Jason Yoder, MCT

Airports are designed to #1 get you to your flight, #2 get money out of you. Let's take a look at some ways to save money. Book your parking as well as your ticket ahead of time. In this industry, we do not always know when we are going to need a plane ticket. We could get that call on Friday to be 2000 miles away by Monday morning. When ever possible though, book a parking space. Airport offsite parking is by default, cheaper then on site parking. Also, you can get up to 50% off by making a reservation. Food is another big one. Can you say "captive audiance?" Its true. Even if you are picking someone up and cannot get through security. They know that the nearest fast food joint is usually 20 - 30 minutes away. Once you go through security, well, make it a few hours away. Try eating before you leave. At the very least, before you get to the airport. By not arriving hungry, you will be less tempted to grab a snack. Reading material. It's nice to browse t...

When I was just starting out, another MCT told me that it is all about raising your rate. You know, that daily chunk of change that we charge our clients to provide trainer. There is another way to maximize your profits/lower your cost. Should you be in the position where you need to preset an all inclusive price, you may want to consider using one of those online bidding sites for your hotel. Before you start bidding, wouldn’t it be nice to know what hotels in the area are accepting? Try http://www.biddingfortravel.com/ . I personally use this site to determine which hotels accept what offers. I have one of those sleep comfort beds. It rocks. I also know that Ramada has them. I was able to use the information from BiddingForTravel.com to get Ramada to accept my offer. By keeping your lodging cost low, you can maximize your profits after costs and even provide a better rate to your clients without cutting your profit. How to do it: - Browse to the site. - Select the State. - Take note ...

I'm finding more ways to help keep my out of the pocket expenses down. While I'm instructing, I go through a lot of bottled water. I know, the bottle takes centuries to bio degrade. I refuse to drink that funny tasting water at the hotel though. Here is a little math. Let's say that you instruct 130 days a year. You go through 2 water bottles a day. From the hotel, that is around $1.50 per bottle or $390 a year. Here is a tip, stop at the grocery store and buy their bottled water. Here is a more greener and cost effective tip. Bring an empty reusable bottle. Stop at the grocery store and by a gallon of water. Refill every evening. OK, you may onlysave about $200 a year. Keep an eye out for more cost savings tips.