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With the costs of nearly everything rising faster than a helium-filled balloon, many people have decided to save money by reducing or even eliminating vacation time from their hectic schedules. Leisure activities can cost a lot, and with bills to pay consumers have more important places to spend their money. My wife and I consider vacations as significant as anything else, and we budget for them well in advance of each trip. We used to despise vacations, but since purchasing our vacation club we love traveling and do it every possible opportunity.

The Resort or Hotel

In our case, we already save money just by owning a share in a vacation club. The annual maintenance fees pose no problem because we budget for them throughout the year. However, not everyone has access to a vacation club like this, though many hotels have rooms and suites with kitchens and bedrooms. They may cost more per night, but using the kitchens saves us money on food, so we take advantage of them. Many others offer breakfast buffets each morning. Either way, we save on restaurants by using these amenities.

Groceries vs. Restaurants

After we check in, we find the nearest grocery store and purchase just enough food to cover breakfast each day and snacks at night. The grocery cost for the week equals the price of just one outing to a local restaurant. We then have more money to spend on entertainment and souvenirs. In addition, since we do not have to buy the full week’s worth of groceries for home, we move that budgeted cost to the vacation, so the total for food remains similar. Regarding restaurants, we typically have a smaller lunch and a large dinner and then take the leftovers back to the room for later consumption.

Resort Activities

We can have fun at the resort itself. Most resorts schedule free or low-cost activities, which allow us to meet other guests, where we can play group games such as Bingo. Some have game rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, miniature golf courses, and other family activities. We once became good friends with another family as we stayed on the campus with them for almost the entire week of our vacation and spent very little.

City Attractions

When we do choose to leave the resort and venture out on the town, we can still reduce expenses and enjoy ourselves. We typically schedule and plan our vacations well in advance. After we book the room, my wife peruses the town’s website for activities, shows, and restaurants. We purchase advanced tickets online when possible, one show or activity at a time, allowing us to spend less while we’re there. We also take advantage of any online discounts that the businesses’ websites may offer.

Driving

Long drives require stops, especially with kids. For a full-day drive, we will occasionally stop at rest areas or fast-food places, mainly for the restroom. Rest areas have vending machines, and a quick burger costs very little, so we need cash and change. Beginning approximately two months before we leave we begin to put every dollar bill we get, in addition to extra higher-denomination bills, into a coffee can. Remarkably, we have occasionally saved as much as $200 dollars with this trick.

Summary

My wife and I continuously search for money-saving techniques that won’t force us to reduce or eliminate the things we enjoy. Through advanced planning we have learned to reduce our vacation costs without reducing the entertainment value. As a result, we now travel much more frequently than in years past.

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