Budget Travel: How to Get Way Away for Way Less
If you want to change your perspective, get out of town. There’s nothing like travel to give you a fresh outlook on life. But getting away from it all can take its toll on the wallet. Here’s how to have your trip and save money, too.
1. Take several smaller trips
Rather than plan a costly two-week getaway for a big blowout vacation, try to break up your travel into smaller chunks like 3- and 4-day mini-trips. Even a weekend out of town can perk you up. And it’s amazing how much you can fit into a short vacation, if you really put your mind to it.
2. Get to Know Your Part of the World
If you visit the Caribbean islands more than your own backyard, it’s time to stay put. Hop into your car and hit the road for a long weekend. Every region has its own topography, cuisine, and history. Treat your tri-state area as if you were planning for a trip to Europe, and you just may discover that you live in a great place.
3. Hitch Your Travel Star to a Business Trip
If you have the sort of job that takes you out of town a lot, consider adding a few days on either end at your destination. You’ll save on airfare, and if you bring the family along with you, you’ll save on hotel, too. If you want to be discreet, don’t worry. Most companies have travel software, such as Concur, where you can book your air travel (with that early or late departure) without anyone being the wiser.
4. Look at All-Inclusives and Other Deals
All-inclusive resorts and cruises often get a bad rap because there isn’t much original thought that goes into the travel. But the truth is that if you just want to get away and not worry about all the details and your budget spiraling out of control, consider all-inclusive vacations. With cruises, you’ll have a new port almost every day, so there’s plenty of variety. All-inclusive resorts are great places for single travel, and you can just sit back and enjoy the beach, without worrying about the food and beverage tab.
5. Put Yourself on a Budget
This is an obvious but often overlooked tip. Too often, vacationers see travel as a way to splurge and stop worrying about budget woes for a while. But if you are intent on fitting in more travel, you need to make do with less. Try putting yourself on per diem limits, much as you would at work, setting allowable amounts to spend on breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Make sure you keep that shopping in check, too, with a specific budget.
6. Practice the Stay-cation
If you live near a large urban area, or a beautiful state park, try just staying home next time you get some wanderlust and see what you can find in your neck of the woods. The biggest plus is that you save on hotel and that means a longer vacation time.
7. Take Along a Budget Travel Kit
Whether you are heading for the hills or hopping on a plane, you will love having a budget travel kit from Convenience Kits International. The kits are all completely TSA-compliant and totally convenient. You’ll simply adore the Quick n Fresh men’s, women’s, and unisex versions, which are stashed with a few personal essentials perfect for that budget getaway.
