COUPON QUEEN: How to save money on flying

My sister and I are heading to Europe this spring, but the funny thing is, we have no idea where we're going yet. I'm letting Google tell me, based entirely on price! When saving money is the goal, I'm more than happy to let the search tool be my travel agent. Flights are often the most expensive part of any trip, but with a bit of flexibility, you can snag unbelievable deals. Here's how I'm stretching every travel dollar before I even get on the plane. Keep travel dates flexible I know many choose their vacation dates and then book flights, but if possible, try to keep your travel dates as flexible as possible. We have the month of our trip narrowed down, but even that is flexible. In addition to our departure date being flexible, our return date is flexible as well. Because airfare changes daily, and sometimes wildly, shifting your departure or return by a day, or flying midweek instead of weekends, can save you hundreds of dollars. I start with a broad date range, then narrow down when I find the sweet spot. Stay open to ANY location This is where Google Flights Explore shines. Instead of locking in a destination, I plug in my travel month and let it show me the cheapest places to fly. Paris? Maybe. Rome? Possibly. Lisbon? Who knows! My destination will be the one with the lowest price tag. Consider booking two one-way flights Round-trip isn't always the bargain it used to be. Sometimes flying out with one airline and coming home with another can significantly cut the price. Separate one-way flights also give you flexibility, especially if you're hopping cities once you're in Europe. Our family did this when we were in Italy last year. We flew into Venice and out of Rome. We were able to explore more cities, the price was lower, and we didn't have to pay extra to travel back north. Check multiple nearby airports Your closest airport may not give you the best savings. When I search for flights, I include Cleveland, Akron-Canton, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Columbus. The price differences can be shocking. A slightly longer drive can mean a much smaller fare. Last time we flew out of the country, our family drove five hours to Toronto, saving us well over $1,000. Use price alerts Once you know your general time frame, set up price alerts so the deals come to you. When a fare drops, you're the first to know, and the first to grab it. I start looking early and keep a spreadsheet of prices for different departure dates, airports and locations. This helps me know when a price truly drops. Watch those sneaky fees — I'm team carry-on Budget airlines can be great until you get hit with fees for bags, seats, legroom or even printing your boarding pass. Always add up the extras so you know the real price. To avoid those charges, I'm going to carry on. It means packing lighter and saving more. I'm bringing a small mix-and-match capsule wardrobe, so if my outfits repeat in photos, just remember that I'm saving big by skipping the bulky suitcase. This spring's trip is going to be a hoot! I'll pack my bags, grab my passport and trust Google to point me toward the best bargain. Europe is calling, but I don't know which country yet. And honestly? That's half the excitement. This week's deal Here is a deal to grab this week at CVS.Select Post cereals — $1.99 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 rachelkrych@gmail.com