The secret to squeezing the most value out of your vacation is to plan your trip thoroughly and to plan your trip well in advance. No matter what your vacation plans look like, whether your planning a family trip, a trek around the world, or a relaxing couple of days on the beach with you and your sweetheart, the thoughts of cost and budgeting are always looming in the back of your mind.
Everyone loves to travel and vacation. No matter how recessionary the economy may become that one truth will always remain steady. This makes sense when you consider that travel is not just a fun pastime, but an essential part of a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. It is an opportunity to relax, rejuvenate and recoup from the barrage of daily stress that beats us down throughout the rest of the year.
But even though travel is a necessary element to life, which we should both plan for and budget for. It is becoming increasingly important to find ways to save on our vacation plans wherever and whenever possible. We must look for ways to stretch our vacation dollars further today than we ever have in the past. And that is what this article aims to help you accomplish.
Many people assume that when the economy gets tight and they are forced to start pinching pennies, that they will have to do away with the family vacation plans altogether. That is not necessarily the case, and would actually be a bad idea. As I already mentioned, travel is not just a luxury, it is a necessity for living a healthy, well balanced life, physically, emotionally and mentally.
Small Things Add Up Fast
It is important to keep in mind, when sketching out your travel plans, that even the small things can add up to big savings on your overall travel budget.
Things like, all those extra hotel amenities, cab-fares, hospitality tips, meals at restaurants, car rentals, gas for your own vehicle if on a road trip, tickets for special attractions or events, beach-and-pool-side drinks (if not at an all-inclusive resort or cruise) and more, adds up fast on and can get out of control before you know it!
There are many un-seized opportunities to save some cash in the process. In the following paragraphs I am going to lay out for you several ways to add some big savings to your vacations bottom line.
Plan Your Vacation Like You Plan Other Important Areas Of Your Life
For starters, you need to create a definitive plan for your vacations… I don’t mean just this year’s vacation either, you should be planning your vacations out for several years to come. What places do you most want to visit in the next five to ten years? What are some of your dream adventures and secret ambitions that you would like to accomplish before you get too old?
In reality, travel and vacation plans should be treated like any other planned financial decision in life. Whether we’re talking about mortgage payments, car payments, tuition, health care, insurance or any other life-expense. Travel and vacation is justified and ‘sold’, as just another important item on the list to think about and budget for, and that is how you should treat it as well.
Sufficient Knowledge
You should arm yourself with a well-rounded collection of knowledge regarding your target destination. Knowledge is power, and the more you have about the local economy, customs, practices and daily routine of the destination you are visiting, the more money you are likely to save, and the smoother your vacation will be.
You should be able to gather all of the information that you need to sufficiently research your vacation destination simply by doing a Google search online, or by writing to or calling the local tourism board or chamber office at your destination of choice.
The more you know about your vacation destination, the less likely you are to be taken advantage of, exploited or extorted by excessive prices and/or misrepresentation.
Save Some Green by Traveling Green
Biking and walking tours can be a unique and fun adventure, a great way to see some of the more off-the-beaten-path spots that the masses tend to miss, and can also be a great way to save you some cash at the same time. Taking a walk around your vacation destination, or getting around on a rental bicycle can be a great option not only for relaxing and saving money but also a great opportunity to see and notice things that would be too easily missed in the hurried pace of an automobile. If your destination does not allow for very easy navigation on foot or bicycle, you should consider using some form of public transportation within the area. This can be a great way to save some money and allows you the opportunity to mingle with the locals and make some new aquaintences.
Don’t Overdo It in The Luggage Department
One of the most commonly made mistakes made by travelers is packing too much of everything. Not only is this inconvenient when it comes to lugging all that extra baggage around, but you could also incur some significant extra charges from airlines and other travel and hospitality services. You have to deal with having to ship personal belongings home, leaving some items at the airport, packing and unpacking bags, removing items and more! All these actions are responsive and costly options. Pack and travel light. Think minimalism when packing. Pick items that will suit and serve you well, multi-purpose, functional, mix and match well, are durable and easy-care. Essentials rather than outfit and accessory, fashion and color-coded planning dictating the bulging suitcase.
A Great Call When It Comes To Saving Money
Another great way to avoid extra expenses, which many people fail to consider is the act of simply taking a pre-paid phone card along with you on your vacation. They are a good alternative to making long distance phone calls from your hotel-room, cabin or any-place else on location where you find yourself vacationing. Today people also choose to use cell phones and text-messages to stay in touch and remain connected. Both are good options to save money while traveling. But keep in mind that some places you are visiting might have limited or no cell coverage, and/or you might be in an area that is considered to be roaming for your carrier, and if that is the case you could end up being charged a bundle on your next cell phone bill. This is another reason why carrying a few calling cards along with you is a good idea.
Membership Has It’s Privileges
One of the best ways to save possibly thousands of dollars on all of your vacations is to utilize the bonuses and incentives of a Vacation Membership Club. Vacation membership clubs operate in much the same fashion as wholesale clubs like Costco and Sams Club. You pay a small fee to be a part of the club, but the savings, value and benefits that your membership makes available to you far outweigh the small cost to join the program. There are several options on the market when it comes to shopping for a good vacation club membership, but I have researched them all and have found that the best option with the highest quality vacation benefits, and the lowest cost of membership is a company called Resorts 360. The Resorts 360 Vacation Club provides its members with discounts of up to 80% at over 4000 Resort destinations around the world, as well as discounts on hotels, cruises and more. Resorts 360 also offers one of the most low-cost and easily affordable to everyone membership in the industry. At less than $200 to get started, and potential savings of $1,200 or more on your very first vacation, joining this type of vacation club is a no-brainer.