If you’ve worked a trade show before, then chances are you’ve had to spend a penny to make a dollar. For those of us that don’t live in popular cities for trade shows, then we find ourselves in this situation more often than not while traveling to other cities for work and footing the bill.
Sometimes, you’ll get extremely lucky and book a job that covers parking, meals, and even travel. For those moments when the burden is on you, it makes sense (and cents!) to spend some time researching travel reward programs. Then your hard earned dollar can work for you while you are working!
Some tips to get started:
- Sign up for every major airline’s reward program. Be sure to register your frequent flyer number with every flight so you can build up points for free travel. This comes in handy if there is a particular show you’d like to work but the day rate doesn’t cover the cost of the airline ticket.
- Be sure to check out the airline partner deals. You can also rack up points by renting cars, booking hotels, and even registering your frequent flyer number with your electric provider or shopping online.
- Most major airlines have their own credit cards which offer great perks when traveling, and even more points. If you fly a lot and haven’t mastered the art of a carry-on bag, then the free checked bag can really prove to be a financial benefit, even if you have to pay an annual fee for the credit card.
- Hotels offer similar programs to the airline industry, so be sure you set up accounts with hotel chains you frequent. If you are always staying somewhere new, then look into booking your hotel rooms through travel websites like Hotels.com. They have a great price matching program and after you book and stay 10 nights through them, you get the 11th night free.
- Be sure you keep track of all your work related travel expenses. The costs that are not reimbursed can be written off when doing your taxes. Dedicate a box or file to keep all of your work receipts in one spot. You might even want to consider dedicating one credit card to use only for non-reimbursed work expenses. Most credit cards can provide a year-end review that groups like charges together and makes keeping up with all these expenses a breeze. Be sure to consult with your tax professional for advice.
Also, make friends on the trade show floor! Not only is it nice to see a familiar face in the crowd of strangers, but you can also find opportunities to carpool to work and share hotel rooms and cabs when working out of town!
Shannon Oliver 