Buy Those Tickets Early
When you self fund your travel, you start to pick up on things that you just don't notice much when "the company" is paying. For instance:
- Eating dinner at a restaurant is expensive, especially if you order any alcohol
- The "big two" car rental companies are not cheap
- You save a lot by staying in hotels that offer free btreakfast and have laundry facilities
- The biggest one is this: make those flight reservations in advance
I didn't get around to arranging my flights at the beginning of my holiday break, and when I did get back to it, oof - the direct flights to Dallas that I prefer had skyrocketed until I got three weeks out. So - the next two weeks I have the joy of making connecting flights. After that, I have flights planned for a bit, and I have nice, direct - and inexpensive - flights laid out.
It's a whole different world when it's your own nickel :)
