Planning Your Summer Vacation

After a tough winter, many of our clients are more than happy to be planning a long-awaited summer vacation. If you’re still in the process, we want to provide you with a few money-saving tips for your next big trip.

Spend less on food
Have you ever counted up how much your restaurant bills cost you when you’re on vacation? Food can become a huge part of a person’s vacation budget.

Going out for dinner is a pleasure when you’re on vacation, but you can save a lot of money by “eating in.” One great strategy to reduce your food costs is to book a hotel room or vacation home with a kitchen.

By eating more of your meals in, you can put more money toward other fun activities (and keep more money in your wallet).

Check out multiple travel sites
The internet has become many people’s destination of choice when planning their vacation. Not only do you find great deals, but you also gain access to reviews, recommendations and other valuable information when planning your trip.

That said, many people get used to booking through one travel site and miss the great deals that may be available from other sites.

Be sure to check out at least three or four different travel sites before booking your vacation to see if you can find a similar vacation for less. If you tend to prefer dealing with an actual human being, do some research online ahead of time so you go in with an educated idea of what you want and how much you can pay for it online. Your travel agent should be able to get you a similar deal.

Be flexible with where you are willing to go … and when
A little flexibility can go a long way when you’re planning your vacation. By choosing a less popular destination or by leaving just slightly off season, you can reduce your travel costs significantly. Little changes like leaving mid-week can also help reduce your costs.

One last tip is to use public transportation when you get there. People generally jump in a cab as soon as they land, but hopping on a bus or a light rail transit train can get you there almost as fast and for a fraction of the cost. Public transportation in many cities is clean, safe and gives you the opportunity to see the sites while reducing your carbon footprint.