Since the kids are out of school, many families plan their vacations during the summer months. Expenses can add up quick and wreck havoc with your budget. There are some tips to saving money on your summer vacation.
Stay local
One way some people use to save money is to plan a staycation. A staycation is to either stay in your home town or a nearby city instead of travelling a long distance for your vacation. It is a chance to take advantage of some of the local attractions and restaurants you don’t normally visit. It is easy to overlook attractions you have locally. This is especially helpful if you have young children. You can go sightseeing but still go home for nap times and meal times to keep them on their usual schedules. Some people may stay in their own towns but book a hotel room so it seems like more of a vacation.
This is one way to avoid one of the largest vacation expenses with is the travel expenses. Even if you are driving to your destination, it can cost quite a bit with the current price of gas.
Watch what you eat
When drinks and snacks are allowed at the attractions you visit, pack your own to save a considerable amount of money instead of purchasing concession items. Also, pack snacks and drinks for your car trip. If you are flying, then you will not be able to take your own drinks onto the plane, but you could pack other snacks.
If you are staying at a hotel that offers free breakfast, make sure you eat plenty then. By doing that you may be able to get by with a smaller lunch to save money on one meal.
If you have a large family and have accommodations that make it possible to do some cooking, it will save you money on your food budget. By picking up a few items when you get to your destination and cooking some meals, you can save a considerable amount than eating out for every meal. You may want to plan a few special meals out.
Some people prepare meals ahead of time, freeze and they are ready to cook in the crockpot. This could be chicken breasts, sloppy joes, beef roast and more.
Plan Ahead
When you know what cities you are planning on staying in and what attractions you are going to visit, then you may be able to find deals ahead of time on the internet. Many hotels offer lower rates when you book the reservation online. Some attractions offer specials at certain times or may offer a lower price per day if you are visiting multiple days or have a large group.
Pack accordingly
Make a list of all of the items you need to pack. Depending on where you are staying, it may cost quite a bit more to replace items that you forgot. There are usually a few things we forget to pack, but the less you need to purchase when you are away from home, the more money you will save.
These are some simple tips to take to save money on summer vacation.