3 Ways To Vacation For Less This Holiday Season

Winter is upon us! And since many of you will be traveling over the next few months, I thought it only fitting to write a brief article on ways to vacation for less during this Holiday Season. Whether you are a Northerner migrating South, or a Southerner taking a trip up North, these tips will surely benefit you both!

Travel in Groups
Traveling in groups can be a huge cost reducer! Imagine how much less it would cost for three families to rent a nice sized house for a week versus you and your family renting a hotel room for the same amount of time. For example, this upcoming January my Girlfriend and I are taking a 5 day/4 night Ski Trip to Winter Park Colorado with 4 other couples that we know (10 people total). By ourselves we would surely spend at least $175/night for an estimated minimum of $700; however, traveling with friends allows us to greatly reduce this cost. Our friend Michelle was able to find a Vacation Rental which, divided among us, cost only $167 each, TOTAL! So not only do save over 75%, we also get to upgrade to a luxurious, fully furnished, five bedroom house with a hot tub and a view of the mountains! Great job Michelle! To further reduce costs we plan on cooking at the vacation rental and sharing in grocery expenses. We also will share in the car rental costs which, for two large vans, is not too bad. Accounting for all fixed costs - Air, Auto, Fuel, Food, Lodging, and Taxes - we expect to pay no more than $450 per person total! Talk about C H E A P ! !

Stay Local
Many people live within a few hours drive of larger neighboring cities that are great to visit year round! For example, Houston is close to Austin Texas and Coushatta Louisiana - both of which are very popular weekend getaway destinations! The best thing about staying local is that you don’t have to worry about the hassle of flying or the costs associated with it. Use a website like Hotels.com or Travelocity in order to maximize your lodging savings. You could even use Craigslist to see if there are any weekend rentals available which may not only be nicer than a hotel but also less expensive. While there, attend local events and attractions. Visit any famous parks, landmarks, and museums. Most cities also have some sort of public Cultural Festival each month. If you have a chance to catch a concert for a good price then do it! Taking in local flavor from a sister city is a great way to make your weekend getaway interesting while keeping you from being bored and over spending.

Go Camping
Personally, I am a big fan of camping! There just doesn’t seem to be anything like pitching a tent, gathering around a campfire with friends and family, cracking open a nice cold beer and just ‘getting back to nature.’ I grew up in a big city but at heart I have always been a country boy. Camping is not only a fun way to bond with family and friends but it is also very inexpensive! First thing to do is find a campsite. You can go to Reserve America to locate State Parks near you and reserve a site. Most of the time you will only pay $5-$15 a night and the majority of sites have electricity, water, and clean bathrooms/showers on the premises – an absolute MUST! The only real equipment you need for camping is a tent, a sleeping bag and an ice chest! While the cost of these items can get pretty high, you can easily obtain them all for under $60 by shopping smart at Target, Wal-Mart, and Academy. Look for items on sale or on clearance and shop for these out of season if you don’t plan on going camping no sooner than in the 6 months. If you go with a small group of friends then the chances are that someone has a four to six person tent. Perhaps they will kindly share it with you. You can also spend a bit more ang get an air mattress which beats sleeping on the ground. There are several things to do when you go camping. I really enjoy hiking and exploring my surroundings. I also like to go fishing, biking, or rock climbing if the terrain permits it and I always take plenty of pictures. You can also visit the small towns surrounding your campsite in order to mix things up. Search online for famous spots near your campsite and visit them, especially if they are renowned for their awesome food! For a 3 day weekend camping trip with 5 friends, expect to shell out about $50 - $75 bucks total, that is, if you already have your equipment. (Think of your equipment as a fixed cost since future camping trips will be less expensive.) I don’t think that traveling could get much cheaper than that!

While gearing up to travel this Holiday Season, keep these tips in mind. With proper planning and enough people to share in your costs, you can make your travels memorable and inexpensive.