Vacations on a budget

Posted on by Forest in Budgeting, General, Opinion, Saving Money & Finances

Consider making all your vacations on a budget this year – I really think that this year may be the year I pull myself out of debt and get my financial self in great order. However I am also a strong believer that you need to enjoy each and every year, not be be morbid but we could depart from this world crossing the road tomorrow. I don’t do big budget anything since I became “frugal” with my life and this is especially the case with vacations. In face I just came back from a few days in Luxor Egypt (but I live in Cairo right now anyway) and I spent relatively nothing!

Here are some of my favorite tips for a budget concious vacation.

Vacations on a budget, my tips

1. Visit somewhere fairly local

People often discount their local areas or even staying within country. I am lucky right now as I currently live in Egypt but when I lived in Quebec I would visit Vermont, in London I would visit the South East coast of England. Almost anywhere in the world you will have somewhere really cool that is local and you can avoid expensive flight or transport costs, you can be near home if anything happens and also you know the area enough o find great deals on accommodation and anything else.

2. Go and see friends or family

As my friends and family spread around more and more vacation spots are opening up. Staying with a friend eradicates what is sometimes the biggest part of a holiday, accommodation costs. Also being with someone who knows the area gives you access to local pricing and local treasures. Our friends who visit here in Egypt are always very thankful for inside knowledge. I have managed to stay with friends all over England, in Boston and even Quebec City in Canada.

3. Think frugal when eating and drinking

I advise this always but especially on vacation. The temptation to visit a restaurant 3 times a day can be overwhelming but if you stay at a friends house or an aprtment with cooking facilities or even have access to a place where you can use a barbecue you can have your meals on budget. Sandwiches and lunch snacks are always easy to make and you can pick up cheaper ready made food in supermarkets rather than restaurants. Of course it’s nice to visit a cafe here and there for lunch. In France one year we did much of our cooking on a fire on the beach, it was very idyllic.

4. Go somewhere with free festivals

When I lived in Montreal the summers were awesome because of all the free festivals. Acts such as Stevie Wonder and the Stooges have been free to see and there are many many events. A lot of cities have a festival each year as do small towns and country areas. Visiting a place that has a festival atmosphere already built in for free can save a lot of expense as entertainment is on hand with no effort or cost. Just bring packed lunches as food and drink during festivals is outrageous!

5. Go on a budget road trip or use budget transport

If you check the internet for places like Luck Star or even Grey Hound you can find many offers on early booked transport and can do a public transport roadtrip with camp or B&B stops in between. Alternatively you can take to the road in your car. Gas is expensive but winding through small towns and staying at local spots is still cheaper than visiting a plush hotel. In our late teens we would road trip over the UK and even France and even as an adult I have enjoyed these holidays.

What do you think of these ideas for Vacations on a budget?

Tags: cheap vacation ideas, have a cheap holiday, how to budget holiday, thought for vacation budget