs down.

2. Look for the Rooms Others Pass On

While you always want to be comfortable when you travel, there are times when you can save money by being flexible about where your room is or what it offers. For example, if you take a room that only has a queen bed or is located slightly closer to the highway than other rooms, you may be able to get a room for your next business trip at a lower rate without sacrificing too many luxuries.

3. Make Reservations With a Credit Card if Possible

Booking with a credit card can save you money because you may not need to buy certain extras that can inflate the cost of a vacation or business trip. If you use your credit card to book a car, you may already have insurance coverage on the car, which means that you don’t need to purchase a policy through the rental car company.

4. Call a Hotel or Airline Directly

Although booking a trip online can be an easy and fast way to make travel and hotel arrangements, it may not always get you the best room or flight at the best price. This is because some flights or hotel rooms are not advertised online. By making one extra phone call, it may be possible to get what you want at the best price.

5. Never Be Afraid to Negotiate

The price that you see advertised is not always the price that you have to pay for a hotel room, flight or rental car. If you are a repeat customer, it may be possible to get a room at the discount rate that you got last time you were there or an upgrade from business class to first class just for being loyal.

The next time that you go on a trip, you may want to talk to or get advice from people like travel blogger Lindsey Stone. Reading a travel blog, talking to a travel agent and generally researching your options before making arrangements can help you keep your costs down and get through your next trip without draining your bank account.