Five Realistic Ways to Save on Vacation
Everyone needs to go on a vacation every once in awhile but with the slow economy and rising prices, many people are staying at home. However, you don’t have to give up taking vacations when you know how to save money on your trips. You can still have a great time…even on a tight budget. You just need to make a few changes that will cut back on how much you spend and you have several options.
Here are five realistic ways to save on vacation and still have a great time:
Choose a Rental with a Kitchen– when you choose a rental that has a kitchen you can save a lot of money by cooking instead of eating out. You can go grocery shopping when you reach your destination to buy enough food to last through your vacation. Cooking yourself is also more convenient because you can eat when you’re ready and you know you’ll have foods you like. It’s also fun to have a Theme Night each night (Country Night, Safari Night, Luaa Night, etc.) and encourage family members to dress the part each night. This can make eating in a lot of fun!
Plan Inexpensive Activities– Instead of planning to visit a different attraction every day, limit your activities. Lounge around the pool together to talk and spend quality time with each other. Get a rental on the beach and go for long walks, relax in the sun or go fishing off the pier. It’s a lot of fun for all ages. You can even try planning a Game Tournament, Create a board and have an UNO Tournament one night with the kids vs. adults or bring along your favorite board games to play as a family.
Plan In Advance- Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your vacation. When you plan in advance, you can get better rates on air travel and rentals. You can save a lot of money even if you make your reservations just three or four months in advance. Planning in advance also allows you to book your vacation during the off season or the least expensive times, Look at all the rates around the days you would like to travel, you might find more flexibility and planning in advance can save you a lot of money.
Travel with Friends or Family- When you take your vacation with other family members or friends, you can split the cost and it will be cheaper for everyone. For example, you can rent a condo with 4 or 5 bedrooms for everyone and it will be much cheaper than renting a hotel room. In addition, you get to all stay together in the same place so it’s a lot more fun and interesting.
Set a Budget and Stick with It– When on vacation it can be tempting to spend money without thinking about the consequences. That can end up costing you a lot of extra money in the end. When you set a budget and stick with it, you don’t have to worry about spending more than you should. That is the easiest way to save money while on vacation. One tip I have used, I have placed specific amounts of money in envelopes for each day we will be on vacation. Setting aside money for each day is a great way to make sure you still have money left in your budget on the last day and it helps you mentally keep track of what you’re spending while you’re out having fun!
Using these five realistic ways to save on vacation will help ensure your family can still take occasional vacations, even when you’re on a strict budget. It’s just a matter of planning better and finding ways to save money while on your trip. Do you have any tips to add?
If you are planning a Disney Vacation, don’t miss my post on How to Save on Disney Hotels!
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