u/Powerful-Ad2428

I’ve been testing different ways to find cheaper flights and came across something that actually works in certain cases:

It can be cheaper to book a flight beyond your destination (with a layover) than to fly directly there.

Example I found recently:
Direct flight to City B = ~$300
Flight to City C with a layover in City B = ~$180

Same airline, same first leg — just priced differently.

From what I understand, it’s because airlines price routes based on demand and competition rather than distance.

A couple things to keep in mind if you try it:

Don’t check a bag (it’ll go to the final destination)
Works best for one-way flights
There is some risk (airlines don’t love this behavior)

I got tired of trying to find these manually, so I built a small tool that surfaces these kinds of routes faster while testing this idea:
https://findaflight.site?utm_source=reddit_cheapflights&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=launch_test&utm_content=post

I’m graduating this May and starting a full-time role in Buffalo, NY at ~$101.5k. I’m really excited, but also trying to be intentional with my finances early on.

I come from an upper middle class background, and I’ve seen how easy it is for income to scale into lifestyle instead of savings. I want to avoid that.

Here’s my situation:
No debt (no student loans, no credit card debt)
~$6k in savings
Expected rent: ~$2,200/month
Other expenses: groceries, gas, eating out, misc. (no major fixed costs beyond rent)

My main concern is whether I’m setting myself up for lifestyle creep too early with $2.2k rent, or if this is still reasonable given my income and location.

Is it realistic to:
Save ~$1k/month consistently?
Avoid living paycheck to paycheck at this level of rent?

Context on rent: I’m moving to a new city where I don’t know anyone, so having a comfortable place I actually enjoy matters a lot to me. I’d rather spend a bit more on housing if it improves my quality of life and helps me adjust socially.

Would appreciate any perspective as im just trying to make smart decisions early.

Found a way to sometimes get cheaper flights by booking past your destination