According to , an advocacy group led by the U.S. Travel Association that surveys聽vacation trends, 52 percent of Americans didn鈥檛 use all of their paid time off in 2017. Seventy-one percent of the people surveyed cited cost as a prohibiting factor.
That鈥檚 not good,聽given the health and wellness , not to mention you鈥檙e leaving money on the table by not using all your PTO. Thankfully, we live in the golden age of apps, and there are plenty of helpful tools for budget-conscious travelers聽looking to save a buck.
AirHelp (Android and iOS)

聽is one of several new apps that aims to help you get compensated for the worst parts of air travel鈥攎issed connections, lost baggage, and delayed, overbooked, or canceled flights. Scan your boarding pass or input your flight details, and it will tell you whether you鈥檙e owed money. It will also聽file a claim with the airline for you,聽update you on your claim鈥檚聽status, and take care of getting the money to you once everything is finalized. The only catch? It聽takes a small cut of any reimbursements you receive.
Hopper (Android and iOS)

A longtime favorite among savvy travelers, 聽quickly lets you see when flights will likely be cheapest. Select the dates you want to travel, and it tells you whether to book now or wait until a later date when fares should聽drop. While it鈥檚 my favorite way to find deals, it鈥檚 also worth checking other聽apps like , , and , all of which take slightly different approaches to finding the most affordable聽flights. I find HitList鈥檚 explore page, which breaks down locations into different sections (like trending destinations,聽best for photography,聽and weekend getaways)聽with ticket-price overlays, particularly helpful for trip planning and inspiration.
HotelTonight (Android and iOS)

If you haven鈥檛 already heard of , here鈥檚 the deal: it lets you find great deals quickly by helping hotels book rooms that would have remained empty otherwise. I love it because of how easy it is to use, especially if you鈥檙e on a road trip and need to book something last minute. Just open the app, and it鈥檒l use your location to search out the best rates nearby. Click on a聽hotel you鈥檙e interested in for a three-line overview of the property, and then click one more time to book. Bonus: you can use Apple Pay.
Splitwise (Android and iOS)

Traveling with friends can get complicated when you鈥檙e sharing meals, rooms, and other costs.聽聽will help make sure you don鈥檛 get stuck paying more (or less) than you should. Once everyone has entered their expenses in the app on their devices, Splitwise聽does the math to see who owes who and聽how much.
Trail Wallet (iOS)

If you鈥檙e like me,聽budgeting kind of goes out the window while you鈥檙e actually on a聽trip. This 聽lets you set a daily allowance before you go and then聽adds expenses whenever you buy something. Scroll through the app for breakdowns of your spending history and聽an overview聽of your聽remaining budget, plus updated daily budgets to help you stay on target. The app automatically adjusts聽for current exchange rates in 218 currencies. 聽
Transit (Android and iOS)

Taking advantage of public transportation is one of the best ways to save money, but using it to navigate a new city can be intimidating. 聽lays out various聽options for getting around without a car. Simply聽enter your destination,聽and it will tell you how long it鈥檒l take to get there by bus, metro,聽bike share, or your own two legs. The app now also includes ride-sharing platforms like Lyft, so you can request a ride to the train station right from the app.聽
Turo (Android and iOS)

There are plenty of apps for finding killer deals on hotels and flights, but what about rental cars? , a peer-to-peer car-sharing company, has around in its system, and you can usually聽rent them聽for up to 35 percent less than you would using聽a traditional company. You also get to skip the hassle of long lines and paperwork at the rental counter: owners will often arrange to meet you with your rental.聽聽聽
WhatsApp (Android and iOS)

聽has been around for a while, but it鈥檚 still one of the best ways to聽make calls and send聽messages, photos, and videos for free from abroad, saving money you聽might spend on international data fees and roaming charges. All you need is Wi-Fi.