What’s the best day to travel? Best time of day to travel? How do I book flights?

Hailey Berg, lead economist at the travel app, Hopper, offers the following tips to book the best rates.

What not to do when booking travel

Berg said prices will fluctuate at least 10 times per day.

“Don’t book without first using a price-monitoring tool. Flight and hotel prices change constantly. If you’re not using a price-monitoring tool, you’ll miss out on the best deals and lowest prices,” Berg said.

Days you shouldn’t travel

“Don’t travel on the weekend — those are the most popular dates, but you’ll pay a 25% premium on hotels and up to $100 more for flights,” Berg said.

Berg said travelers who fly mid-week (usually Wednesdays) can save an average of $56 per ticket on domestic airfare throughout the year. Over busy periods like spring break, summer vacation and the holiday season, travelers can save upwards of $100 by flying mid-week compared to the weekend.

This time of day is best for travel

“You want to get up early. You don’t want to get on a flight departing after 9 a.m. — you’ll be twice as likely to be delayed or canceled,” Berg said.

Berg said flights departing after 9 a.m. are two times more likely to be delayed than departures scheduled between 5-8 a.m. To avoid travel disruption and potential costs associated with delays, missed connections and cancellations, fly as early in the morning as possible.

What time should you book travel?

“You do not want to wait until the last minute to book your flights. Prices spike in the last month before your departure, so start monitoring prices three to four months in advance. Expect to book domestic trips about a month or two before you depart,” Berg said.

Berg said there is a sweet spot for flight prices: When airlines offer lower prices and discounted fares. Begin monitoring prices three to four months before the trip so as not to miss the “golden window,” and use a price tracker to monitor prices and get notified as soon as a good deal becomes available.

What not to do when it comes to booking travel

“Don’t forget to protect your travel, add flight-disruption protection or a flexibility product you might need for any reason, so if you have a disruption, or you don’t like your hotel, you don’t have to book a new flight or book a new hotel, you are covered,” Berg said.

For many people, traveling is about exploring new cultures, landscapes, cuisines and ideas. However, the cost of the trip is still one of the most important considerations when booking a vacation.

In fact, according to a survey, a one-of-a-kind online community of shoppers working together to shop smarter and save more, 81% of respondents listed total cost as their top consideration followed by a desire for kid-friendly experiences at the destination and discounts or deals on transportation and lodging.

Even amid reported concerns about inflation (56%), increasing flight costs (51%) and gas prices (49%), 84% of families plan to spend the same amount or more on travel this year as last. Among the respondents, 42% plan to spend between $1,501-3,000 and 15% plan to spend $5,000 or more on travel.

While traveling is undoubtedly an investment, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Consider these tips from Pete King, deal expert for Slickdeals, to save money as you begin planning your next excursion.

Set your budget with hidden costs in mind. When setting budgets, many people stop at the basics like transportation, accommodations and entertainment. Make sure to factor in additional costs such as pet care, food, checked luggage fees and airport and hotel parking so there are no surprises at the end of the trip.

Look for deals. Being open to a variety of destinations and travel dates can help you score the best deals. If you’re tired of switching between booking sites or searching online for bargains, consider browsing the latest travel deals on the Slickdeals Travel Page where community members share some of the best travel deals on the internet, which can save you time and effort when looking for savings on your trip. You can even set deal alerts to be notified when deals pop up for your desired destination.

Bring an empty water bottle. While Transportation Security Administration regulations don’t allow you to bring most fluids through security checkpoints in airports, packing an empty water bottle in your carry-on or personal item can save you from high costs inside the terminal. Once you’re through security, simply fill your bottle at the nearest water fountain. An added bonus: You can take the full bottle on the airplane to stay hydrated during the flight without having to rely on the small complimentary beverage on board.

Pack less than you think you’ll need. Many people overpack, and that can be a costly mistake. A single checked bag can cost as much as $50, and some airlines charge extra for a ticket that includes a carry-on. For a weekend trip, keep it simple with a carry-on or backpack, and for longer adventures, keep in mind nobody at your destination will likely know you wore the same jeans two days in a row.

Find the right rewards credit card. If you have a rewards credit card, you could get cash back when you make certain purchases. You could get a percentage back on groceries, travel, dining and more. For example, with a travel rewards credit card, you earn points or miles that can be redeemed for future travel plans. General travel cards earn points or miles on virtually every purchase, regardless of airline or hotel chain, while co-branded cards that align with a specific airline or hotel reward users with more points for loyalty spending and provide additional benefits like free checked bags or a free night’s stay on your card anniversary.

The key to a successful blog is good photos. Avoid these mistakes if you want to attract more readers.

While high-quality written content is the cornerstone of many blogs, a visually-appealing website can convince users to return. Sure, you can use stock photos—but taking your own will add an extra layer of authenticity.

Whether you use a smartphone or a proper camera, you can capture amazing shots for your blog by avoiding some of the most common mistakes. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly what you should avoid if you want to make your website stand out.

1. Not Choosing Smaller File Sizes

Although your photos should be visually appealing, you must also think about website performance. Larger file sizes can result in delayed loading times, which can lead to users leaving your blog and going elsewhere instead.

You should upload pictures to your blog in JPEG format, and it’s a good idea to set yourself a file limit. Different themes can handle different uploading capabilities, so the number you pick will depend on your chosen theme and website builder.

Reducing your image file size is quite simple if you use Adobe Lightroom Classic. Upon exporting your picture:

• Go to File Settings after selecting File > Export in the toolbar at the top.
• Tick the Limit File Size To box.
• Choose your preferred file size limit.
• Click Export when you’re finished.

In addition to using Lightroom, you can reduce file sizes on a Mac by selecting the image and going to Quick Actions > Convert Image > Image Size.

2. Taking Photos That Don’t Narrate the Story

Taking pictures without thinking about what you’re trying to capture is one of the most common beginner photography mistakes. When getting images for your blog, you need to ensure that you improve your visual storytelling skills and each image provides some kind of value to the reader.

Capturing shots that narrate your story is easier than you think. For example, if you’re writing a travel blog, you can take pictures of the food you had at a restaurant or bakery you’re recommending to the reader.

3. Compressing Photos Too Much

While you should ensure that your file sizes aren’t too big, you also need to be careful and ensure that you don’t compress your images too much. Doing so will result in blurry pictures and are equally off-putting as lengthy loading speeds.

Like when choosing your file limits, what counts as too much compression will depend on your theme and website builder. But as a general rule of thumb, try to keep the quality at 80% as a minimum. You can try other methods to maintain image quality, such as cropping your pictures.

You can limit how blurry your images are by ensuring that you take sharp pictures with your camera beforehand. You’ve got plenty of options for fixing blurry images in your camera, so you don’t have to do the same in post-production later.

4. Not Picking a Consistent Style

Blogging requires that you build a closer connection with your audience, and one way you can do this is by choosing a consistent photography style across your website. You should also ensure that what you share on your social media platforms is similarly easy to recognize as yours.

Determining the style for your blog photos will often require some experimentation, but you can begin by picking two or three colors that fit your website’s mood. You can also pick an editing style that interests you; Lightroom allows you to create all kinds of presets, which will make it easier for you to edit your files in the future.

5. Not Considering Your Image Dimensions

Besides compressing your files too much, another contributor to blurry images on your blog is choosing the wrong dimensions for the photos on each page and in your blog posts. Image dimensions will vary from each site provider and theme, so it’s a good idea to check the requirements for each theme you choose.

6. Not Thinking About the Other Platforms You’ll Share Your Photos On

In addition to your blog, it’s worth choosing one or two social media platforms for growing your audience. You’ll need to choose networks where you’ll find your target audience, but it’s also important that you actually like the platforms you use.

Regardless of the social media that you choose to grow your blog, you should think about the different dimensions and layouts you’ll need when uploading images to those platforms. For example, if you plan on using Instagram, you might want to consider shooting in 4:5 and ensuring that you have enough space for cropping.

You may have to change your export settings when downloading your social media photos. Make sure you check the requirements for these.

7. Not Including People in Your Photos

One of the best ways to bring your blog posts to life is by including people in your images—whether that’s yourself or others. Doing so will help you make the reader feel like they’re in the moment with you and allow them to visualize the story you’re trying to tell much better.

If you don’t have anyone to take pictures of you, you can always get a tripod and capture photos of yourself.

You can also include your friends and family, along with trying street photography and other styles.

Make Your Blog More Visually Appealing

Taking excellent photos for your blog is about much more than simply clicking a button on your camera. You’ll need to consider image dimensions and ensure that you don’t negatively impact your website’s responsiveness by choosing files that are too big.

Having a consistent style is also a good idea, and you should strongly think about including people in your shots. These tips are a good starting point to make your blog more visually appealing; all that’s left for you is to get started!

Travelling can be a rewarding experience but you also need to take care of your diet. Here’s how you can have a more enjoyable trip without compromising your health.

When you’re planning a trip, there are many factors you have to take into consideration, according to your time and budget: destination, accommodation, transport, etc. But even once your tickets and rooms are booked, the planning does not stop. One aspect of travelling you should be paying special attention to is food. You might be looking forward to trying some amazing food once you reach your chosen spot.

But that is only one part of your vacation. You have to regularly consume something every few hours to keep yourself energised. And what you choose to eat and drink at those points can greatly impact your trip. After all, no one wants to fall sick on vacation! We have put together a list of key points you must remember when going out of town.

Here Are 8 Important Diet Tips To Keep In Mind While Travelling:

1. Stay properly hydrated

Always keep water with you while travelling and don’t forget to sip on it at intervals. When we go on a trip, our daily routine is disrupted and we need to ensure that our body is getting its basic needs. Apart from regular water, it is also a good idea to sip on natural drinks like coconut water and lemon water (with less sugar) as they can also help keep up your energy levels. If you’re travelling to a cold place, opt for herbal teas made using simple spices. You can also brew some yourself and carry it along in a thermos.

2. Avoid drinks high in caffeine

You might opt for tea, coffee and aerated beverages while travelling because they are conveniently available at most places. But one must avoid having too much of them as their caffeine content can cause dehydration. This might disrupt the balance of your system and lead to other issues. Similarly, alcohol should not be consumed in excess as it may later leave you feeling uneasy in more ways than one.

3. Keep fennel handy

Fennel is nothing short of a wonder spice. Also known as saunf (or badishep), many of us already know about its role as a digestive aid consumed post meals. But fennel also has cooling and detoxifying properties that can benefit you even more. Fennel helps combat feelings of nausea and does not irritate the body. This is why those suffering from motion sickness are often advised to chew these seeds while travelling.

4. Plain crackers can save the day

Wondering why anyone would want to eat such a flavourless food item? Well, if you’re prone to nausea while travelling, you would know that strong flavours can make you feel worse. Munching on plain, unsalted/ unsweetened crackers can help give your body some amount of starch without setting off a vomiting spell. Even if you don’t face such issues, carrying crackers can be a good idea. You can choose to pair it with some peanut butter or another healthy spread for a quick snack.

5. Replace chips with nuts

When going on a trip, we love loading up on junk food like packaged chips. In small quantities, this may be harmless. But remember that such foods have next to zero nutritional value. Rather, their additives and unhealthy fat content may lead to stomach and other problems. Hence, it is important to carry healthy snacks too. Opt for foods rich in fibre and protein, which are not too heavy on your system. Nuts are a wonderful choice because of their health benefits as well as their long shelf life and easy portability.

6. Balance indulgences with detox

Now, being careful does not mean you have to stay away from all the yummy food you come across. You must take advantage of trying local delicacies and unique dishes when you are travelling. You might also want to treat yourself to some of your guilty pleasures. But be mindful of what and how much you consume in a day. If you have an indulgent binge during lunch, opt for a light and simple dinner like khichdi. You should also sip on detox drinks if possible. If you have eaten too much oily food, there are specific steps you can take to recover.

7. Don’t skip breakfast

Some people may be restless to get started with sightseeing and ignore their breakfast. Some may do so due to other reasons like a lack of proper options. Either way, try your best to at least consume some amount of food in the morning. This will give you the nutrients as well as the energy required for you to truly enjoy your trip. Hunger not only makes us tired but also irritated. Starting your day right can make all the difference.

8. Plan your meals in advance

Some of us love being spontaneous on vacation. We like discovering things as we go and making decisions on the spot. But it never hurts to have a few backup plans in place. Have at least a rough idea of when and where you would be having your main meals of the day. For many people, having too long a gap between meals leads to acidity and a host of other problems. Precious time may be lost in simply deciding where to eat. So research and keep a few options ready before your trip.
Bookmark these tips and refer to them while planning your next vacation. We hope they help you have a great trip!