How To Go on a Cheap Vacation

Are you putting off a vacation because you don't think you can afford it?  Maybe with the proper planning, you might be able to take a vacation on the cheap. I never had much money but always went on family vacations and learned a lot through the years on how to go away with a small budget. By using just some of the tips in this article you can have a vacation on a smaller budget than you may have thought you needed. The theme of this article covers 3 main things to remember. 1. Plan  2. Plan  3. Plan Getting the idea?

Set your budget in advance. Know how much you have to spend on a vacation and plan your vacation based on that budget. Make all of your decisions of where you will go and what you will do based on that budget. Don't try to do more than you can afford or you won't enjoy your vacation. Plan your entire vacation in advance. Know how far you will travel each day and where you will stay each night. This will allow you to shop for the cheapest place to stay and the cheapest places to eat. This will help you plan your budget accordingly.

Since you are doing so much planning ahead of time, go on the website of any attraction you plan on visiting and see if they have any specials or coupons you can access online. Most Museums, theme parks, and other attractions have discounts available if you look for them. Don't pay full price for something that you don't have to. Most tourist areas have websites run by local governments and civic organizations that will give you lots of information about places to go and things to do that may be free or very low cost. With the proper planning and homework ahead of time, you should be able to fill your days with a lot of things to do that won't break the bank.

Decide what is most important to you. Is it more important to stay in a nice Hotel and eat at nice restaurants, or is it more important to spend your money on doing things to have fun. I know when I go on vacation, I'm so busy that I only see my motel long enough to sleep. I choose a cheaper motel as long as it has a comfy bed and cable TV. I also try to buy foods at grocery stores and eat sandwiches, snacks, salads and other things I can get cheap. Eating at restaurants can be one of your largest travel expenses. Also, try to eat before going to major attractions. Food is way too expensive at those places. Don't go there hungry.

Take everything with you that you think you may need while you are gone. Stock up on toiletry items, health & Beauty aids, first aid stuff, etc. get a bunch of sample sizes of anything you may need. If you are not sure if you will need something, take it. See my Hub on how to get free samples. Don't spend your limited budget on things that you had at home and should have brought with you. Bring books, puzzles, games etc. in case you encounter any delays along the way so you don't find yourself looking through souvenir shops for something to do.

Get your car serviced before you leave on vacation. Have your local mechanic check your car out good. Nothing will bust your budget and cause more stress than having your car break down far from home and needing expensive repairs on the road. Anything your car needs to have done will be a lot cheaper if you have a mechanic you trust do the work before you leave. Avoid impulsive decisions. It can be fun to do things at the spur of the moment, but it can add to the cost of your vacation considerably. You can have a lot of fun doing the things you have planned.


Now this may be the most important advice I will give you. Ready? Have fun! After you have gone to all of the trouble to plan your vacation, do your homework finding all of the best deals, stocked up on the things you will need and all of the other steps you will take to put your vacation on a budget, you need to kick back and enjoy yourself. That is the point of the vacation after all, isn't it? If you have done your planning properly, you should be able to have a fun, stress free time away from home. You deserve it.