Save Money on Business Trips
By swan480 on Jun 19, 2009 in Travel
Many people don’t worry about the cost of business trips, because technically they are business expenses, and can be deducted from your gross income. This lowers your tax liability, and therefore saves you money on your taxes.
However, you still need to be able to pay for the business trip up front, which means that unless your business is very successful, you probably will want to try to save some money on the cost of your trip.
One way of doing this is by looking for the best hotel deals available. You can usually find some pretty good deals online. Just be sure that you also call the hotel to ask what your total bill will be — there are a multitude of fees tacked on to the nightly rate, and you’ll need to take those into account when planning your budget or comparing prices.
You can also find some good deals on airfare online. These tickets often carry a risk, though, because your money cannot be refunded if your plans change. But if you are certain of your plans, go for it, and save some money on your business trip.
Finally, there is a lot of opportunity to save money on the meals you eat during your trip. One big thing is to eat cheaply unless it’s a meeting with a client or a networking event, where you need to impress someone. If it’s just you, though, there’s no reason why you can’t eat for under $10 per meal. If you are not into fast food, try buying food at the grocery store to keep in the hotel room. Many hotels now have at the very least a mini fridge and a microwave. Use them!
By a little bit of careful planning, you can really reduce the cost of your business trip. Of course, this means less to write off as a business expense later on, but if it means you can better afford the trip, why not?
6 Comment(s)
By Sammo on Jul 9, 2009 | Reply
These days just about everyone is looking to save a few bucks on business expenses. This is good advice about finding the best deals on hotel rooms. Also, stay out of the minibar if your room has one. Who needs to pay five bucks for a little jar of nuts or three dollars for a can of soda?
By Davis on Jul 9, 2009 | Reply
Me, I’m all about saving money on business trips. I try to avoid fast food and hotel restaurants and get meals for myself from local delis and take-out places that aren’t part of a national chain. It’s fun and it saves me money.
By Cotty on Jul 9, 2009 | Reply
Unless I’m taking a client or business associate out for a meal, I’m cheap. I’ll go to a market or deli near my hotel and stock up on stuff like fresh fruit and salads. It’s cheaper and it helps me stay on my diet.
By Babs V. on Jul 9, 2009 | Reply
With a little bit of advance notice and some research online, it’s pretty easy to find good hotel deals these days. All of the hotel chains are hurting from the recession, and you can score some great discounts if you’re patient and a little flexible about your travel dates.
By Gary on Jul 9, 2009 | Reply
This blog brings up a good point, the way some hotels will nickle and dime you to death with their stupid fees. It’s good to know about all this stuff up front so you can avoid as many of them as possible.
By Taylor on Jul 9, 2009 | Reply
Good advice, and don’t forget to check with your airline to see if you can airfare and hotel room bundled. That can save you a significant amount of money right there.