Since I travel so much, I am often asked what are the secrets to dirt cheap vacations. There is no one single thing to make vacations inexpensive, but there are some great ways to save tons of money on travel and make your next vacation affordable. Depending on what you choose to do as a family, your vacations can cost as much as 75% less than expected when you think and plan ahead like we do.
How to Take an Affordable Vacation
Stay at campgrounds instead of hotels. Camping in your RV or even a tent can be a huge savings compared to staying in a hotel. Going to a lake or oceanside and camping in a local campground can give you a wonderful vacation of fun in the sun at a dirt cheap price. Campsites can be found as low as $13 per night in some areas. Shop around to find the best great vacation destination with campgrounds at a reasonable rate for your family.
Take groceries from home. Packing your own groceries from your pantry will save you hundreds of dollars on food while you are on vacation. Granola bars, cereal, trail mix and fresh fruit are great for snacks and breakfasts. A cooler with a few items in it can make for great lunches, and you can even pack things like potatoes, vegetables and meal kits for dinners in your room at no extra out of pocket cost. Locate local grocery stores to supplement your groceries with fresh items like milk, meats and some produce as needed.
Use rewards points for hotels, flights and car rentals. If you stay in hotels for work purposes, see if you can use your own personal rewards number to earn points to redeem for free stays. If not, make sure any hotel or motel you stay in has a rewards program you earn points to redeem at a later date with. Sometimes it takes only 5-6 nights stay to earn you a free night in the hotel.
Always search for lower prices. Don’t settle for the first price you see listed on the website or flyer. Check multiple deal sites, call hotels and entertainment venues directly and always check with the local chamber of commerce in advance for special deals and coupons they may have available.
Shop deal sites for resort packages. Many deal sites like Groupon, Living Social and Amazon Local offer deals on resort packages that are all inclusive. There are many times when these deals will save you hundreds or thousands of dollars and offer inclusive benefits like meals or transportation.
Research all the free offers in the area you will be traveling. Museums, parks, galleries and special landmarks or historical attractions are typically free and a great choice for entertainment while you are on the road. There are typically tons of great free things to do in every metropolitan area that you don’t know about.
These secrets to dirt cheap vacations are going to stretch your vacation budget while giving your family the trip of a lifetime.
Frugal Vacation Tips
- How to Plan a Staycation
- 10 Ways to Save on Airfare
- How to Save Money on Souvenirs
- How to Find Deals on Hotel Rooms
- Tips for Saving Money on Your Vacation
- Tips for Saving Money on Museum Entrance Fees
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