Everyone deserves a vacation from time to time but unfortunately, with the way the economy is going these days, many deserving people are not able to take those yearly vacations anymore because they think they cannot afford it. Hopefully reading this article will change many of their minds so that they will have the knowledge they need to see that it is still possible to go on cheap vacations while on a tight budget if you know the tried and true ways to cut costs and cut corners before, during and after the trip. In this article, I will focus on some things you can do to cut costs before you even leave home.
A lot of work goes into planning a vacation if you want things to go as you want them to and without a hitch and even more goes into planning cheap vacation. In order to save as much money as possible while, at the same time, enjoying your trip, you will need to do a lot of research, talk to a lot of people and cut a lot of corners. I know it sounds tedious and like more work than you want to put into it but trust me, it is not as hard as it sounds and, in the end, your hard work will pay off after you have had a great vacation and with money left over! Here is a rundown of some things you can do to save money before you set off on that much anticipated and much deserved vacation:
1) Clip coupons. Do a search of your destination on the internet with the word “coupons” in the search. There are many websites that offer travel coupons for different destinations and the city websites of some places offer deals and discounts to entice travelers to go to their city or town.
2) Order brochures for the destination you are traveling to. Often times, these brochures have coupons in them. Sometimes these brochures also tell you about deals taking places at certain restaurants and hotels and may even display menus for some restaurants so you can get an idea of where the cheapest places to eat are.
3) Join online forums where you may be able to talk to others who know of deals you can take advantage of.
4) Sign up for travel newsletters about your destination or about travel in general. Most times, people who sign up for these newsletters are the first to know about exclusive deals such as discount hotel rooms and airfare and cheap vacation packages.
5) Never go on a trip without insurance but don’t pay an arm and a leg for it! Check to see what kind of insurance is offered with any major credit cards you own and shop around to many places before settling on the one that has the best price and best policy for your travel needs.
6) When trying to figure out an approximate cost of your entire trip, do not forget to incorporate everything including tips, insurance, ground transportation, souvenirs and taxes. Having a budget and having an idea what you are going to spend before you go will make you less likely to overspend.
7) Make sure to read the fine print on any travel documents such as your insurance policy and travel itinerary so you know exactly how much you will be spending.
Make sure you know your rights and what your insurance will cover in the event of cancelled flights. Natural disasters, sickness delays occur all the time and if you are not properly covered, you could end up spending a lot more than you anticipated.
9) If possible, be flexible with your travel dates. Being flexible with dates means that you can travel on the cheapest dates and take advantage of things such as flying standby in order to get the cheapest flights.
10) When preparing and booking for your trip, do not be afraid to straight out ask for a deal. You would be surprised how often people are able to get a deal just by asking. The worst that can happen is you do not get the deal so it doesn’t hurt to at least ask.
11) Pack lightly. The more you pack, the more you will have to pay to check your luggage.
12) Be careful when using credit cards while traveling because interest will accumulate on the overall cost of your trip. If possible, use travelers checks, debit and cash as much as possible to avoid that extra cost.
With plenty of planning and researching beforehand, it is easy to embark on cheap vacations. Remember that the more money you save on this vacation, the more money you will have to spend on your next one!
Photo via tomas_fitnesscoach
