Sarahritchie17 For the past couple weeks, I’ve been in Mobile, AL supporting Hurricane Sally Marine Environmental Response operations. It’s the first work-trip that I’ve taken in months, and it’s been a nice adventure from the “new normal” to stay in a hotel and explore a new city. Isn’t it funny how the things we used to take for granted seem so special now?
I used to have lots of opportunity to travel for my job. In 2019, it was normal for me to spend a week per month in office and the rest of the time traveling around the Coast Guard’s Eighth District which stretches from the gulf coast to St. Louis, Missouri and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In that year, I learned a lot about what to expect and plan for when traveling for work. These 5 hacks will save you money and keep you on track towards your goals no matter where your work takes you.
1. Drive instead of flying.
If I have the option to drive instead of flying and the trip is less than 8 hours, I’ll usually drive. For military folks, you driving your personal vehicle is “more advantageous to the government” meaning they will spend less in giving you gas money than they would have to pay to fly you. In 2020, you get about $0.50 per mile to/from your destination. Unless you drive a Hummer with a U-Haul attached or an RV, chances are, you’ll only spend a fraction of the money you’ll receive which means more money in your pocket. Also, you’ll have your car to use during the trip and won’t have to rely on Uber or a rental car.
2. Choose the right hotel.
Location, brand, and features are the key things I think about when booking.
- What location will give you a short commute? Is it close to where you’ll want to spend your free time/weekends? Is it a safe area?
- Set up loyalty points accounts for the major hotel chains. You can rack up nights while traveling for work and get free night stays to use for leisure.
- Features are so key when traveling for work. Check to ensure that your hotel offers free breakfast, wifi, and a fitness center. If I’m staying for more than a week, I also want a room with a kitchenette so I can cook for myself—if not, then at least a fridge and microwave. You can do a quick Google search for hotels that have kitchenettes or give them a quick call before you book.
3. Bring a lunchbox and laundry pods.
These are two things that don’t take up too much space but will save you money when you get there. I also like to bring a few Tupperware food containers to store leftovers as well as silverware so you don’t have to rely on single-use plastic or your fingers.
4. Buy groceries, but plan to eat out sometimes.
If I’m staying somewhere for more than a few days, I like to pick up some groceries instead of eating every meal out. At the very least, you can pick up bread, peanut butter, jelly, and some fruit and have that for lunch. Level up and grab turkey, cheese, and hummus for a daily deli sandwich. Switch it up and grab a few cans of soup. These are all super simple and super cheap, but just getting a few things at the store could save you hundreds of dollars. If you’re staying 2 weeks or more and have a kitchenette, think about doing a normal grocery haul like you would at home and stocking your fridge with some dinner options too. This trip, I got a bag of chicken breasts, a frozen pizza, pierogies, pasta and sauce, spinach, quinoa, and Mac and cheese. Be mindful of what tools and utensils you have—I bought frozen fruit, milk, and greek yogurt to make smoothies and then realized my kitchenette didn’t have a blender. Oops.
I like to plan to eat a few meals out too. The problem with packing your lunch every day is that you can miss out on important opportunities to network. While cooking and packing your own food saves you money in the short term, using meals to get to know coworkers outside of the office environment can pay massive dividends later on when you need to leverage your network to find your next job.
5. Be intentional about your routine.
I’ve found that when I don’t start my trip off on the right foot, it’s very hard to adjust my routine to what it should be. If I want to go to get a certain amount of sleep, I need to set and stick to my bedtime on night one, otherwise I’ll be up past that time every night. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to change a routine that I just started, but for me it’s just that way. I also like to try to keep a sense of normalcy by sticking to my normal at-home morning routine as much as possible. Try not to let yourself slack on your habits and healthy practices even if it may feel like a vacation in some ways. You don’t have to change your whole lifestyle and goals just because you’re traveling. I know travel can feel disruptive, and because of that, it’s easy to let things slip. Be intentional about the habits you can still maintain and give yourself some grace for the ones you can’t.
As the world starts to slowly re-open and more people and businesses start traveling again, I hope these 5 travel hacks help you stay intentional and save money when you’re traveling for work.
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Cheers!
Sarah
