It can be easy to lose control of your costs when you are
traveling for business. But if you are working from a per diem or have other
constraints on your travel budget, you should learn some cost-cutting methods
to put into effect that won’t make your life miserable on the road.
These cost-cutting ideas are not just to stay out of
trouble with the budget people back at the home office. Often businesses have a
set budget for business travel and once it is gone, no further trips can be
made during that budget year. So if you anticipate the need for more business
trips in the months ahead, it is prudent to keep an eye on costs as you go so you
can conserve that limited budget to facilitate important trips yet to come.
Economizing on the road can be difficult because you are
put right in the middle of the hospitality industry which, while good at making
you feel comfortable and providing for your needs, hotels and restaurants are
also good at running up your tab. But there are some easy ways to sidestep a lot
of unnecessary spending so you can stretch your business travel budget.
- Eat before you go. Airport restaurants or snack bars are notoriously overpriced. So even if you are leaving early in the morning, have breakfast and get well satisfied before leaving home so you don’t have to buy food en route.
- Wise
packing. Think through your life in the hotel and on the road. You can buy travel sizes of almost everything you will need. Moreover, you can pack some light and easy to carry snacks such as trail mix, candy bars or nuts that can be used to tide you over during the trip until you can get a good meal. By being self-dependent during the trip, you save a lot by not using airport services.
- A hotel is
just a bed, a shower and a TV. When booking your accommodations, think about where you should stay. If you don’t need a luxury hotel, don’t book one. If you are just staying the
night in one place and then moving on, a clean, well-run motel can take
care of you just as well as the executive suite at the Hilton.
- Share that
ride. If you are traveling as a party or
you are meeting business partners at the destination, you can share cabs
or rental vehicles and save business costs as well as conserve on burring
fossil fuels unnecessarily.
- Markets
and delis. You can even eat economically
in a big town like New York or Orlando by using the same sense you have at
home. By taking an early trip to a nearby grocery, you can stock your room
with fruits and travel foods and cut down on the amount of meals you have
to eat out.
- Public
transportation. If the town you are traveling
to has safe and workable subways or other public transpiration, that can
be much more efficient for you than renting a car. Washington DC, for
example, has an outstanding rail transport that you can use rather than rent a
car.
By using some of the same good common sense you use at
home to keep expenses under control for your home budget, you can not only live
inexpensively on the road, but you can also actually live better. There is nothing
better than the feeling of living well for little cost and becoming known as
a smart traveler.
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