You Can Still Have Fun On A Budget
Yes, you can still have fun, even while sticking to a budget. Sure, you have to show a bit of restraint but fun does not always have to involve spending as much money as possible.
If you have a family and want to save a bit of money this spring break, here are some ways that you can do just that.
1. Plan Early
As destinations fill up, the prices go up. Be sure to plan ahead so that you get the best rates. Try to secure airfare, if needed, at least two months in advance.With a bit of forethought, you can save hundreds of dollars on the cost of a vacation compared to those who shop last minute.
2. Think Outside The Box
When people think about Spring Break, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a beach vacation. Because of that, beach hotel prices skyrocket and so does airfare to the coast.
Think of other destinations away from the cost and save a fortune. If creativity is not your thing, check out websites like Groupon which often have off beat vacations for discount prices.
3. Choose A Budget Friendly Spot
There are a lot of vacations that you can go on for very little money. Think about cities that are off the beaten path. Places like Fort Worth, TX for example or Boulder, CO. They are not going to be anywhere near as expensive as places like Orlando or San Francisco and they still offer you plenty to do.
If a major destination is a must do, consider staying just outside the city. It might involve a bit more driving every day but if you stay a few miles away fro your destination city, you could cut your hotel charges in half.
4. Have A Staycation
This advice comes up every time someone talks about saving money on a vacation but that is for a reason. A staycation can give you the rest and family time that you need without expensive hotels, airfare or rental cars.
There is probably a lot to do in your city if you were to just think about it from a tourists view.
Even better, traffic will often be lighter during spring break with everyone off at the major destinations. Do the things that you never had time to in your city without all of the lines.
5. Go On A Shorter Trip
It won’t change the cost of travel but it will certainly have an affect on lodging and entertainment costs.
Instead of a 4 day trip, make it a 3 day one. That could easily save you $400 cash or more if you are the average family. You still get to have a trip and make some memories, but you simply call it short a bit.
6. Stay With Friends & Family
What is better than catching up with friends and family? I’ll tell you , its catching up with friends and family while taking a cheap vacation. With an average hotel room in a destination city costing around $150, this can save you an easy $600 alone on just a 4 day vacation.
If you can swing boarding with a few friends or relatives, you can drastically cut your budget. Boarding would be free and you would probably even cut down on dining costs with a few home made meals.What’s more, if your host lives in a great city, they can probably show you the best sites to hit.
7. Choose A Hotel With A Kitchen
If you have to dine out for every meal, you are going to spend quite a lot on food over the course of your vacation.
It is nice to go out for a nice dinner every night when vacationing but wouldn’t it be nice to ave money on the lesser meals like lunch and particularly breakfast.
Believe it or not, there are quite a few hotels available that offer small kitchenettes. Look for those marketed as extended stay They will typically have a small range, a small refrigerator, microwave and, in some cases, even an oven.
Another benefit to having this kitchenette is that you can use your room as a base camp. Stop in between visits to eat and rest and prepare money saving snacks to take with you during the rest of the day.
Wrapping Up
Just because you are going on vacation does not mean that you need to let your budget go to hell. That being said, it also does not mean that you can not have any fun. Just use a little bit of restraint and take advantage of as many money saving tricks as you can and you will be okay.
