Money Management

Planning to travel for the holidays, but don’t want to risk going into debt buying plane tickets? Find out how to save money on holiday flights. 

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and if you want to avoid overspending on holiday expenses, now is the time to get into planning mode. Many people travel to see family and friends for the holidays. Since it’s a busy time of year to fly, you can expect to pay higher prices when buying airline tickets.

But it’s still possible to save money on holiday flights. I’ll outline a few tips to help you keep more money in your pocket when booking holiday flights.

1. Don’t wait to buy your tickets

Buying your tickets in advance is an excellent way to save on flight costs, especially if you’ll be flying during a busy travel season. If you have not yet purchased airfare for the holidays, now is the time to act. If you continue to delay buying your tickets, you’ll likely pay a much higher price because there is more demand and fewer tickets left to book. Don’t wait any longer.

2. Use airfare pricing tools to your advantage

As you research flight options, don’t forget about airfare pricing tools like Google Flights. You can compare prices across multiple carriers to find the best deal. You can also play around with your departure and arrival dates to find the cheapest days to fly. If you need to wait to buy your tickets, you can track flight prices through Google Flights to monitor price changes.

3. Put your credit card rewards to use

Another way to save money on holiday flights is by using your credit card rewards. Many people use rewards credit cards to earn valuable rewards when spending with their cards. If you have unused points or miles, you may want to check to see if any award flights are available to book. It’s worth noting that many travelers book award tickets in advance, so there may be limited (or no) award flight availability.

If that’s the case, another option is to charge your travel credit card for the expense and use your credit card rewards to get a statement credit. If you have a collection of rewards that are sitting unused, this could be an easy way to get a significant discount on your flight purchase.

4. Get creative

Creativity can also help you save money on holiday flights. Before booking airfare, consider other ways to reduce your flight costs. Can you fly in and out of a nearby city? Do any budget airlines fly to your destination? Are you able to get a better deal by booking one-way flights? These creative solutions could help you spend less money when buying flights.

5. Go where no one else is going

If you’re feeling sticker shock from the prices you’re seeing, there may be another option. Instead of visiting friends or family for the holiday season, why not take a vacation? Another way to save money on holiday flights is by traveling to less popular and costly destinations.

Many airfare pricing tools like Google Flights make it easy to find flight deals around the globe. Instead of entering a pre-chosen destination, enter “anywhere.” You’ll be shown prices for destinations worldwide. You can also search entire states, countries, and continents. This could be a great way to plan a memorable holiday experience without draining your bank account.

It’s not too late to make holiday travel plans

If you still have yet to book airfare for the upcoming holidays, it’s not too late. Consider giving some of the above strategies a try to avoid overpaying for airfare. When booking your flights, pay with one of the best travel credit cards to earn rewards. For additional ways to save money, check out our free personal finance resources.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Going without homeowners insurance could cost you big time. Read on to learn more. 

Homeowners insurance is one of those expenses you should expect to take on when you buy a home. In fact, you generally need homeowners insurance to secure a mortgage.

But what if you own your home outright, or you’re buying one in cash that you don’t need to borrow for? In that case, you may be able to technically get away with not having homeowners insurance. And unfortunately, that’s a route some property owners seem to be taking.

Simply Insurance reports that while over 95% of U.S. homeowners have an insurance policy to protect their properties, there’s a small percentage of homeowners who don’t have coverage, also known as “going bare.” Now, if your homeowners insurance costs have risen lately, you may be inclined to forgo coverage yourself. But here are three reasons why that could prove to be a very costly mistake.

1. You could lose your home entirely if it sustains major damage

If you have a lot of cash in your savings account, you may decide to just skip out on having homeowners insurance because you’re tired of your costs going up and instead plan to dip into your cash reserves when damage occurs. The problem, though, is that in an extreme situation, you could end up needing to rebuild your home entirely. And while you might have the money to cover $15,000 worth of flood damage, you may not have nearly enough savings to shell out $250,000 to build your home again from the ground up.

2. You could lose all of your belongings if they’re destroyed in a fire or flood

It’s not just your home itself that homeowners insurance is meant to protect. The right policy could also help ensure you can get reimbursed if your belongings, from furniture to electronics to artwork, are damaged due to an issue within your home (like an electrical fire) or a weather-related event. Without insurance, you might end up having to replace a host of expensive items.

3. You could get sued if someone gets injured on your property

One common component of homeowners insurance is liability coverage, and it protects you financially if someone gets hurt on your property. And that injury doesn’t have to happen indoors. If someone slips or trips while delivering a package to your door, they could potentially initiate a lawsuit if your property contained a hazard, like an icy path or uneven sidewalk. If you go without homeowners coverage, you could find yourself getting sued personally for such an injury.

How to find more affordable homeowners insurance

Going bare on homeowners insurance might seem like a cost-effective solution when your premiums keep rising. But in the end, you could face catastrophic costs in the absence of insurance, so it’s best not to forgo that coverage. Instead, try to find ways to make your homeowners insurance more affordable. Some options include:

Updating your insurer after making safety-related improvements to your home, such as installing a doorbell camera or alarm systemGetting rid of elements that can be considered hazardous, such as filling in an in-ground poolShopping around with different insurers for better ratesBundling your homeowners and auto insurance policies for a discount

No one should skip out on homeowners insurance entirely. And while it’s getting harder to find coverage in certain states due to an uptick in extreme weather, there are still insurers to consider in those situations. Make that effort so you don’t wind up in a dire spot by not having coverage at all.

Our picks for best homeowners insurance companies

There are many homeowners insurance companies to choose from. We’ve researched dozens of options and short-listed our favorites here. Looking for a green build discount or easy bundle policies? Want an easy-to-use interface? Read our free expert review and get a quote today.

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Thanksgiving dinner was expensive last year, so this year Walmart is rolling back its prices like it’s 2021. Here’s what you can expect. 

Your Thanksgiving dinner last year may have been easy on your tastebuds, but it probably wasn’t as kind to your checking account. The average 10-person feast cost about $64.05 in 2022, according to the American Farm Bureau’s annual survey. That was a 20% increase over 2021.

You might expect these climbing prices to continue into 2023, but Walmart is determined to ensure this doesn’t happen. It’s rolling back Thanksgiving dinner prices to 2021 levels. Here’s what you need to know.

Save money, eat better

Beginning Nov. 1, Walmart intends to offer two Thanksgiving meal basket options with ingredients at 2021 prices. Customers will be able to purchase these baskets online or through Walmart’s app for easy pick up or delivery.

One basket is aimed at those who prefer to prepare their own meals. It includes a number of items to help you prepare your own holiday staples from scratch. The other basket contains ready-made items for those who want a labor-free Thanksgiving dinner.

These deals will continue through Dec. 26, 2023, so you can also take advantage of these meal baskets for Christmas dinner if you’d like.

Other ways to save on Thanksgiving dinner

Walmart hasn’t published the exact contents or cost of its Thanksgiving meal baskets yet, but it’ll most likely cover the basics, like turkey, ham, green bean casserole, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. But every family has their own traditions, and you may want some other items that aren’t part of the meal baskets.

There are still plenty of ways you can save on Thanksgiving food. Walmart and many other retailers will likely continue to run sales on holiday food items as we approach Thanksgiving. And you may be able to track down some coupons as well. Check your local newspaper and look online to see what you can find.

When appropriate, you might be able to save by buying certain items in bulk and saving them for future meals. And whenever possible, purchase just as much as you need. Not only does buying too much food cost you more, but it can also lead to food waste.

Cooking food from scratch also tends to be cheaper than buying pre-made items. But you also have to weigh your preferences and your cooking skills to decide whether you want to go this route.

You’ve still got plenty of time to sort out your Thanksgiving dinner if you haven’t given it too much thought yet. But Walmart’s deal is definitely something you want to keep on your radar, especially if your budget is tight this year.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Kailey Hagen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Costco is one of the most popular retailers on the planet, yet no retailer is perfect. Chances are, every Costco member can relate to these four issues. 

If you’ve sprung for a Costco membership, there are undoubtedly things you enjoy about your shopping experience. However, not everything is rainbows and unicorns. The fact that Costco is so popular can also be why shopping there is sometimes a pain. Here are four struggles we’re pretty sure every Costco member can relate to.

1. Traffic jams

Depending on the day, getting into the Costco parking lot is like trying to get out of a parking lot after a professional football game. There are cars everywhere. Everyone seems to be in a hurry, but no one is going anywhere. All you want is to pick up a few groceries without draining your checking account.

Finally, you make your way into the store, where you hope to find peace and quiet — but no. If there’s that much traffic outside, there’s even more inside. After all, some of those cars held multiple people, and all those people now appear to be clustered in the same aisle. It’s common to find yourself stuck in a traffic jam of carts with no one sure who’s supposed to move first. Do you use the rules of the road, or is it a survival-of-the-fittest situation?

Insider tip: According to the folks on a Costco subreddit, Sunday morning is the time to shop if you prefer a less crowded experience. Taking it one step further, someone calling themselves lavendermermaid wrote, “I’ve gone to Costco Super Bowl Sunday about the same time kickoff started, and it was the emptiest I’ve ever seen it in my life. Highly recommend.”

2. Disappearing favorites

If you’ve ever fallen deeply in love with a particular food at Costco, you may know the heartbreak of being unable to find it the next time you stop by. Costco is all about rotate, rotate, rotate, and on occasion, that applies to new food items.

Insider tip: If a food, drink, or other item you enjoy disappears, you can request that the store restock it. Requests are made through the Costco app or online by visiting the warehouse feedback page.

3. Missed sales

There are few things more frustrating than pulling out your rewards card to buy a big-ticket item, only to learn it’s on sale a week or two after you make your purchase. However, with so many items in stock and sales going on simultaneously, it’s easy to miss out.

Insider tip: Fortunately, missing a sale is one of the easiest frustrations to fix, as long as your purchase was made within 30 days of the price change. If you made the original purchase online, Costco has a price adjustment page that outlines the details of making this kind of request. If you made the original purchase in a store, bring your receipt to the return counter to request a price adjustment.

Caveat: One thing to remember is that online Costco prices sometimes differ from in-store Costco prices, even for the same product. Costco does not offer a price adjustment if the item went on sale in store but you purchased it online (and vice versa).

4. Scavenger hunts

Costco frequently moves products around so customers will spend more time strolling the aisles. It’s a brilliant marketing technique. And as long as you have time to kill, it might be enjoyable to peruse the aisles, checking out new products.

However, if you’re in a hurry, going on a scavenger hunt is a pain.

Insider tip: If you’re shopping with another person, you can always split up, and the first person to find what you’re looking for is the “winner.” You also have the option of asking the nearest Costco employee you find or visiting the customer service desk.

Although no retailer is perfect, Costco tends to leave its shoppers relatively satisfied despite its quirks. This is evidenced by the fact that 92.5% of Costco members chose to renew their memberships when they came due in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. A retailer only gets that many renewals if it’s doing something right.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Dana George has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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