Are you dreaming of a summer vacation? I know I am!! I am so ready to have some seriously fun experiences and after this last year, honestly, I just need to be away from my house for a bit. Okay, that’s a lie. I need to be away from my house for a very long time! We tend to be more of a 1 or 2 nights away kind of family, but I am ready to step that up a bit and be gone for 4 or 5.
We are in the middle of planning an upcoming 5 night vacation and because I am a frugal type of person (a cheapskate, as my family would say), I am planning a vacation on a budget. Thanks to my frugal ways, I am all about saving what I can during this trip. I want to make sure that it doesn’t strain our budget so much that we are afraid to go again anytime soon.
Vacation on a Budget with These Tips
In all of the vacation planning I have done in the past, these are the tips that I have found to be most helpful to me.
Check out Deal Sites
Sites like Groupon, Living Social and Half-Price (City name) are great places to find discounts on hotels and things to do in your city of choice. We have booked several vacations over the years using Groupon and have never had a bad experience from it.
Use a Travel Booking Site
I consistently save money when booking hotels and flights using Expedia, but have found that other similar sites often have the same deals.
Sign up for Member Programs
Some airlines (such as Frontier), offer membership programs which offer deals on flights as well as other promos such as kids fly free, etc.
Reach out to Vacation Home Owners
The last vacation we took, we rented a vacation home in the city we were visiting. I used VRBO for this rental. Before I booked the house I reached out to the owner with questions. Because of this and some continued conversation, the owner ended up offering me a free night stay since we were contemplating staying an additional 2 days, but weren’t sure about spending the money. He was comfortable with our group and happy to be making extra money.
Clear Your Browser
It may seem crazy, but it’s true. If you have been looking for a deal on a flight or hotel, your computer will start to recognize a pattern. If you use an incognito window or clear your browser history, there is a pretty good chance that you will come up with a different total than you did before. I do this every time I am shopping for hotel/airfare deals and typically save myself at least 10%.
What is your favorite way to save money on vacations?
