The following is a post by MPFJ staff writer, Derek Sall. Derek is the owner of the blog, LifeAndMyFinances.com, where he teaches people how to get out of debt, save money, and become wealthy.
Are you currently on a tight budget, but feel like you deserve to take a vacation once in a while?
It seems like every couple of months, your friends are gallivanting on the white beaches of Bora Bora or are touring the sights all around Europe. While it may seem like they are enjoying life much more than you, they most likely don’t know what the word “budget” means and are getting themselves into severe debt.
Instead of wishing you were taking the same time of vacations as your friends, make a point to take a budget friendly vacation, but still make some great memories in the process. So what are the best vacations on a budget? Read on to find out!
The Beauty of a Staycation
A staycation might not sound too exciting, but by taking some time off and exploring the wonderful events in your area, you could make a ton of memories and hardly spend any money at all!
Think about it. You don’t have to spend any money on travel and you don’t have to worry about traffic jams, lost baggage, or exotic diseases. Instead, you can enjoy activities in your own hometown such as:
- Going to the museum
- Go to a movie
- Take a cruise around town on your bike
- Go to a show (a play or musical)
- Go for a walk in the park
- Read a book
- Go to the pool or the beach
- Go shopping with friends
- See a baseball game
- Go for a hike
The possibilities are endless and the dollars that you’ll need to spend are few (compared to the multiple thousand dollar vacations of your friends.
Explore the Area by Camping
My girlfriend and I enjoy the outdoors, but also enjoy seeing new things. We have both lived in Michigan for many years, but still have many things to explore and see in this great state. Just last year, we decided to head out to Mackinac Island. This could have been quite pricey if we rented a hotel on the island (typically $250 or more per night), but instead, we enjoyed an entire day on the island and spent the night camping in a tent on the mainland. This ran us a whopping $15 a night.
We plan to explore much of the U.S. with this tactic. Hotels are expensive and can rack up a bill quite quickly (and often account for 40% or more of the vacation expense), so why not see what you want to see and do it for a minimal expense? For a budget-conscious person like myself, this will make for a much more enjoyable vacation.
Last-Minute Deals
If camping isn’t your thing (let’s be honest – not everyone loves to sleep on the ground), then you might want to focus on last-minute deals instead. If your schedule is pretty flexible and you can take a week off with only a month’s notice, then you could find some pretty sweet deals through sites like CheapCaribbean.com or Travelzoo.com. I have seen all-inclusive trips to Aruba for only $500 a person before. When you factor in the flight, the room, and the food, this is an amazing deal! Just keep an eye out for these offers and you could be vacationing to some exotic places for super cheap!
Visit Your Friends
When you get to be in your late 20s or older, some of your friends most likely moved away from the area. At this moment, I have friends that live in New Jersey, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and California. Many of them have offered to have me stay at their place if I ever wanted to come visit. Since hotels are often the most expensive part of any vacation, this could be a huge savings and would make for an amazing vacation experience.
It doesn’t have to be expensive to have a great time and make memories. Save up some cash, choose your budget-friendly vacation, and have the time of your life! By paying with your vacation for cash, you’ll most likely have a much better time than your friends that are spending outside of their means anyway. Happy travels!
How about you all? What sorts of vacations have you taken where you were surprised how much money you saved? Have you used any of the ideas mentioned above?
Share your experiences by commenting below!
***Photo courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/vsmoothe/
