Vacations are pretty much essential to living a happy life and achieving a great work-life balance. Even if you stay closer to home, it’s so important to get that time off to spend with loved ones. However, they can also be quite expensive. Here are eight ways that you can cut costs without having to cut the fun.
Grab a Package
Package holidays can save you a lot of money if you shop smart. Often they will include the price of your transport, accommodation, and perhaps even all food and drink during your stay at your hotel. If this is the case, make sure that you price everything up before you book so that you know you’re getting a good deal. They are out there!
Go Off-Season
There are certain times of year when each resort or holiday season is experiencing its peak times. As a result, the prices are much more expensive during these weeks. Go off-season, usually in the winter, in order to save money on your accommodation.
Go Frequent Flyer
There are plenty of really great frequent flyer programmes out there which will help you to save points on your holiday bookings. You can also earn credit card points when you make other purchases if you are using the right credit card. These can all be redeemed against holiday freebies. Compare your options carefully before you choose.
Stay Local
Don’t book into an expensive hotel. Instead, rent a room or even a villa from a local family! This will allow you more freedom and comfort at a lower price, and you’ll be able to get better acquainted with the real culture and atmosphere of your destination.
Cater For Yourself
Food and drink can be one of the biggest expenses of any holiday, especially if you are going out every night to a restaurant and relying on cafes for lunch. Get accommodation with a kitchenette and you can self-cater most of your meals instead. Buying products from a local shop and making your own meals will work out a lot cheaper.
Book Ahead
If you’re planning to hit lots of tourist attractions, book your tickets in advance. You will often find that you can make a saving by purchasing a museum pass, for example, which might give you entry into every museum in the city at no extra cost.
Convert Carefully
Shop around before you order your foreign currency. Try to get the best deal – you can even monitor the situation for a few weeks in order to strike if there should be a dip in values. When you return, you can do the same thing. You don’t have to convert your money back straight away. You can wait for a good deal.
Be Free
If you are heading to an area that is usually visited often by tourists, you will be surprised at what you can do for free. There are often enough activities available to entertain yourself for a full week without paying for anything. Online walking tour guides, free museums and galleries, and things like watching the sunset from the best viewpoint can give you a fantastic holiday at no cost.
If you’re all about saving money, remember to have fun as well. You can treat yourself to one or two splurges, such as a fancy restaurant or a big souvenir. With these tips, you’ll be able to afford to!