(This is part of Take Charge of Your Money , a partnership between INQUIRER.net and Citibank to help readers handle their personal finances well.)
Q: My fiancée and I are getting married within the year. We are very excited and have decided to plan everything ourselves, from choosing our motif to picking out the church and reception venue as well as the suppliers. This way, we can keep a tight watch on our budget. But we really want to have a great honeymoon – is it okay to splurge given the times? – Sharon
A: Many couples these days want to have a hands-on approach to their wedding and honeymoon, planning and organizing everything themselves. This will not only result in savings for the couple; the whole experience of organizing everything will be fun too, though a bit stressful – a happy kind of stress nonetheless.
There are many ways you can save on honeymoon expenses. Here are some of them:
Choose a cheaper destination. It sounds so simple, but true. Instead of honeymooning in Paris, go for Prague, or opt for Asia instead of the Americas. Better yet, go local and honeymoon in Baguio, Palawan, Boracay, or laid-back places like Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte or Batanes. The lower the cost of living in your honeymoon destination, the more savings you will realize. Everything will come out cheaper by choosing a lower cost destination: transportation, hotel, food, shopping, water sports, and other activities.
Book during off-peak season. By choosing dates during off-peak season, you will save as much as 30 to 40 percent off the regular rates of airfare and hotel accommodations. Off peak season in the Philippines starts in June and ends in September or October. Abroad, off peak season starts around September when school begins, though this may vary depending on your destination.
Settle for no frills. You can save much on airfare by choosing no-frills tickets. These tickets do not offer meals (bring your own or buy on board instead) and may give you seats at the back of the plane. You will, however, arrive at the same destination as passengers paying the full rate, so there’s really not much difference if the travel time is short.
Book early and make your schedule definite. This will allow you to get non-rebookable, nonrefundable airplane tickets which cost less. You will also get discounts from airlines and possibly from hotels too, by booking early. Also, if you get red-eye flights (those that are scheduled to leave early long before dawn), you’ll get cheaper rates too. Choose a hotel that offers free breakfasts.
Check your points in your frequent flyer account or credit card rewards program. You may be eligible to get free flights. Credit cards like Citibank offer cardholders a rewards program wherein every P30 charge earns 1 point. These points may be exchanged for free trips, upgrades or companion tickets in several frequent flyer programs.
Research on your chosen honeymoon place for the best deals. Again, your credit card may offer special packages – Citi PremierMiles Card currently offers deeply discounted trips to Europe. Browse the Internet and look for places to dine and go to. You don’t need to eat at your hotel all the time. Explore the area where you’re in and go where the locals go—these places are bound to offer good food at non –touristy prices.
Download or buy a map of your honeymoon place and plan how to get to the places you want to go to even before you leave for your trip. Study how you can go around without hailing a taxi all the time. By using local transportation such as the subway or trains, you will be able to save money. Check car rental rates, too. If you can maximize the use of the car during your stay, it may be worth renting a car even for just one day.
Search for local tours. Walking tours are popular here in Manila as well as in Singapore and other places. By joining such tours, you will not only have a firsthand view of the culture of a place; you’ll be entertained with topnotch guides too. The tours usually don’t cost much since you’ll be part of a group.
Say that you’re on honeymoon. Hotels and restaurants love honeymooners and would go out of their way to please them. You may get free desserts or a welcome fruit basket or drinks on the house – little perks like these are always nice to have. Plus the concierge may offer suggestions on places you can go to nearby, and help you get the best rates possible.
Stock up on essentials before leaving for the trip: memory cards, batteries for your digital camera and video camera, among others. These may cost more in tourist spots, so it pays to be prepared.
We hope you find our tips helpful. Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials!
(INQUIRER.net and Citibank invite readers to ask questions regarding financial matters. Send your questions to personal_finance@inquirer.net or comment through our personal finance blog called MoneySmarts )
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