Travel Mistakes That Drain Your Money ✈😱😭

👋🏼Hola👋🏼

Belated Vishu/ Vaisakhi/ Tamil New Year wishes to everyone celebrating! I hope you have a happy, healthy, and prosperous year ahead! :) The vibe around festival days is to die for. I love how everyone is at least a tad bit more hopeful, and a little happier and I absolutely adore how all desi celebrations are so rooted in food. So is my tummy lol :P

What I was up to:  Late last week my husband and I were off for an extended weekend getaway at Chennai and Pondicherry to celebrate our anniversary and his birthday. Although we missed Simbaa very dearly, we had so much fun chilling, eating, and shopping (quite mindfully, of course, I must add). But the heat was craaaazy! I got a heat stroke amidst the trip but my overall happiness meter was super high and made up for it!

Spoiler alert: 4 travel money-saver hacks in the end!! 🤑💰

Market ka haal: It's the first few weeks of the financial new year and people have started investing to kick off FY 23-24 with a bang. It looks like Sensex has been positively affected by this and I love it!

The CPI & inflation levels have shown us that it is well within the band of RBI's mandate. Since the inflation is down and the RBI has shown radio silence in the rate hikes bit, everything's good in the hood, and the market shows some promise too! 📈👍🏽

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Humara Gyaan: If you're anything like us, you probably go over the list of long weekends in the year to plan exciting trips all over!! In a frenzy, some mistakes can cost you heavily and that's why I’m here to help you dodge those!

Here are 4 money mistakes to AVOID when you plan your travel:

🛬💷 Exchanging money at the airport: The exchange rates are way higher there. You can find local shops once you reach the destination that gives you a much better rate.

📌 Not checking details of your travel to your destination: Last-minute changes are bound to happen from time to time. Make sure you check the cancellation fees for your flights. Basic fare plans are usually non-refundable if you cancel a flight, but even flexi fares may not reimburse your money and only allow you to change flight dates.

🧳Baggage allowances: Not doing a quick check across your entire travel itinerary is a big mistake. Discounted internal/domestic flight carriers abroad tend to charge extra for check-in luggage and it can be QUITE expensive. So watch out before booking!

❌💳 Misusing your cards: Not setting international card limits is the biggest, and perhaps, the most expensive mistake you can make! Make sure you have set international spending and withdrawal limits on the card before the trip, so you don’t have to fret in case it gets stolen or you have to use it for an emergency, and also to keep a check on your own spending!

Using your credit card will attract a foreign transaction fee of 2-3.5% on every swipe. Instead, opt for a Forex card or a no-fee credit card. Forex cards levy only a one-time cross-currency fee of 0-3.5% when you buy the card, and ATM charges also tend to be lower!

🫱🏽‍🫲🏽🤩 Getting distracted by deals: Immaterial of how tempting it is, don't get distracted by one good deal, like a cheap flight and cave. Consider all other expensive factors such as hotel booking, food, and internal travel because you have to pay for the full trip, not just the flight ticket!

I hope you liked reading this email! Tell me in the comments no, please! I hope you get to plan your travel super soon and check that well-deserved holiday off your list (with very mindful spending, of course!)

Have a lovely weekend!

Sayali ♥

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