TRAVEL IN BUDGET: HOW TO AVOID SPENDING MONEY IN AIRPORTS

Traveling can be very expensive most of the time. When you are planning for your trip, you have probably set your budget up for all the things you will have to pay to make sure your travel is affordable and inexpensive. There’s the promo flight that you have booked in advance to save some money, your fare costs for your travel, as well as your accommodation, food, and the expenses you may have to make in the destination, itself were computed already. You may also have allotted your pocket money for in case of emergency and for some souvenirs as well. Everything was properly planned, and your budget was already set for every expense you have to pay for your travel. What we usually don’t think about is the expenses we may end up spending in the airport or things that are not really included in our budget. We know how expensive it could be just being in the airport alone, so we are here to give you some tips on how to avoid spending money at the airport:

1. Research about your airport. Before your flight, do your assignment and research about the airport where you will be flying to. Check whatever stuff is free at your airport, and take advantage of using it when you are in there. A whole bunch of airports is competing to be crowned as “best airport in the world”, and some of them really offer fantastic entertainments that are free for the public to use. Research about your airport and don’t be the last to know about free and cool stuff at your airport. Speaking of free stuff, you can also check your flight in flightstatus24 to check the real-time status of your flight for free online. It’s always smart to check your flight before going to the airport so you can be updated if there are any changes in your flight. 
2. Check if there are any additional fees in your airline and airport. Make it a habit of printing your boarding pass every time you will be flying. Some airport and airline don’t accept mobile boarding passes, and some charges passengers for printing only of their boarding passes. If you are driving or if your family is driving you to the airport, it is also better to check how much fees do they charge up for car parking. You can check your airport’s website to check nearby parking lots available at your airport.
3. Weigh your baggage and bags before leaving your house. Another annoying thing that can increase your expenditure at the airport is by having overweight baggage. Avoid having excess baggage by weighing your luggage before you leave your house and check your airline’s policy about baggage allowance and overweight fees.
4. Take advantage of the free shuttle at the airport and your hotel. Check if your hotel provides a complimentary shuttle for airport transfers; take advantage of this offer to save some money for your transportation. If your airport has more than one terminal, it’s most likely that they also offer a free shuttle to get to one terminal to another, check with your airport and make the most out of what you paid for.
5. Make an advance booking for your airport to hotel transfer. This may not be applicable to every airport in the world. Once again, you have to research first about your airport to avoid spending too much on your travel. Check if booking for your transfer online is cheaper than taking a cab at the airport. If the former is the case, then you better make that advance booking to save some penny. 
6. Bring snacks and convenience items in the airport. Snacks and most of the convenience items in the airport are too expensive. Make sure to bring your favorite and healthy snacks with you at the airport. It’s also better if you would take your lunch or snacks before arriving at the airport, so you will not be hungry waiting for your boarding.
7. Bring your own water bottle at the airport. Some airport encourages its passengers to bring their own refillable water bottle with them while traveling. Water bottle refilling station or drinking fountain is available now with a lot of airports in the world. They urge travelers to not to buy water before security but instead bring a water bottle that can be refilled inside the airport.
8. Bring entertainment stuff in the airport. Canceled or delayed flights can be stressful to passengers; bringing entertainment stuff can help you pass time while waiting for your flight. You wouldn’t want to spend some money on some newspaper or magazine in the airport just so you can have something to pass up your time. 
9. Use free wifi at the airport. Most airports already have free wifi, make use of it to keep yourself entertained while lounging and waiting for your boarding. It may be time-limited for most, if not all of the airports but it can sure help to remove your boredom from waiting.
10. Skip going to duty-free and specialty shops in the airport. If you know that you don’t need anything to buy in those fancy specialty shops and duty-free shops inside the airport, then skip and stay away from them. We know it can be tempting sometimes to just look in there and check, but trust us, once you do really gone up in there, there’s a big possibility that you will go out in there with something in your hand. Remove thyself from such temptations and you’ll thank us later.