Business trips are a great way to network with other
businesses and if you have the privilege of traveling for your company,
congratulations—you have made it. While these trips can be stressful and
enjoyable at the same time, budgeting for travel and finding ways to spend less
will make things easier for you in the long run.
Be sure to create a customized budget for each trip
according to the destination. It’s going to be significantly more expensive to
go to Los Angeles than Detroit. Don’t just come up with an arbitrary number;
research the place you are going and plan accordingly. You may want to
temporarily hire a travel expert to set up a lot of the accommodations for you.
There are also business travel plans out there that are packaged in a way that
is more affordable than booking everything separately. Use discount travel
companies; often you can do everything online.
Try to book
air travel for the middle of the week when the rates are the lowest. Avoid luggage
fees by only using a carry on (if possible) or flying with airlines that don’t
charge a luggage fee. Save any unused tickets and apply them to future travel.
Consider using alternative transportation while
you’re there such as subways and bus systems. If you do need a rental car, ask
for one with a full tank of gas and fill it up before you return it—that way
you are only paying for the gas you use. Waive the insurance if your personal
auto insurance or credit card can cover it as these policies tend to be very
expensive and the need to actually use the insurance policy is rare.
You can decide to have lunch with your clients
instead of dinner. Lunch menus are generally less expensive than dinner menus
and a restaurant that is outside your price range for dinner may be affordable
for lunch. Focus on and plan the leisure
part of the trip. You don’t want to be bored to tears when your meetings are
over and if you plan activities in advance, you will spend less money. Stay in
a hotel with a kitchen and buy ingredients for some of your meals at the
grocery store to make them yourself. You can also take advantage of free
breakfasts at the hotel. Finally, you should plan business trips as part of
your yearly budget so you don’t overlook these costs and wind up in debt. All
these tips will make business trips easier to manage and more relaxing. Make it
happen!
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