Make it a Budget-Friendly Spring Break
After all of this cold weather, people are ready to travel to some warmer temperatures. The kids have spring break coming up, so it's the perfect time to plan a family vacation.
While everyone most likely wants to take a trip, it may not be financially realistic. Before you start planning your spring break trips, check out a few budget-friendly tips.
Flexibility is Key!
When it comes to traveling on a budget, flexibility is the key to saving money. Being able to switch up your travel dates, destination, or even activities can make a huge difference in cost.
✈️ Fly on Weekdays
Most people traveling for vacation fly out on Fridays and weekends, while most people traveling for business fly out on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays. This means that the days throughout the week, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, are going to be less expensive since they have lower demand.
Google Flights is a great resource to use if you're not tied to flying on a specific day. It allows you to view the entire calendar week, so you can choose whichever flying days are the least expensive.
✈️ Book Vacation Packages
Some airlines offer packages that bundle airfare and hotels and are often a better deal than booking separately. These bundles can offer savings of up to 40% off
Purchasing directly from the airline also gives you a one-stop shopping experience. You can even add a car and activities to your trip at the same time. Plus, you'll often be able to take advantage of special sales and offers for bonus points and miles.
✈️ Use a Price Monitoring Tool
Airline fare monitoring sites, like Hopper and Google Flights, notify you when the best and lowest prices for your trip become available, ensuring you get the best deal. Set up as many combinations as you're willing to consider, including different departure and return dates, so that you can get alerts for all possible fare reductions.
Some airline fare monitoring sites also allow you to freeze the price of a flight. For example, Hopper allows you to lock in the price of a flight for up to seven days, giving you more time to finalize any decisions and plans. There are also a few airlines that will allow you to hold flights for a small fee.
✈️ Reprice your Flights and Hotels
As long as you've booked a travel accommodation that allows you to cancel without penalty, you should make it part of your weekly routine to check for price drops. If you find a lower price, rebook your trip! Just be aware, this may not work for basic economy tickets.
✈️ Consider Alternative Airports
With flight prices being high, now is the time to be flexible and check all nearby airports for the best prices. For example, here in Ohio, there are multiple airports in cities like Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, and more. It can be worth it to drive a little further to the airport to save some money.
✈️ Stay Outside of Popular Cities
Hotels, or other alternatives like Airbnb, are much more expensive in popular tourist destinations. Check outside of big cities or areas further from the beach to see the difference in prices. It might be cheaper to stay outside popular areas and rent a car or use Uber to get around.
Deals and Discounts
💸 Get discounted gas at Shell using the Shell Fuel Rewards app.
💸 Check the local library to see if you can get access to a library "lending ticket," a program that allows libraries to lend free museum passes.
💸 Sign up for a free walking tour on your first day. Not only is it a free activity, but it's also an easy way to learn about the city and orient yourself.
Everyone needs to get away sometimes, and it shouldn't cost your entire bank account to travel. Use these tips to save money on spring break trips or any future trips you plan!