With the weather starting to warm up and the end of the school year on the horizon, a lot of us are starting to think about our summer travel plans.

But how do you make travel dreams a reality when you’re on a budget? I spoke to Dian Emery, Managing Editor of travel site GirlsGetaway about her tips for travelling on a budget.

Our chat started with our favourite vacation spots and must-see places. Dian’s include a small town in Mexico, Bangkok, Thailand, and Savannah, Georgia while mine are Carlsbad, New Mexico, Jasper National Park, and New York City.

So, how can you travel without breaking the bank? Dian and GirlsGetaway offer the following tips:

1. Use discount sites. Dian suggests checking out online discount sites next time you’re planning a trip. You can save yourself a bundle and still have a great time away. Sites like WagJag and Groupon offer some great travel options at a good price.
2. Avoid high season. By travelling in the off season to the destination of your dreams, you can often find a great deal. For example, we talked about my desire to go to Disneyworld in Florida at Christmas for my 50^th birthday next year. Dian suggested that going a month earlier in early November (when the weather is still nice) would save me a bundle. Happy Birthday to me!
3. Get rewarded for your spending – without changing your habits. Dian recently signed up for the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, and she already loves it. By using a card that rewards you for your existing spending habits, you can easily rack up points. Dian’s card offers 4x the points on everyday purchases like groceries and gasoline. In just four months, she has earned enough points to help pay for a trip to Scotland that she will be taking later this year (after all she earned 38,345 pts in just 4 months) . Her usual trips to Longo’s make her smile now that she’s earning points towards travel (and when you have a teenager in the house I can certainly understand that one).
4. Stay loyal to loyalty programs. If you’re not a frequent flier, it can take time for points to add up, but once they do, they can offset the cost of a dream trip. Dian participates in many airline loyalty programs and other plans, which all allow her to take some great trips.

Dian’s tips and advice give me hope for travelling on a budget. After all, I do use my loyalty cards quite a bit and I love a great discount. It was also great to learn about her experience with the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card. I have a few friends carrying this new card in their wallet, and so far everyone is very happy with how quickly and easily they are collecting points. With no blackout dates or points expiry, imagine travelling without limitations.

How do you travel and stay on budget?

*This post is brought to you by the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card. I do receive compensation however these tips are gold. This completes a series of posts brought to you by  the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card. As always the tips and opinions are mine and those I have chatted with.