Coupon Queen: Plan savings into your travel

Whether it be a camping weekend, a girls' getaway, or a family vacation, I'm always planning a trip. We usually skip flights and opt for road trips as the price for a family of five can be daunting, but there are a few ways to save money when booking flights. Here are a few of my favorites. Flip the plan Most people decide where to go, choose dates and then look for flight deals. I tend to do it in the opposite direction. When we first start planning a trip, I usually let the flight prices tell us when we are going. I usually book our flights first and then everything else. Be flexible Being flexible when you fly is one of the best ways to save money on tickets. The more flexible you can be, the better. For instance, holiday weekends are always the most expensive, but if you can fly in a day or two early or stay an extra day, often the flights drop dramatically. Use points and miles If you can pay off your card monthly, a travel-based credit card is something to look into. We started using a credit card that gave us points that we could redeem for travel, and it's been a game changer. We use the card for everything from groceries to date night, but we earn extra points when we use it for travel, and we then redeem points for family travel. The card we use also gives extra points for different categories every month. We plan on using many of our points on our big family vacation next year. It's going to make our trip more affordable. Honestly, I wish I would have started sooner. Price alerts If you are looking for a flight deal, setting up price alerts is a great place to start. There are several out there to use, but I prefer Google Flights. This website allows you to explore prices for anywhere in the world. You can choose your departure and arrival city and your dates. When you click the "track prices" button, you'll get emails about price drops. I used this site when I didn't know where we wanted to travel to. When I found a super cheap flight, I booked it quickly. Watch out for sneaky fees There are several budget airlines to choose from that can get you to where you want to go on the cheap. Unfortunately, you need to keep an eye on the extra fees. For instance, some airlines will allow you a free carry-on while others will charge you for checked luggage, seat assignments, extra legroom, and even printing your boarding pass at the airport instead of at home. Keep an eye out for the additional fees and add that to the final cost. It may be cheaper to book another airline, depending on your needs. Get ready for the holidays and join me at the Elyria Library West River Branch on Nov. 2. I'll be teaching a free money-saving class all about Black Friday shopping. Reserve your spot online or by calling the library. Tune in every Tuesday at 8:40 a.m. on AM-930 WEOL or 100.3-FM to hear me chat about money-saving tips. You can listen online or on the radio. This week's deal Here's a deal you can grab this week at Walgreens.Buy two Gillette or Venus Razors as low as $11.49 eachLess buy one, get one 50 percent off sale = $17.24.Get back $8 Cash RewardsFinal cost $9.24 total — just $4.62 each. Rachel Krych is passionate about helping others spend less and save more. In addition to her weekly column, she has a blog, Couponing with Rachel, which earns her compensation from Google for ads it places there, and from entertainment marketers whose promotional codes she touts. She doesn't write about entertainment in her column. Email her at couponingwithrachel@hotmail.com.