Airports are notoriously money traps. The same value meal from your favorite fast food restaurant that is $4.99 in the outside world suddenly costs $9 after you pass through the security checkpoint. But there are ways to save your coins while waiting to board your flight. Here are some tips on ways to save money in the airport.
Bring Your Own (Collapsible) Bottle
Water is a racket at the airport. Period. You can try to wait until you board the flight to quench your thirst or you can grab some at the airport. But a quick trick on grabbing some the cheap way is to bring your own bottle. And a collapsible bottle is the perfect way to do that. These bottles are perfect if you are running low on carryon space, as they are flat in your bag and some even have a hook for the outside of your bag. Not to mention these are great for traveling in general, especially to a warm or tropical destination. Just go the soda fountain and hit the water tab for cold water to quench your thirst.
Have Your Own Minibar
Got nerves? Or a long flight? Need a little cocktail to take the edge off. Grab a mini bottle or two at your local liquor store and bring them through security. Since they are less than four ounces, you should have no problem bringing them in with your carryon. Then, instead of purchasing a $12 cocktail, you can grab a $4 juice and mix your own. But be mindful, don’t imbibe too much, or there is a chance that the gate agents will not let you on board if you are inebriated. Drink responsibly.
Pack Some Flavors
If you are like me, sometimes you get tired of plain-Jane water and you want some flavor. My favorite trick is bringing along Crystal Light (or some other in-drink potion). With multiple sizes and flavors, it make s me feel like I am drinking juice rather than water and it alleviates my need for some expensive, sugary drink. But since I don’t want to put Crystal Light in my collapsible bottle, I will sometimes bring an empty regular water bottle to fill up once I pass security. I love lemonade, fruit punch, and raspberry lemonade, but they have so many flavors to choose from, including ice teas.
Bring Your Own Feast
You can bring food into the airport. Now, is soup the best option? Probably not. But you can bring in a sandwich or something to that effect. Just make sure it’s wrapped well in case you have to take it out of your bag for some reason.
Go to Your Local Library
Need entertainment but don’t want to run out your phone battery? Want to catch up on a good book on your vacay? Amazon is always an option, but if you really want to save the coins, then head to your local library before your vacay. I have done this with guidebooks but also books for pleasure. No harm in using those library card benefits. And if you are at the airport and need some tabloid action, see if you can snag someone’s magazine when they are done (or even grab one that someone finished and left behind out of the seatback pockets on connections).
Got more surefire airport saving tips? Let us know some of your best money savers.
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