Every once in awhile, we get the opportunity to do something awesome. Now, not all of those opportunities are already paid for, but giving ourselves the little extra push (and cash) to go ahead and accept that opportunity can really be a great thing. This was the case when James and I decided to go to Ireland for 19 days. My friend was studying in Dublin and wished for us and a few other friends from high school to go on an adventure around the country. Now, I definitely wanted to go to Ireland, but (like many others) the price was a bit daunting. The rest of the group bought their tickets early - generally a good idea, but James and I delayed. Now, I wasn't delaying to find a better deal (they had found a flight for around $850 which is good), but I couldn't quite let go of the credit card. The total trip when all was said and done would end up costing more money than I had ever spent on one thing in my life. It was the first time I was paying for a trip (any trip, not to mention one across the pond) by myself. James and I both knew that it'd be an amazing experience. We would get to see areas we'd never seen, and I'd get to see ruins and explore ruins like I'd always wanted to. We knew we had to do it.
We started watching the prices. Now, instead of going straight to the airline websites, we went to Priceline.com, travelocity.com, Orbitz.com, etc... They really do have better prices. Now, in my experience, it looks like Tuesday is the best deal day. The deals can and do change day to day. Most people look for prices on the weekend when they aren't as tired as they are during the weekdays. Alternatively, Monday tends to be the "get everything done" day, but Tuesday is the day we really don't care to do any work - thus, best prices. We ended up getting our tickets four months ahead of time for $720 - more than a hundred dollars less than the others.
Flash forward four months, we're having a blast, but we're also learning firsthand how bad the exchange rate is - and how pricey everything is there. Still, the best places didn't cost anything. That's not to say we didn't go places that cost money - we did. However, we had decided at our first stop to buy a heritage card or something similar. It's a one-time fee which is a bit high, but the allows you to get into all the sponsored sites for free. Generally, you can get a booklet of all the sites that would be sponsored by such a card. You can arrange your trip around those sites and try to squeeze in as many as possible. The more places you go, the better the deal!
Food can definitely be pricey, so to save money, you need to be creative. Grocery shopping will generally give you more for your buck, so try buying sandwich makings and fruits to provide lunch for a lot cheaper than you'll find in the touristy pubs/restaurants. We also tried to find hotels that served breakfast. It's always nice to have that included in the cost of the hotel. We had a great book that had summaries of all the bed and breakfasts in the country including price, amenities, and location. Having this book alone saved us money, so try to find one before the trip or in a tourist shop once in-country. As for pubs, you definitely want to experience the food scene even if you don't drink (like me!), but don't spend an arm and a leg to do so! Any area that tourists are known to go to is going to be more pricey because they can be. People want to go home and say, "I ate at ___." You may be able to say it, but you'll pay more for it. Try to stay away from the touristy areas if possible. It'll save you money. Admittedly, sometimes you're just too hungry to eat anywhere other than where you already are. That's fine. If you can wait, however, shop around before choosing a pub. Also, drinks are a bit pricey, so try not having a drink every night if you can help it.
Now, get out there!
We started watching the prices. Now, instead of going straight to the airline websites, we went to Priceline.com, travelocity.com, Orbitz.com, etc... They really do have better prices. Now, in my experience, it looks like Tuesday is the best deal day. The deals can and do change day to day. Most people look for prices on the weekend when they aren't as tired as they are during the weekdays. Alternatively, Monday tends to be the "get everything done" day, but Tuesday is the day we really don't care to do any work - thus, best prices. We ended up getting our tickets four months ahead of time for $720 - more than a hundred dollars less than the others.
Flash forward four months, we're having a blast, but we're also learning firsthand how bad the exchange rate is - and how pricey everything is there. Still, the best places didn't cost anything. That's not to say we didn't go places that cost money - we did. However, we had decided at our first stop to buy a heritage card or something similar. It's a one-time fee which is a bit high, but the allows you to get into all the sponsored sites for free. Generally, you can get a booklet of all the sites that would be sponsored by such a card. You can arrange your trip around those sites and try to squeeze in as many as possible. The more places you go, the better the deal!
Food can definitely be pricey, so to save money, you need to be creative. Grocery shopping will generally give you more for your buck, so try buying sandwich makings and fruits to provide lunch for a lot cheaper than you'll find in the touristy pubs/restaurants. We also tried to find hotels that served breakfast. It's always nice to have that included in the cost of the hotel. We had a great book that had summaries of all the bed and breakfasts in the country including price, amenities, and location. Having this book alone saved us money, so try to find one before the trip or in a tourist shop once in-country. As for pubs, you definitely want to experience the food scene even if you don't drink (like me!), but don't spend an arm and a leg to do so! Any area that tourists are known to go to is going to be more pricey because they can be. People want to go home and say, "I ate at ___." You may be able to say it, but you'll pay more for it. Try to stay away from the touristy areas if possible. It'll save you money. Admittedly, sometimes you're just too hungry to eat anywhere other than where you already are. That's fine. If you can wait, however, shop around before choosing a pub. Also, drinks are a bit pricey, so try not having a drink every night if you can help it.
Now, get out there!
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