You might be thinking of skipping your summer family vacation this year because you feel you cannot afford it. But there are ways you can cut down on your expenses. Reducing the cost of your summer family vacation can look like a lot of things. If you need to have a budget for your summer family vacation, one of the ways to lower your cost is to be creative with where you stay.
Save Money on Your Summer Family Vacation
If you are traveling to an area where you have friends and/or family, ask if you can stay with them. Assuming you like them enough to share a bathroom with them. You may have to deal with some quirkiness, but you will spend most of the time out of their house. With hotels costing $100+, this is definitely a cheaper option for your summer vacation.
Have you ever considered camping? This is a great alternative if you don’t know anyone where you are going, and/or you have a large family to accommodate. Look for deals on new or used tents online, or even see if you can borrow one. Department or sporting good stores will be having sales during this time of year, as well. The cost should be no more than $50 per night, depending on what part of the country you stay in, but again, still less than a hotel.
If bunking with your family or raccoons just doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can still save money staying at a hotel. Regardless of where you are going, unless it’s completely and utterly remote, there will be countless hotels there. This is good for you because they will all be in competition for your money. Why is this good? This means hotels will make their rooms cheap in hopes of you staying there.
Compare the costs between multiple hotels on different travel websites. They might also have deals if you are booking last minute (not to suggest you do that in attempt to save a buck and then accidentally have to spend more). Do you care about having a pool? By narrowing down what you absolutely want to pay for you can determine which hotels are the cheapest in that category. But don’t count out the little guys just yet.
Sometimes, if they are located in well-populated areas, small hotels will charge lower rates, but have the same amenities as big chains. They do this to draw attention to themselves and generate more business, while you benefit from spending less and getting more.
Because traveling during the summer is already going in the middle of peak season, avoid traveling during the summer holidays. Like Memorial Day Weekend and the 4th of July. Prices skyrocket for these holidays. If your summer family vacation is flexible, search for rates at different travel dates to find the cheapest time to go.
Also, determine if anything special is happening in the area on the dates you choose. There could be a large convention, like a sporting event or concert, that can affect the rates.
Staying with friends/family, camping, or a hotel are your cheapest options for overnight accommodations. However, if you absolutely have your heart set on a private rental, you should still compare prices and look for discounts. What about splitting the cost with another family? Follow these tips for your summer vacation and you are well on your way to saving money.
Related posts:
Leave a Reply