Hey there,

Joel Gibson here, your WhistleOut Savings Specialist. Summer holidays can put a serious dent in your wallet, but with a little planning, there are plenty of ways to keep the costs under control while still enjoying the sunshine.

From saving on fuel and flights to finding budget-friendly accommodation, these tips will help you make the most of your travels without breaking the bank.

Keep reading for the best tools, tricks, and deals to start your summer adventure the savvy way or watch the video above.

Cheers,

Fuel

Oil prices have dropped from around US$80 to US$70 since the middle of the year so fuel prices for roadtrippers should be reasonable this year. But you still have to ...

"... avoid the peaks of the price cycle, which can cost you an extra 40c/L or around $20 per tank for a mid-sized car."

By far the best way to do that is to have a good fuel price app on your phone - these shows you the latest prices updated every 15 minutes so you don’t pull into a petrol station that’s charging $2 when another one is charging $1.60.

They also have graphs of the price cycle so you can see if now is a good time to fill up, or whether you should wait a day or two.

My favourite national apps are:

• Petrol Spy
• EzySt
• Fuel Map Australia

Flights

"Use an online flight search tools first to find the cheapest options."

Even if you prefer to book directly with an airline. Google Flights, Kayak and Skyscanner, for example, will search thousands of flights for you in seconds to find you the best value seats.

If you don’t know where you want to go and you’re a bargain hunter, put ‘Everywhere’ into the destination field and see what the best deals are.

Consider flying on cheaper days such as public holidays or midweek days. Simply enter your destination and preferred dates and click “Date Grid” or “Price Graph” to see how other days compare.

International travellers can now benefit from Virgin’s new alliance with Qatar, which has just released return airfares to Europe for slightly less than Qantas fares.

Japan’s government is also pushing hard to promote tourism right now, so you can get a free domestic flight when you book a return fare with ANA or Japan Airlines.

The Aussie airlines all have pages where you can check their latest deals too:

• Qantas flight deals
• Virgin Australia specials & Happy Hour sales
• Jetstar Deals & weekly “Friday Fare Frenzy” from midday

ACCOMODATION

This is probably the toughest place to save a buck in the summer holidays  - the laws of supply and demand just mean there aren’t many bargains around.

Camping is cheaper, of course, as are BYO bed options such as caravans and RVs.

"Another way to keep the cost down is to organise a house-swap or rent out your home on Airbnb." 

That way, your holiday accommodation costs are covered.

Of course, you need to make sure sub-letting is allowed if you’re a renter - and if you’re an owner you need to be comfortable having strangers in your home.

Websites that specialise in organising house swaps include:

• Aussie House Swap
• Home Exchange
• People Like Us

Wherever your travels take you this summer, don’t forget: a little planning can go a long way in saving big. Safe travels and happy saving!