1.  Yes, you're on vacation. But is it really so taxing to park your own car, carry your own bags and fetch your own ice? Those little extras and all those tips add up fast.

2.  Almost every city has public transportation to and from its airport. Hop on: You'll save serious dough and - even better - be instantly immersed in local culture. Look out the window for parts of town you'd never see otherwise. Strike up a conversation and you might even end up with a hot tip on where to have dinner. The same applies once you're at your destination. Bonus: Walking helps burn off all those extra calories you're no doubt storing after throwing back yet another fruity cocktail.

3.  You want to go Destination A on Date B - and you want a deal? Good luck. If you're travelling for leisure, be as flexible as you can when it comes to the location and date of your trip. Keep a running list of about five places you want to visit, then keep an eye open for specials that match up. That's where you're going next. Also, it might be cheaper to leave one week, one day - or even one hour - earlier than you had planned. (In Europe, the difference between trains just 20 minutes apart can be significant.) Go with it.

4.  If you can get by with yogurt and granola most mornings, you can while on vacation too. Breakfast out for two people can easily run $30. Add on a $40 lunch and you're broke before dinner, which is usually the best meal to splurge on. Get a fridge in your room or pack a foldable cooler along with cutlery, a small cutting board and - if you want to get fancy - packets of salt, pepper, mustard, mayonnaise, etc. Then hit the grocery store, cheese shop, deli, what have you, for affordable and likely healthier meals.

5.  Research, it pays - literally - to gather some intel on your destination. Scan travel guides, newspapers and websites for free museum hours, happy-hour specials (especially in the United States), free events and discount passes. Also, reviews might tell you that attraction you wanted to see is overrated and not worth wasting time, or money, on.  

(Exerpt from an article published in the Globe & Mail)