Monthly Archives: March 2017
Ways to Travel Cheaply
You want to see the world, but your budget doesn’t agree with you. You’re worried the closest you’ll get to foreign countries is watching a film with subtitles at your nearby theater’s matinee showing.
But there are ways to cut corners so you can fulfill your desire to head to parts unknown.
Camp Your Way There
If you’re planning a road trip, load up your trunk with camping gear and hit the open highway. While you might not relish the idea of camping, it has evolved a lot over the past few decades. You can opt for glamping instead – bringing an air mattress with you. That can make the experience more comfortable and you’ll still save a ton of money.
If the idea of camping for a full week is more than you can stomach, consider camping out until you get to your destination – on the way there and back you can stay at campgrounds. But while you’re at your destination, you can spring for hotels.
Give Up Fancy Accommodations
Fancy hotels are nice – they have everything you could ever need right at your fingertips. But you’re also paying a lot of money for that added comfort and convenience.
Go to a budget hotel instead. You can find hotels where you’ll pay well under $100 a night, compared to two or three times as much at fancier hotels.
As an added cost savings, look for hotels that offer continental breakfasts so you get one square meal a day you’re not paying for.
Go with a Group in the Offseason
If you’re headed to a popular tourist spot, try to talk other people into sharing your adventure – but do it in the offseason. If you can convince a few friends or family members to share your beach vacation, you’ll be able to rent a condo you can all share for less money than you might pay for a week’s worth of hotel rooms by yourself.
Plus, a condo will have a kitchen so you can prepare foods there instead of spending more to eat in restaurants.
Stay Away from Restaurants
Food costs can be one of the biggest budget busters you’ll face during your vacation. Whether it’s grabbing a snack at the gas station every time you refuel your vehicle or eating out every meal at a restaurant, food can add hundreds and hundreds of dollars to your trip.
For what you spend on food costs alone, you might be able to finance a weekend getaway somewhere else. Just keep in mind when you’re tempted to overspend on food, you might be shorting yourself another mini vacation you could take if you only had more discipline.
If your hotel has a kitchen in your room, you’ll be able to save a lot of money on food just by preparing meals yourself. But even if there is no kitchen, you can still buy cold cuts and buns at a nearby grocery store and stock the mini refrigerator in your room. That way you’ll still save money and you’ll have a cheap dinner you can grab on the go.