Congrats – the long-awaited family trip has finally made it out of the group chat and into your calendar. Now comes the real challenge: making sure it’s packed with fun memories without blowing a hole in everyone’s wallets.
From splitting costs smoothly to scoring better deals as a group, there are plenty of hacks to keep things affordable without skimping on the experience. Here are some practical money-saving tips that’ll help your family travel smart and stress-free.
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Next to flights, accommodation usually takes up the biggest chunk of your budget. The trick is to go for family suites, Airbnbs, or serviced apartments instead of booking multiple hotel rooms. With everyone chipping in, the per-person cost drops significantly.
It’s also way more fun – you’re on holiday to spend time together, after all. Shared living rooms mean late-night card games, and kitchens let you whip up family meals without splurging at restaurants every day. It’s a double win: more bonding, less spending.
Travel insurance is a must, but buying it individually can add up fast. A smarter move would be to opt for group or family policies instead. Not only is it usually cheaper per person, it also saves the admin any hassle of juggling multiple plans.
Image adapted from: ChangiAssure
Take ChangiAssure, for instance. Their family travel insurance plans are perfect with coverage for up to 10 countries in one go. A family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children) heading to Australia for 6 days would pay $93.63 in total, which works out to just $23.41 per person. In comparison, if you were to buy individual travel insurance, it would cost $31.86 per traveller. We stan saving money and time.
So, before your next trip, get a quote for group insurance at the ChangiAssure website – prices may change with ongoing promotions, and returning customers get exclusive discounts too!
Nothing kills the vibe faster than arguing over who owes whom for dinner. Skip the mental gymnastics – or worse, Excel sheets – and use expense-splitting apps like Splitwise or Tricount instead.
It’s simple: set up a group for the trip, log expenses as you go, and the app automatically calculates who owes what. You can take turns paying during the holiday, then settle everything at the end without awkward IOUs.
Let’s be real, as Singaporeans, most of us travel to eat good food. It’s not uncommon to hear of friends travelling to Bangkok just to eat pad thai, or Taipei for hearty beef noodle soup. But food doesn’t always have to be the biggest expense. First, skip the tourist traps and head to hawker-style eateries or neighbourhood restaurants instead.
One of our colleagues mentioned that she’d always ask the locals where their favourite dining spots are. That way, you can really eat like a local – and not pay tourist prices, too.
Another hack: order larger dishes to share. Not only does this bring costs down, but it also means you get to sample more variety without everyone needing a separate main. Think one big platter of seafood paella in Spain, or a sizzling hotpot in Taipei.
Buying tickets one by one for transport or attractions might not seem like much, but it adds up fast when you’re travelling with family. The $26 per person admission seems affordable on its own, but it will snowball fast once you factor in the multipliers. A superior move is to go for city passes, transport bundles, or group attraction packages. These usually give you more value for money than paying per ride or entry.
Take Japan’s JR Pass, for instance. It covers unlimited rides on trains for a set period, which can save you hundreds if you’re zipping between cities as a group. Popular regional options include the Korail Pass in South Korea or the Taiwan High-Speed Rail Pass, both offering similar savings and convenience.
Closer to home, platforms like Changi Recommends offer discounted family bundles for attractions from theme parks to guided tours, and even private car charters, an ideal option for families with kids or older seniors. These charters, such as a 7-seater airport transfer from Bali’s Denpasar Airport to Kuta or Jimbaran for as little as $10.50, offer door-to-door convenience, flexibility, and often better value than booking multiple taxis or ride-hailing trips.
Whether it’s just your fam or the whole kampung with cousins, aunties, and uncles, packing smart is a high-level money-saving move. Instead of everyone bringing their own full set of toiletries and snacks, split the load – one person brings shampoo, another handles toothpaste, someone else packs the munchies. It’s like a team game, but for luggage.
Foldable bags also come in handy to avoid overweight baggage charges. And if it’s just a short trip, you might be able to survive with only a cabin bag. That means fewer baggage fees and less temptation to splurge on overpriced airport buys.
Don’t bother with the chaos of everyone setting up their own roaming connections, or worrying about unstable networks, especially if you’re travelling with the elderly like your parents or grandparents. Just rent a portable Wi-Fi device and share it – one gadget can connect up to 6 devices, so everyone stays online without the extra fuss.
With ChangiWiFi 5G, you’ll enjoy ultra-fast speed and low latency, perfect for streaming videos, gaming, or uploading photos and videos in real time. Alternatively, the 4G option is also super affordable and reliable, offering smooth connectivity for everyday use.
To put that into perspective, a 5-Day 4G ChangiWiFi rental starts from $4.60/day. With ChangiWiFi’s Rent 5 Days, Free 1 Day promotion, that’s a total of $23 for the duration of the trip. It covers plenty of destinations, and if you’re travelling to more than one country, you can even opt for packages like the Japan + South Korea package or Southeast Asia Package.
We’ve even scored an exclusive deal for TSL readers: You can get 5% off – and this stacks on top of the existing “Rent 5 Days, Free 1 Day” promotion. Simply use these promo codes when booking.
On top of that, ChangiWiFi users also enjoy 5% off Charter Car services, $5 off attraction and tour bookings, and 10% off Go City Passes – perfect for travellers who love a good deal.
Here’s how to rent a ChangiWiFi device: you can reserve it online, by email, or even through WhatsApp. Once you get your booking confirmed, just pick it up at the Changi Recommends booth on the day of departure. From there, you’re good to go – the device connects you overseas instantly. When you’re back, simply drop it off at the Changi Recommends booth.
Connecting is just as straightforward. Switch on the portable router, enable Wi-Fi on your phone or laptop, and key in the password printed on the device. That’s it – within minutes, the whole fam is connected on the same network. Plus, the plans come with 24/7 human support, so there’s peace of mind if anything goes wrong.
Planning a trip for the whole fam can feel a little chaotic – from keeping track of expenses to making sure no one blows the budget. But with these money-saving tips, you’ll spend less time stressing over logistics and more time actually enjoying the holiday. After all, the whole point of a family trip is to make memories together.
And if you want to make things even smoother, start by renting a ChangiWiFi device for your next adventure. It keeps everyone connected on one plan, saves you from juggling multiple roaming options, and works out cheaper when you’re travelling as a group.
This post was brought to you by ChangiWiFi.
Cover image adapted from: @changirecommends via Instagram
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