How I Saved On This Tour

Our office, Uno Overseas Placement, gave us an advance Christmas treat. We were given a tour of Hongkong, Macau and Shenzen, China.

My wife, Maritess and Del enjoying Hongkong's airport facilities

So off we went on this 3N/4D tour package.

Of course, since this was a pre-Christmas gift, we were also given extra money in advance.

The temptation for me, and am sure for everyone in the team, was the urge to buy gifts and items that are unique for each country we visited. The other side of the coin was the desire to preserve our hard earned money to last till Christmas.

The tour guide giving us instructions and tips

Let me share my two cents worth of idea how I saved during this tour.

1.     Determine and set the budget for the trip – This is the most important decision you need to make. Setting goals and limits causes you to be frugal and careful in spending your money well.

2.    Buy only what you need – There are many good things you will see and the urge to buy them is very high. Knowing what you need will help you know and eventually eliminate the wants. Otherwise, you will bloat your luggage with items you don’t really need and then you will have to deal with overweight baggage. So know what you need and to whom you will give gifts.

3.     Take care that you don’t succumb to any sales pitch by the tour agent– Tours are usually designed to let you enjoy the many amenities and sites of the city you’re in. However, if you’re on package tour, the tour agent usually brings you to places where they can earn commissions when you buy. In Hong Kong, we were brought to the Jackie Chan Jewelry shop. It was very tempting to buy an item for my wife. But because it wasn’t in our goal, I avoided the expense. After all, I still have some watches I have not been using, which are of the same quality they offer.

4. Enjoy your hard earned money, treat yourself well – I tried to go out of my way to treat my wife with new clothing. It was a major part of the plan. So we went to Cotton On in Mongkok to buy her clothes that were on sale but of good quality. Our friend, Bong Cuntapay, who now works there, was at hand to help us choose good designs for her.

So many things to buy in Macau

Overall, we enjoyed this trip. We went home satisfied and grateful to Uno Overseas, for giving us the chance to travel and relax.

I look forward to more tours.

To your debt-free life,

Jimmy