How To Save Money For Summer Vacations
With warmer weather upon us, we are all sitting at work thinking about summer vacation (I know I am). These excursions can be a major strain on the bank account, but there are a few things that you can do to ease the money pain.
- Start saving ahead. Planning and budgeting well ahead can help take the financial bite out of vacation.
- Timing is important. If you can schedule and plan your trip during non-peak times, the prices are more than likely going to be lower for things such as airfare and hotel stays. Avoid holiday weekends as these are prime times for travel.
- Go off the beaten path. Pick areas that are not high tourism destinations. Places that don’t rely on tourism for their revenue generally are more affordable. And going “off the grid” for a while is a good for recharging our internal batteries.
- Try to avoid eating out. I know that vacation is not the time to worry about cooking, but if you can find places that include breakfast in the rate, and pack sandwiches or snacks to eat during the day, you will have extra money to splurge on dinner or on other fun things to do.
- Look for rentals, rather than hotel rooms. If you are vacationing as a group of people or families, it may be cost effective to book a vacation rental. These accommodations are priced weekly and have enough room for multiple families. Additionally, you would have a full kitchen to prepare meals, so eating out would not be necessary.
These are just a few suggestions on how to make getting away more affordable and less stressful. Isn’t that what vacation is for? Happy Travels.
Liz J Moreau
CPA, mom, and professional beach bum