Stop: Do These 19 Things Before You Travel

Trick the system with these booking hacks that feel like cheating

Search flights using a foreign language & currency combo: Sometimes booking on a site’s non-English version (say, Google Italy + euros) can surface different fares.

Book “hidden city” flights by choosing a final destination beyond your actual stop: Use Skiplagged to buy a cheaper fare that connects through your real destination — just don’t check a bag.

Set your location to a budget-friendly country: Booking platforms sometimes show lower rates based on user location. A VPN set to India or Mexico could save big.

Offer house sitting in exchange for free lodging: Join platforms like Nomador or MindMyHouse to stay abroad for free in exchange for caring for someone’s home.

Book flights on Wednesdays at 3 a.m. (based on the airline's headquarters time): Weird but true — some airlines release new deals early Wednesday mornings. Try booking at 3 a.m. their time for the best prices.

Earn up to 5 miles per dollar toward travel with this incredible card

If you're someone who loves to travel, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card(Rates and fees) is the perfect companion for your adventures. New cardholders can earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.

But that's not all. When you use the VentureOne card, you can earn 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Redeem miles for flights, hotels, and car rentals, OR statement credits, gift cards, and transfers to over 15 airline or hotel partners! This means that your dream vacation could be closer than you think, thanks to the rewards you earn from everyday purchases! There is also no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee.

So if you're gearing up for your next adventure, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card(Rates and fees) should be at the top of your wallet.

Annual fee: $0

Purchase and Transfer APR: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Click here to apply for the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card now

Cancel your car insurance

Driving without car insurance is illegal, but if you do this, you’re not actually breaking the law.

This tool can help you see if you’re overpaying for car insurance in just a few clicks. You’d be shocked by the difference. $159 per month is what they wanted to charge me. I thought that was the best price, don’t even look anywhere else. Right? Wrong.

I used Insurify and now I’m able to pay just $51 a month for two cars.¹ <p>Actual savings and coverage options vary based on factors such as driving history, location, and insurer policies. The rates shown in this example may not reflect what every user will qualify for.</p> Too many insurance companies do this. They push up our rates and make us pay even more. But if you want to try this tool and compare and potentially score same-day savings, here’s what to do:

1. Click the link below and enter your zip code, date of birth, and phone number.
2. Answer a few questions about your car’s make and model to get matched with top offers.
3. Choose the best quote for you and lock it in before rates go up.

Compare rates now and see if you could score same-day savings today!

I can hardly believe I waited so long to do this, but I’m glad I finally did. It only took me two minutes. Super fast. You have to trust me on this. Just try it out.

Do NOT pay contractors for home repairs if something breaks while you're away

The worst thing would be for one of your appliances to break down while you're on the other side of the world. But this unique company could help you avoid paying contractors so much money for repairs whenever you get home.

It sounds crazy, but they’ve been doing this since 2008. Say your AC unit breaks down while you're away. Don’t pay $1,500 for repairs — instead, you could just pay a $100 service fee with Choice Home Warranty, and they come fix it ASAP. This could save you $1,400 almost instantly!

Choose a plan here and lock in an ultra-low rate. Whenever a covered system breaks down, make your claim online or give them a call. They’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.² <p>CHW reserves the right to offer cash back in lieu of repair or replacement in the amount of CHW's actual cost (which at times may be less than retail) to repair or replace any covered system, component or appliance. In the event that CHW makes such payment, CHW will provide written notification of the basis for the amount of the payment. First Month Free with purchase of any single payment home warranty plan. The product being offered is a service contract and is separate and distinct from any product or service warranty which may be provided by the home builder or manufacturer.</p>

Choose a plan from Choice Home Warranty here and lock in your rate

P.S. Use the links above for $50 off and 1 month free. We don’t know how long this will last, so take advantage of it today before it disappears.

Adapt to the new airline loyalty landscape

Southwest Airlines: Effective May 28, 2025, Southwest will introduce fees for checked baggage on most fares and transition from open seating to assigned seating options, including Premium and Preferred seats.

United Airlines: Starting May 1, 2025, United's Premier 1K members will no longer receive complimentary CLEAR Plus memberships. Instead, they will be offered a $70 discount on the annual fee, reducing it to $129.

American Airlines: Beginning March 1, 2025, American Airlines will introduce new lifetime elite status tiers: Platinum Pro for members with four million miles and Executive Platinum for those with five million miles. Additionally, systemwide upgrades will be valid through the status membership year.

Delta Air Lines: As of January 1, 2024, Delta's SkyMiles Medallion status is earned solely through Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs), eliminating Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and Segments (MQSs). New Choice Benefits now include MQD accelerators for Platinum and Diamond Medallion members.

Alaska Airlines: Alaska Airlines has implemented dynamic award pricing across all routes, replacing its traditional award charts. This change means award ticket prices now vary based on factors like demand and route popularity.

Borrow from your home’s equity (even with a lower credit score)

You could get a good amount of money in your pocket just from your home equity alone. You just need to know where and how to compare home equity loan rates. If your credit score is between 580 and 679, a company called New American Funding could help.

More and more homeowners are tapping into their home equity due to how helpful it can be. And even with a lower credit score, New American Funding helps you compare top home equity options to potentially get you out of crippling debt, fund home improvements, and pay for large expenses. All without affecting your mortgage.

If you need money now, it couldn’t be easier to compare rates and see what you qualify for. Just go to New American Funding, answer a few questions, and check out their personalized options for you.

Calculate your home equity rate with New American Funding

Earn up to $360 in cash back for your next trip just by making simple purchases

You can now earn cash back on everyday purchases without using a credit card. With the Discover® CashBack Debit One Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!³ <p>See website for details.</p>

You don’t have to worry about a credit check to apply, and there are no monthly fees. Start earning nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year to put towards your next trip!⁴ <p>See <a href="https://www.discover.com/content/dam/dfs/online-banking/documents/NationalDepositAccountAgreement.pdf">Deposit Account Agreement</a> for details on transaction eligibility, limitations, and terms.</p>

There are other great perks too, like getting access to your paycheck up to 2 days early, and no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements.

Don’t wait to apply: In 2022, Discover temporarily suspended new account applications. Luckily, they reopened applications again. (But you shouldn’t wait to apply!)

Apply for a Discover® Cashback Checking account today

Stop Paying ATM Fees Abroad (You Really Don’t Have To)

Every time you take out cash in another country, the ATM quietly takes a little off the top. Sometimes it’s $3. Sometimes it’s $9. Multiply that by a two-week trip, and you’ve basically tipped banks abroad … for nothing.

The thing is, you don’t really have to pay foreign ATM fees. A handful of banks offer debit cards that refund ATM fees worldwide or don’t charge foreign transaction fees at all. Some even reimburse other banks’ fees, no questions asked. If you travel even once a year, switching to one of these can save you $50–$100 or more per trip.

See if your credit card debt is eligible for this debt relief program

If you have a lot of credit card debt, getting out of it can feel stressful (and nearly impossible). Here’s the problem: the longer you put off tackling it, the harder it gets to fix. If you don’t take control of it early on, it can add undue stress to your life for years. But what if there was a way to resolve your debt once and for all?

ClearOne Advantage can help.⁹ <p>ClearOne Advantage, LLC is a debt settlement company, not a lender, loan broker, creditor, credit services organization, or debt collector. ClearOne Advantage, LLC does not assume or pay any debts; receive, hold or control funds belonging to consumers; or provide bankruptcy, legal, accounting or tax advice. You should review full program terms and conditions before enrolling. To the extent that any aspect of the debt settlement services relies on or results in the consumer’s failure to make timely payments to the consumer’s creditors or debt collectors, the use of the debt settlement services: (1) Will likely adversely affect the consumer’s creditworthiness; (2) May result in the consumer being subject to collections or being sued by creditors or debt collectors; and (3) May increase the amount of money the consumer owes due to the accrual of fees and interest by creditors or debt collectors. Not available in all states. Some third-party fees may apply. C.P.D. Reg. No. T.S. 12-03822.</p> If you have more than $30,000 in debt from credit cards, medical bills, collections, or personal loans, their representatives may be able to help you resolve your debt for less than you owe — with one low monthly program payment.

Best of all? There are zero upfront fees, and you could be debt-free in 24-48 months. To get started, just answer a few simple questions and get connected with a caring representative. The consultation is completely free and only takes a few minutes to see if you qualify!

See if your $30k+ in credit card debt is eligible for ClearOne Advantage

Get an affordable eSIM to over 200+ countries

Traveling is awesome. What’s NOT awesome is arriving at your destination only to realize your phone data isn’t working. You can’t access the internet, call an Uber, or make a phone call.

Even worse … if you forget to set up an eSIM before traveling, it can be a huge headache once you arrive, and you could potentially be stuck relying on wifi your entire trip.

Airalo fixes this. You can get an eSIM to 200+ countries through their simple app. Just download, choose your destination and package, then install and activate. It’s 100% digital, and can be done quickly without any physical SIM card.

Airalo is trusted by over 10,000,000 people, has a near 5-star rating from 300,000+ reviews, and plans can cost just a little over a few dollars per week — with instant connectivity. Seriously.

Get an eSIM here before your trip

Stay safe in foreign countries: 25% of travelers using public WiFi abroad are hacked

Public Wi-Fi is not secure. In fact, up to 25% of travelers using public WiFi abroad are hacked, potentially letting bad actors gain access to things like your bank account. But it isn’t just hackers you need to worry about … it could be the network itself.

Hotels, airports, and cafés often log the websites you visit. Some even inject ads or trackers directly into your browsing. It’s not unheard of for these public networks to monetize user data — and when you’re in another country, privacy laws may be weaker or nonexistent.

NordVPN helps protect you by encrypting your internet traffic, hiding your IP address, and blocking malware, trackers, and phishing threats, even on public networks you don’t control. (Bonus: Changing virtual locations with a VPN could help you access lower prices on flights before buying.)

Plans start as low as $3.39/month and include advanced tools like Threat Protection, Dark Web Monitoring, and Meshnet, which lets you securely access your devices while abroad — all backed by a strict no-logs policy and 24/7 support.

Get 76% off NordVPN + up to 10GB free eSIM data

Finally skip the rental car insurance trap

You know the drill. That awkward moment when the agent asks if you want “optional” insurance coverage ... and you’re not sure what’s actually covered by your regular auto policy (if anything). Say yes, and your cheap rental just got a lot more expensive. Say no, and you might be on the hook for thousands.

But there is one way out of this trap. Certain credit cards have built-in rental car coverage that could be even better than what the rental company offers. The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card(Rates and fees) is one of the few cards that offers primary rental car insurance. If something happens, you can file a claim directly with the card’s coverage — without touching your personal auto insurance. 

This card is also powerhouse that supercharges your hard-earned spending. Become a Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card cardholder, and you can earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening ... all with an incredibly low $95 annual fee. 

Recommended Credit 670+: Click here to apply now for the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card