Beat the Credit Crunch. Ways to holiday on a budget.
April 30, 2009 by
Filed under Beat the Credit Crunch
Credit Crunch
Major holiday retailers are holding strong with inflated prices that very rarely offer you discounts compared designing and booking your own flights and hotel. There are huge advantages to taking control of your own holiday and getting wise to the hidden costs that they are paying without your consent.
Getting that cheap flight
Airlines are reducing their prices and the bargains are out there! The major retail airlines have January sales as long as you book before mid February but they impose some restrictions on when you can take your holiday, if you’re flexible then there are definite bargains to be had. The smaller budget airlines offer bargains to specific destinations and these can be quite exotic, city break flights are very easy to get hold of at bargain prices. Beware, the price you see is not the price you pay but being aware of your restrictions can bring you closer to a bargain.
Hidden flight charges
All airlines charge you for taking more than hand luggage which is considered 10Kg and restricted to the size of a small gym bag. The charge for taking a 20Kg suitcase is usually around £10 each way so consider sharing luggage and being conscious of the weight you are taking onboard. Checking in to the airport is also charged at around £5 each way but nowadays it’s possible to check in on the internet if you’re only taking hand luggage with you. Some airlines charge an unavoidable fee for paying by card (usually £5) but this is the cost of bargain shopping online.
Finding cheap accommodation
if you’re extremely budget conscious then you may want to consider youth hostels, they can bring forth images of noisy boarding schools but in reality they offer a variety of rooms at varying prices. They can be booked online up to 24 hours before the actual holiday and there is a sea of review sites that contain hundreds of reviews for each hostel. Some hostels will offer double en suite rooms for as low as £25 per night and this can be bargain accommodation if you’re planning to stay in the centre of a major city.
If you’d prefer a hotel then shop around making use of the review sites to get a good feel for the best hotels. You can get a much more enjoyable stay by selecting the hotel yourself and enjoy the discounts from booking direct, you may have to ring the hotel if their website is lacking but persistence pays off.
The early bird gets the worm
The days of last minute holiday discounts are dwindling and the early-bird discounts are much more impressive. Book at least a month in advance of your holiday to get the full spread of early-bird discounts and the largest choice of holiday destinations.
It is all too easy to use credit cards to pay for much needed holidays and this is not a good idea if you cannot afford the repayments. If you have credit agreements taken out before April 2007 there is a new unenforceable credit agreement claim which is becoming more and more known about here in the UK. It is possible to have your credit finance agreements –agreements such as credit cards, store cards, secured and unsecured loans, car finance agreements, and those with payment protection insurance ( PPI) ‘audited’. They may not comply with the terms of the 1974 Consumer Credit Act and if they do not they are unenforceable credit agreements. This means you can claim to have them written off. That is the balance completely cleared.Fo NO FEES upfront or at any point, a solicitor with handle your claim.