There’s nothing better than a good summer vacation! Relaxing and taking a little time off work or school can be a good way to recharge. Plus, it’s a great opportunity for families and couples to reconnect.
However, summer travel can also be quite pricey. The average vacation cost for a single person in the U.S. is now approximately $1,984 and $3,969 for a couple. If you plan to take the whole family, it gets even worse with costs mounting up to $7,936 for a group of four.
In the majority of cases, traveling means some combination of booking flights, hotels, rental vehicles, etc. – all things that can add up very quickly. However, that doesn’t mean you necessarily need to pay an arm and leg just to enjoy a little leisure. The following are ten tips to reduce your summer vacation expenses.
1) Research the Destination
First and foremost, the most important part of any trip is to know where you’re going and what you want to do when you get there.
Start by doing a simple Google search of the area. You’ll find:
- Reviews of past traveler’s experiences – what they liked and didn’t like
- Sites and activities to try
- Reviews of the available hotels and restaurants
- Travel blogs with mock itineraries
- Videos where you can get a different vibe of what you’ll encounter
Knowing where the action is will help you to better choose your overnight accommodations, such as staying within walking distance of a popular hot spot. This will also help you avoid falling victim to tourist traps where you might be tempted to spend more time and money than you probably planned.
2) Play with the Dates
Once you’ve got a place in mind to go to, the next thing to do is investigate the best time to travel. This may be dependent on your work schedule or availability. However, if you can be flexible, then you might uncover some days or weeks that are better than others.
Begin by checking out:
- Flights – Use a free tool like Google Flights to see how the rates change day to day. Often, a midweek flight will be cheaper than one that leaves on a Friday or Saturday. Whenever possible, book several months in advance to get the best rates.
- Accommodations – In conjunction with your flights, compare the prices of hotels or vacation rentals. This can also be done with Google, or you may prefer to use your favorite travel booking site for better results. Similar to flights, you’ll find there’s generally some variation in the pricing from week to week. Plus, the earlier you book, usually the better your rates will be.
For the ultra-flexible and spontaneous, you can sometimes scoop up some great last-minute deals on flights or hotels. However, they often require that you travel within a few days or weeks (as these are usually just airlines and hotels trying to fill unsold seats and rooms).
3) Consider Non-Hotels
Hotels are nice because you know exactly what to expect pretty much everywhere you go. However, if you haven’t tried out a vacation rental yet (such as Airbnb or Vrbo), then consider them as a worthy alternative.
With a vacation rental, you usually get:
- A much bigger place to stay – often a full-size apartment or house (versus a 400 sqft hotel room)
- Sometimes more than one bathroom
- A full or partial kitchen
- In-unit washing machine and dryer
- Freebies like parking and WiFi included
Before making any commitments, be sure to read the fine print. Some accommodations come with specific rules, instructions, and potential fees that may impact your stay, so be aware.
4) Bring Only the Essentials
If you’re flying, then it’s extremely important to understand your airline’s bagging rules. Otherwise, the fees can add up pretty quickly.
Generally speaking, most premium airlines will charge for large checked bags but allow each traveler to bring one carry-on. If you’re clever, you can sometimes get all your belongings into these carry-ons and avoid having to check a bag at all.
Discount airlines will usually only allow you to bring a small personal item (like a backpack or purse) and charge for both checked and carry-on bags. Take this into consideration when tallying up the overall price.
For checked bags, discount airlines are also notorious for having lower weight requirements limiting bags to 40 lbs instead of 50 lbs. Either way, target to leave about 10 lbs of room in your bag for the trip back home. You’re almost certain to buy a few things that will cause your bags to become heavier, and you don’t want to get stuck paying a massive overweight fee.
5) Know Your Insurance
If you’re planning on renting a vehicle, then one question you’ll surely be asked is if you’d like to buy their auto insurance. To know whether this is needed, reach out to your current private auto insurance provider ahead of time and see if it extends to rented vehicles. Generally, most full coverage policies do – meaning you can skip this up-charge at the vehicle rental counter.
6) Use Your Travel Rewards
If you’ve got a rewards credit card or are signed up for frequent flyer miles, then put them to work! These points can often be exchanged for free flights or used as credit towards partner hotels and vehicle rentals. Depending on the rewards program, you can sometimes even get more bang for your buck if you book through their travel portal versus a conventional one.
7) Be Strategic About Your Meals
It’s often underestimated how much food can add up when traveling. However, eating out for every meal can quickly become pricey – especially if you’ve got a full family to feed. To save a few bucks, consider the following instead:
- Eat twice a day instead of three times. Try eating brunch to cover both breakfast and lunch.
- Avoid big-name, sit-down restaurants. Buy from local food vendors or smaller establishments.
- Shop at the grocery store. You’d be surprised how many grab-and-go options they have and how much cheaper they are than restaurants.
8) Book Activities In Advance
If there are particular places you’d like to visit or excursions you’d like to go on, it may be helpful to buy them ahead of time. Most will usually give you a discount for booking online (or charge more if you wait to buy your tickets at the gate). This will also help you to make fewer impulse purchases once you’re there.
9) Find Free Stuff to Do
Not every activity on your vacation needs to cost you money. If you do enough research, you may find there are plenty of free things to do and enjoy, such as:
- Attending a local festival
- Going to the beach
- Visiting a park
- Going hiking
- Taking a walking tour
10) Track Your Spending
It’s way too easy to get in the YOLO mindset when you’re on vacation. But just because you’re in a new place and having fun doesn’t mean you’re suddenly made of money. Instead, ease the pain in your wallet after you return home by keeping track of your purchases daily while you’re on your trip.
This doesn’t have to be labor intensive. Rather than do it manually, try using a helpful budgeting app like Buxfer. Earmark those purchases or credit card swipes that are travel-related, and ensure that the grand total stays within your budget. After all, half the fun of a good trip is knowing that you got it for a deal!
Featured image credit: Pexels
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