Avoiding 'emptying your wallet' while traveling during Tet

Instead of saving money by traveling 'off-season' (meaning traveling during low season), you can still wander around with everyone during this Tet holiday while still managing to limit expenses.

Tet is the peak season for travel due to the long holidays and simultaneous breaks. Instead of saving money by traveling 'off-season,' you can still roam around with everyone while managing to limit expenses (as well as not losing vacation days or workdays as when traveling 'off-season') if you pay attention to the following points:

Prepare home essentials in advance

For places requiring specific attire such as beaches or cold environments, if you don't prepare swimwear, sunscreen or warm clothing from home, then upon arrival, if needed, you'll have to buy at much higher prices compared to elsewhere as destinations always sell at tourist prices.

Bring along light snacks

Throughout the journey, there are always gaps between destinations and meals, so if you don't prepare light snacks to take along the way, you're very likely to get hungry due to expending a lot of energy for continuous movement.

For children or people with stomach issues, carrying light snacks is almost mandatory to avoid stomach pain due to hunger. Snack bars, potato chips, chocolate, pastries, various nuts, dried fruits, milk, packaged fruit juices... are the most suitable suggestions.

Hydration

Even more important than food, hydration must not be absent from your travel backpack (except when boarding a plane) to prevent the body from losing minerals, even getting dangerously exhausted.

If traveling on a tour, the tour company usually provides water to distribute to passengers on the bus, but remember to keep enough water in your backpack to drink when you visit a destination.

Just like bringing your own food, you can still buy drinks anywhere you pass through, but the prices are surely high, not to mention that the food bought at tourist spots may not suit your taste or be hygienically safe.

Carry cash instead of 'swiping cards'

Regardless of remote destinations, sometimes carrying cash is necessary to control spending even though cash is less recommended than cards, especially when traveling far. The reason is when swiping cards, you may find it difficult to track the amount spent to 'tighten the purse strings' again.

Limit visits to shopping centers

You should determine from the outset what you need to buy on the trip to only visit places that sell what you need, avoiding unnecessary detours that can easily lead to unplanned shopping.

It's a fact that many tour guides often take guests to various sightseeing and shopping spots because they also 'get a cut' if their guests shop there.

Buy for yourself, not following others

Women often fall victim to 'herd mentality', buying just because others are buying, some shop due to being 'triggered' or mesmerized by accompanying promotions, leading to guilty shopping, purchasing unnecessary items.

It's crucial to firmly say 'no' to unnecessary items and only buy according to your own needs, don't listen to others, especially staying alert to sweet advertising words from salespeople or enticing displays in stores.

Shop duty-free

A smart choice for shopaholics to save costs. In many countries, duty-free stores are located in various places, not just concentrated at airports.

However, it's worth noting: to limit locals from purchasing duty-free items for business purposes, some places implement tax refund procedures at the airport to ensure that duty-free shoppers are tourists, but the queues at the tax refund counters at airports are usually very long so you have to go to the airport early to complete the procedures, otherwise, you won't have enough time to do the tax refund procedures.

To catch your flight, many people end up forfeiting the refunded tax, but if so, the item you bought turns out not to be cheap anymore.

Check prices beforehand

Many people believe that the prices of certain characteristic products (such as Korean ginseng, electronics, mobile phones, fashion clothing, temperate fruits...) at their places of origin are usually cheaper than elsewhere, but in reality, that's not always the case. It's advisable to check prices before traveling to know the true value of the item you intend to purchase.

Wishing you a joyful Tet season with meaningful and budget-friendly travel adventures!

Source: Tuoitre.vn

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour