Vacations are usually a time where you get a little less restrictive on how you spend your money. You are likely to eat out more often and buy things that have absolutely no use as a memento of the great time you had.
At the end of all the fun is often a big bill and if you don’t plan well before your big trip you may find the next few months are filled with overtime or scrimping to pay off that meal you really didn’t like or the drinks you could have got half price at a place down the street.
The first thing you need to do when planning a trip is check how far ahead your employer requires notice and you may want to talk with them about cutting you a break and lining up your weekends if you take your vacation when others usually don’t. Families with children often like to take their vacations in July and you can bet holiday weekends will be one time everyone wants to use to extend their vacation.
If you are an adult without children then your best bet for deals is the off season. If you are traveling to a resort town you will find that there are some excellent deals right after labor day or even into late September. This is also a great time to visit places that have warm climates. If you are from Milwaukee the heat of Florida in midsummer can be unbearable making you seek out air conditioned spaces rather then enjoying the outdoors.
Weather Conditions
It is important that you research the area you plan to visit for the best climate conditions. Areas along the Mississippi often flood in mid to late spring and tornadoes are very common during this time.
Hurricanes can hit shore areas of the east coast of the USA from mid summer to January and late summer is often a time for forest or other fire conditions in our south west.
The reason climate conditions are an important part of planning and saving on your trips is that if you happen to get caught in bad weather your flights can be delayed, your hotel could be evacuated and any tourist attraction will most likely be shutdown.
Although you may be able to get credit or a partial refund it will never completely make up for your costs and if you find yourself in hazardous conditions you may end up losing your car or worse.
Unless you have become addicted to storm chasers on the weather channel understanding the place you want to visit will not only save you money but also maybe your life.
Booking Your Accomidations
It is important to book hotel and other accommodations as early as you can to reduce your cost and give you time to research all of the possibilities in the surrounding area. When booking a hotel you always want to make sure you understand cancellation fees if there are any. Often there is a cutoff of a number of days before your arrival that will let you cancel free.
Depending on where you are traveling to air fare costs may be packaged in with your trip. You should research if buying the tickets yourself could save you money or if add-ons such as a vehicle, discounts on food, lodging and attractions are offered.
Look for Coupons and Discounts
There is absolutely no reason to ever pay full price for your trip. Something as simple as buying a can of soda with a coupon on the back could get you free or discount passes to an amusement park but often visitor centers will have lots of great discount books. Some companies even sell discount books but I would stay away from any offer that requires you to pay for a coupon unless you are referred to it by a friend or representative of a business such as your hotel.
Discounts are often available from your credit card company ask them about any offers for the place you plan to visit and at the very least use a card that will give you cash back. This reduces the need to carry cash or bring traveler checks with you. Actually travelers checks are a pretty outdated method of payment and if you do not have a card open an account at your local bank.
Save Before You Leave
If you can save what you expect to spend and a small buffer for overages and that commemorative salt and pepper shaker then do it. Every dollar you save means you can pay off your credit cards immediately and not accumulate interest charges.
Saving on Gasoline
If you happen to be a member of a shopping club such as Sams or Costco you should research the locations of these places along your route. As you know these membership places can save you a few cents on the gallon over any other gas station in the area. Along with providing discounts they are also places that will allow you to sleep in your car rather then get an expensive motel room. Hey every dollar counts so roughing it for a few hours in your car vs $125 for a room especially if you are traveling alone is not such a bad thing.
Eating And Saving Money
When you are on your travels it is important to not get caught in a tourist trap. High priced food that is often cooked poorly is not something that is going to make your trip better. Remember about getting gas at costco? Well why not also pickup a bag of rolls and some lunch meat. If you can make 5 subs for the cost of one and grab a big bag of chips rather then french fries that will just go cold you can save money and eat better.
Membership is not everything and it is just as easy to drive three miles off the road to get to a supermarket.
I would never suggest that you resort to rest stop food or fast food. If you are going to go out while on the road go to the same type of place that you would if you are home. You would most likely not hit the rest stop mc donalds in your home town … well that is unless you only have one because you are a small town… but then in that situation you will probably get better food.
Final Note
The most important thing about going on vacation is having fun and relaxing. If you don’t have a great time you might as well have stayed home and caught up on reading or just biked around your town for a few days.
Keep things simple and don’t go overboard. Although it is reasonable to splurge a bit while on vacation remember that you don’t want the 50 other weeks of the year to be used for paying for 2 weeks away from work.
If you find that things look a little too expensive then delay your trip a few months and just take full use of the weekends at home.
But if you are single or don’t have family there is nothing to say that hitting the road at 4:30 on Friday and making it back just in time to get to work at 7 on Monday isn’t a bad thing too. Hey you can travel 500 miles by car to places you never have been and get in a few days of fun for next to nothing if you do it right.