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I Love Travel Vacations
Vacations With The Family Rock!
Tips For Vacationing On A Budget
Looking for some vacation money saving ideas? There’s nothing
wrong with vacationing on a budget. Hey, we all can’t travel
like the rich and famous.
You save all year to get the money for a well earned vacation.
You want to stretch your vacation budget but still enjoy
yourself. Sounds like a good plan. To help you out I’ve together
some vacation money saving ideas that I hope you will find
useful.
If you have a particular destination in mind it pays to plan
ahead. Research the attractions and facilities. Find out what
specials or discounts they may have going. Look for other things
to do or see nearby so that you can make good use of your time
and cut down on the running from place to place.
Plan your vacation for the off season. You can usually get
better deals on lots of things like plane tickets, hotels, car
rentals, cruises and lots of other things.
If you have friends or relatives nearby your destination
consider asking them if you can stay with them. Don’t be a
freeloader though. Even though you help pay for the groceries
and other expenses your host incurs, it’s still a good vacation
money saving idea.
If you are flying try to plan your trip for when tickets are
traditionally cheapest. That would be Feb thru May and September
thru December (except the week before Thanksgiving and the two
week period before Christmas). Try to avoid flying on Friday
afternoons as this is often the busiest time of the week for
airlines.
Meals can be expensive at restaurants so you can save some money
by packing food for the road.
When eating out try to avoid the places that obviously cater to
tourists. Find out where the locals eat. Ask around. The smaller
family owned places usually have better food at better prices.
You may have to go a little out of your way but it is usually
worth it for some vacation money savings.
Hotels are typically more expensive the closer you get to a
major attraction. With a little planning you can find a good
balance between price and distance.
When picking hotels don’t just go by the ratings. Compare the
amenities they offer. Often you will find that you really don’t
need everything offered by that 4 star hotel and you can do very
nicely at the 3 star…with a better price!
Consider buying or renting an RV. You travel at your own pace.
Cooking and bathrooms are always close by. You can meet a lot of
other friendly RVers who will usually be glad to point out the
best places to go.
When traveling by car you can save fuel by renting a smaller
fuel efficient model. Packing light, reducing your speed and
maintaining proper tire air pressure will also cut the gas costs.
Make sure that your car is ready for the trip. Good tires, oil
change, tune-up and all that good stuff. It’s a heck of a lot
cheaper and more convenient to deal with these things before you
go rather than on the road somewhere.
Check out the local transportation system of buses, trains or
trolleys. These can be considerably cheaper than using taxis.
Camping is a great vacation money saving idea. There are lots of
campgrounds around. They are cheap and you may end up with an
experience that outshines anything you can get a fancy hotel.
Plan activities that don’t require a lot of money. Hiking, and
swimming are good ones. Local Museums and historical sites are
often very reasonably priced as well as being quite educational
and fun. The big theme parks have their appeal but you can
really go through the cash at those places.
Plan picnics. These can be excellent vacation money saving
opportunities as well as a chance to really relax and enjoy the
local area.
Avoid buying souvenirs. It’s easy to get caught up and blow a
bundle on these overpriced goodies. Set some mental rules ahead
of time about how much you will spend on souvenirs and it will
be easier to stick to it when the time comes.
I hope that you find some of these vacation money saving ideas
helpful. Make a plan and stick to it. There’s no reason why you
can’t have a great vacation without emptying the bank account
13 Responses to “Tips For Vacationing On A Budget”
Leave a Reply
August 28th, 2008 at 10:28 am
How do you stick to your budget?
I am trying to save some extra $$ for an upcoming vacation/wedding and was wondering if anyone had any tips/tricks about making and sticking to a budget….
August 28th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
with difficultly.
References :
August 28th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
well i always do a spreadsheet (excel) listing earnings
and everything that i can predict like mortgage,utilites,food,gas
then give youself a little for fun,entertainment etc
now keep track of what you are spending comapare the two to see where all your extra money went…try to cut down on that next month
References :
August 28th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
by not spending on things that just make you happy but only on things you absolutely NEED only
References :
August 28th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Staying to a budget is simple but difficult. When you go shopping make a list before you go and take only the money you need to the store. Don't bring extra cash and credit cards along, they will tempt you to know that you have money to buy more. To make a budget list things you need. Put a good guess of what your amount is for that item, say a wedding dress. Put the money beside it. Before you do any of that, find out what your total budget is and work from there. Remember to only buy the things you need. Here are 5 steps to a good budget keeping:
Step 1:
Track every expense. This means recording each purchase you make, from a new car to a pack of gum. It may sound tedious, and sometimes it can be, but it's the essential first step to find out exactly how you're spending your money. Once you've tracked your expenses for a month, look at the sheet and see where you can cut back so that you can make a better budget.
Step 2:
Include incidentals when determining your budget. By now, you've made a budget that incorporates your income and monthly expenses. One large pitfall people encounter when trying to stay on track is forgetting to add in a little bit extra for emergencies. Beyond your set monthly expenditures, you'll also encounter occasional expenses such as car or home repairs.
Step 3:
Redefine your "need" list. You may think that the pair of shoes on clearance is a steal and that you "need" them for your work wardrobe, or that replacing your broken DVD player is essential, but the truth is, you can do without. Before taking out your cash, checkbook or credit card, stop and ask yourself if you can wait to buy it until you have more spending money. By learning the difference between your must-haves and really-wants, you'll begin to stick to your budget.
Step 4:
Make a list of both long-term and short-term goals. If you have something in mind that you really want to buy or participate in, it will motivate you to refrain from spending your money indiscriminately. Whether it's to start a savings account, take a dream vacation or renovate your kitchen, staying within your budget will be fun once you know what's waiting for you.
Step 5:
Figure out what a purchase will end up costing you. If you plan to spend money on something you hadn't previously budgeted for, make sure that you factor in pricey interest rates if you're using credit. Splurging every now and then won't completely blow your budget, but throwing away money paying off credit-card balances that accumulate interest will.
References :
-Yahoo Search
-Personal experiances
August 28th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
It is difficult when you aren't in the habit of being tight with your spending. You need to have the willpower to be strict with your money and keep reminding yourself of your saving goals.
For instance, try and think in terms of long term savings if you give up buying those extra things you don't really need. Forgoing that extra large coffee every day for six months may add up to another nights accommodation etc.
References :
August 28th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
always ask yourself before buying anything: ''Do I really need this?'' just don't spend your money for unnecessary things, you'll be all right.
References :
August 28th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Write down the expenses you are spending and cut down the costs
References :
August 28th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I give myself an allowance, usually $100 a week for gas, lunch and mid-week necessities (milk, bread, etc). I spend only pennies in change and save that change, it adds up quick. On Thursdays, I put whatever cash I have on hand and put it with the change. It's a quick way to save a lot of money. Since January 17 of this year, I have saved close to $400 by doing this.
As far as budget goes, I spend a set amount on my utilty bills, usually more than the bills are. About every four months, my over paying catches up and I don't have to pay any utility bills, so I can save that money too.
Also, I only buy things that are on sale, especially groceries
References :
August 28th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
monitor how much you spend, try to spend less on products and only buy stuff you absolutely need
References :
August 28th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Hi,
I use the following site for all of my financial needs it is full of tips resources and advice to help you save and control you're spending.
Thanks
http://good-financial-planning.info/
References :
August 28th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Staying on budget for a trip is so hard. Those souvenirs I mean how can you not just grab a few. A t-shirt and at least a mug is so hard to pass up. I’ve never went with a budget on a trip but I really am thinking it so important to have one. By the way the hotel where I work is really cutting rooms rates. Come check it out.
Hampton Inn is offering 10% off their best rate available rate until 9/1/08. We’re also giving away some great prizes leading up to TEAM USA competing in the Olympic Games.
http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/promotions/hx_summerpromo08/index.jhtml?cid=OM,HX,Dreams,Specials&it=Specials,Dreams
Oh check out this funny video called “Ballad of a Traveler, it absolute hilarious and really sums of the experience of a unhappy traveler.
Sarah B
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2Y0jf-BKpI
August 29th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
There are a lot of ways to take a nice family vacation, but still stick to a budget. We pack lunches, keep food around in the hote room for breakfast, and moderate what we spend during the day.
Family vacations are very important to our family though, and we do try to save for our vacations during the year; therefore, we have $$ to spend on our vacation.