HOLIDAYS don’t come cheap, so it’s more important than ever to make your spending money go further.
I travel frequently throughout the year and have seen prices skyrocket – but there are clever tricks right on your phone that have saved me hundreds on each trip.
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And I’m talking about the big expenditures you can’t avoid, like food and booze.
All it takes is a little bit of planning before your holiday, and you could end up paying like a local, all thanks to your mobile.
Here’s how I pull it off and the simple steps so you can too.
Sort your data BEFORE you travel
I’d encourage anyone on holiday to keep off their phone and enjoy the moment, but that’s easier said than done.
From showing off your travel snaps on social media to using Google Maps to get around, chances are you’ll want data.
Where possible, you can rely on your hotel or restaurant Wi-Fi, but it won’t always be available when you’re out and about.
Sadly, most mobile networks, except O2, don’t offer free roaming as standard with your existing data plan.
Your provider will have add-ons for travel, but these don’t tend to be very affordable.
Instead, you should try getting an eSIM.
eSIMs are virtual SIMs – meaning you don’t need a physical SIM card.
The beauty of eSIMs is that you can have more than one loaded onto a phone and working at the same time, so you don’t need to lose your existing mobile network provider.
Instead, the eSIM will essentially work as a secondary option in the background.
My UK mobile network wanted £20 so I could roam for 15 days across Europe.
But a quick Google search and I found an eSIM provider offering 5GB of data for £5.90.
If you avoid going wild on things like streaming and use your phone for uploading some pictures, checking the news – The Sun of course! – and using maps and web searches, I reckon 5GB will cover you for a week or 10GB for two.
I’ve used Maya Mobile and esim.sm previously but there are loads of options out there, so shop around.
HOW DO ESIMS WORK?
Once you’ve found, picked a plan and paid for it, you’ll usually be sent a QR code via email.
The eSIM won’t activate until the start date you set when buying it.
When you arrive in your holiday destination, set it as your main SIM for data – and ensure you switch roaming off for your UK SIM.
On iPhone, you can do this by going to Settings > Mobile Service > Selecting your phone number > and turn the roaming option off.
On Android, head to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > turn data roaming off
Image credit: Alamy
LOYALTY CARDS
We’re all used to Tesco’s Clubcard Prices and Nectar Prices offers at Sainsbury’s by now.
And you may have spotted similar at the local supermarket when you’re out food shopping on holiday too.
In some countries, the savings can be quite substantial, with loads of bonus coupons available digitally to save more.
Fortunately, these days you don’t need a physical loyalty card anymore, you can simply sign up from your phone and instantly scan the digital QR code they provide you.
And that’s exactly what I’ve done on a number of occasions when away.
I quite like buying snacks, sandwiches and booze from supermarkets when away on holiday to keep the cost down instead of constantly eating at expensive restaurants – especially if I’m having a day at the beach.
Using loyalty programmes has saved me hundreds.
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For the best results, it requires a little bit of planning, preferably before you go on holiday, though you could always do it from your hotel room.
I tend to look around the area I’m staying in on Google Maps in advance to locate the shops nearby.
So, on a recent trip to Paris, I noticed there was an Auchan supermarket nearby and their equivalent of Clubcard Prices is called “Waaoh!”.
I signed up online and was able to add the virtual loyalty card to my phone, so I get the cheapest prices just like a local.
When signing up, I recommend doing it via the supermarket’s website if possible, that way you can use the automatic translation tools in Google Chrome to easily understand everything.
Also, it’s worth noting that this trick may not be possible at every supermarket in every country, so it does require a little bit of digging, but it’s well worth the 30 minutes of effort for the huge money savings.
SIGN UP TO A DIGITAL BANK
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Pesky foreign transaction fees on your card can also rack up costs on holiday, too.
If your bank doesn’t offer fee-free transactions from foreign countries, there are some digital banks that do.
Both Monzo and Starling have zero fees, and they’re easy to use without switching bank providers.
I signed up for Starling a few years ago and it’s worked wonders on many of my trips.
I simply top it up with money every now and again while I’m on holiday.
So before your embarking on your next holiday, give these three tricks a go to save a fair bit or even stretch your spending money budget further.
