Vacations are awesome. Vacation expenses are not. Looking for suggestions on how to have a ton of fun without losing a ton of money? We’ve got you covered.
Have Your Vacay Pull Double Duty
An excellent way of maximizing the value of your vacation is to piggyback other travel plans onto it. Planning to visit your family back home in Massachusetts? Why not stop over in Boston or Salem to visit some historic sites while you’re at it? Job sending you to Louisiana to repair some Baton Rouge houses for sale? Take a detour to New Orleans to enjoy the culinary delights of the famous French Quarter. Even if your destination isn’t quite that famous, exploring unfamiliar locales can still be a blast.
Journey into the Great Outdoors
Fun fact: some of the most stunning and unforgettable attractions in the world don’t require you to make reservations, don’t have long lines snaking across the street, and, best of all, don’t cost money. A sightseeing road trip is a great option for anyone who can appreciate the natural beauty of the towering, centuries-old trees in California’s Redwood National Park or of Niagara Falls’ rushing waters. If you really like roughing it, there are millions of no-charge campsites all across America.
Stay with or Bring Family & Friends
Wherever you go during your travels, you’ll need somewhere to hang your hat at the end of the day. Unfortunately, hotels can be expensive and camping isn’t always an option. Good thing you’ve got plenty of family and friends you can turn to, right? Invite them along so you can split lodging and transportation costs. Or, if you have loved ones who live in an area that would make a good vacation spot, see if they’d be willing to let you stay with them.
Take Advantage of Discounts & Perks
Pop quiz: are you a member of AAA? What about AARP? Are you a military veteran? Do you have a credit card with reward perks? If you said yes to any of these questions, there are a whole host of money-saving possibilities right in front of you. From free admission to museums and complementary Uber rides to discounts on airfare, amusement parks, hotel rooms, and more, don’t hesitate to take advantage of the tools at your disposal.
Plan Your Trip During the Off Season
One of the things that make many of the most popular vacation destinations so pricey is, well, their popularity. Visiting Vermont in the middle of winter means restaurants and shops will be packed with skiers and snowboarders. Hitting the beaches of Florida during summer or Spring Break will have you fighting for a patch of sand where you can plant your umbrella. Why not flip the script? Go to Florida in the winter and Vermont in the summer. There’s still plenty to see and do, but with fewer people and better prices.
