Easy ways to save money on Airbnb Experiences

I love Airbnb Experiences and utilize them on almost every international and domestic trip I take. Though there are travel companies who post their experiences on the platform, you can find a lot of locals sharing their knowledge about an area in the most unique ways. As a budget travel hacker, one of the best aspects of Airbnb Experiences is how easy they are to hack your way to huge savings while simultaneously earning points and miles towards free travel. Here are five of my favorite ways to save money on Airbnb Experiences while earning free travel:

Save more money on your next trip with my Money Saving Travel Tips guide! 

Here’s how to save money on Airbnb Experiences.

1. Stack Airbnb gift cards at grocery stores

Buy Airbnb gift cards with your best grocery travel rewards credit card at your local Kroger (or affiliate) for 2x or 4x fuel points. Earn discounted gas, travel points towards future stays, and gift cards to use towards Airbnb Experiences.⁠

2. Buy discounted Airbnb gift cards

Buy Airbnb gift cards when discounted through Best Buy, Kroger Gift Cards, or other sites. Best Buy typically runs promotions for 15-20% off the cost of Airbnb gift cards on their website. If you buy cards during these sales, it equates to 15-20% off your experiences!⁠

3. Earn hotel points or airline miles by buying gift cards online

Buy Airbnb gift cards from giftcards.com through an airline or hotel shopping portal during a promotion for additional points towards free travel. Both giftcards.com and individual shopping portals offer a variety of promotions worth purchasing Airbnb gift cards through. ⁠

Bonus Budget Travel Hack: Stack giftcards.com with a shopping portal spend bonus event for additional free travel points.

4. Ask for Airbnb gift cards as a gift

Ask for Airbnb gift cards for gifts during holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Oftentimes when people want to get you a specific gift instead of cash this is a great alternative if you like to travel frequently because they can be used for experiences or stays. Plus, you can immediately upload them to your account and don’t have to keep track of the card.

5. Negotiate with the Airbnb host

You can usually tell which experiences are local and which are still through a company by quickly reading the experience description. If the Airbnb Experience truly is local, like with stays you can try negotiating a lower price. This is especially true during low- and shoulder-season when hosts are looking to make more money on their experiences. In fact, you might find during these seasons the hosts have already lowered their prices at a discounted rate!