Travelling is never free; anyone who claims otherwise is lying. When I first got into the habit of packing my bags almost every weekend, the financial implications seemed quite intimidating. Clearly, I couldn't keep this up for too long. The mathematics didn't seem to be in my favour, and reality was waiting to catchup with my lifestyle.
But life usually has a way of working itself out.
Simple steps go a long way in ensuring that travel doesn't cut into your paycheck more than it needs to. Diligent hacks, such as booking your flights in advance, planning your journeys in detail and using local websites for deals on buses, meals and other costs can sometimes cut your expenses in half.
One of the most ingenious hacks I have discovered is FindMyStay, which helps me indulge in five-star hotels, without paying the full price.
After all, luxury hotels can sometimes be a destination in themselves, such as The Radisson Blu in Udaipur, or Le Pondy in Pondicherry. Just because you travel a lot and need to keep within a budget, doesn't mean you have to miss out.
Sometimes, a great deal on a great hotel is reason enough to travel.
New Year's Eve In Goa
I once bid on a five-star hotel in Goa, and saved over Rs. 12000 for two nights in a five-star hotel.
It was New Year's Eve and my usual Anjuna hangout in North Goa was booked out. Before every trip, I check FindMyStay to see what they have, and this time I found a great deal on Resort Rio in Arpora. Needless to say, this was one of the best New Years ever.
Even for us budget travellers, our journeys don't have to be a blur of substandard hotels and rickety bunk beds. FindMyStay has become my go to hack, and if you are anything like me, you will get addicted just like I did.
Homeless in Jaipur
I was once in Jaipur and the hostel I had booked cancelled my booking without any notice due to a technical error. After six days on the road, I was tired and frustrated and was looming around a meltdown in the middle of Bada Bazaar.
I walked into the nearest cafe to take a moment. I logged into my account on FindMyStay, selected the Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, dragged the slider all the way to the left and clicked on 'Bid Now'. An hour later, I received a confirmation email saying my bid had been accepted.
I paid around Rs. 3000 for a room that usually costs about Rs. 12000 a night!
Why bid?
Deals on FindMyStay seem almost too good to be true, but the site uses a clever tactic to provide five-star hotel rooms at rock-bottom prices.
Every night, thousands of hotel rooms go empty because most hotels are usually under-booked. When you bid on a hotel on FindMyStay, your offer goes directly to the hotel, which then has a choice to either accept or decline your request. It is a win-win situation for everyone – you end up with big savings and the hotels acquire a new customer.
Wanna try the hack for yourself?
Head to FindMyStay and follow these steps:
Step 1: Pick your destination and select your dates
Step 2: Pick the neighbourhood you'd like to stay in
Step 3: Select the star category (I usually select 4 or 5 stars for the best deals)
Step 4: Play around with the 'Price You'd Like to Pay' bar, and select your bid range.
Step 5: Click on 'Bid Now' and wait for the magic to happen
As a rookie traveller, I would often find myself in terrible guesthouses to save money. Now that I am a bit more learned (read: older), I have realised that putting up with bad hotels can take a lot out of the experience. I make it point to look for deals on sites, such as FindMyStay before I travel.
If you play your cards right, you can travel as often as you want. I go somewhere at least twice a month and you can too. :)
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