How to do a low cost vacation...
We just returned from visiting our oldest daughter in Baltimore. We love to visit her often but it can get expensive fast. We also enjoy traveling. However, paying for college and saving for retirement are important to us so we try to do it as affordable as possible. So these are some of the ways that we do a low cost vacation.
There are so many different options out there. You just have to be open minded. Don't just think hotel. Go outside that box.
* Staying with family or friends. OD lives out of state. We like to go see her every few months. She shares a small 2 bedroom apartment in Baltimore. A hotel is easily $200 a night. We would not be able to visit often if we had to pay for a hotel. So we make it work. Hubby and I sleep in the small second room. It is a full bed but we deal with it. OD has a couch and a cot. We used to bring an air mattress before she got the cot. We usually only go for 3 nights max so we can deal with it.
We have also stayed at our friend's condo in Vermont. It is on a ski slope and they only use it in the winter. We went in the summer. Think off season. Free lodging with a full kitchen. There were only 2 other families around since most people go for skiing. We went hiking and biking. We explored the towns near bye. We went blueberry picking and visited Ben and Jerry's. There were plenty of other things to do even though it was a ski resort. Our friend was actually grateful that we went because she likes to drive up every other month to make sure everything is OK. She didn't have to go because we went.
My 2 youngest just got back from Italy with my sister. Half of the time they stayed with her friends. We have gone to our friend's beach house, visited friends in Florida, stayed with my family in Connecticut and Hubby's family in Massachusetts. Just remember that if you are a guest be a great one. Offer to cook and do the dishes. Bring a gift. Send a Thank you. Make them want you to come visit again.
* Camping. When the kids were younger we used to go camping every year. But unfortunately Hubby now has a bad back so unless we get a camper this is no longer an option. Camping is very cheap. We have stayed at state parks that were as little as $20 a night. You can't get any cheaper then that. We had borrowed a tent from a friend the first time we went to make sure it was something we wanted to spend money on. Then we bought one on sale. Over the next few years we would buy items that we needed on sale, at yard sales or at thrift stores. We gave our tent to OD a few years ago. She now uses it since we can't.
* Timeshares. I am not saying to buy one but I am sure you know people with them. My one sister has one that she rarely uses. My other sister has the Disney time share that she loves. My in laws have one as well as my aunt and they do not use them ever. They literally lose the weeks because they don't use them. They are all very generous and we have stayed at their timeshares with them or we use a week that they were not going to use. We went to SC with my sister and stayed in a huge 2 bedroom unit at the Disney Resort. It was nicer then my house. There were 7 of us and we had plenty of room. Hubby and I stayed at my other sister's time share in Massachusetts. It was a great resort and we had a great time. We have used them many times.
* Work travel. Hubby has to travel for work sometimes to an out of state office. We sometimes tag along. It is not a vacation for Hubby but it is for the rest of us. Hubby's company is already paying for the hotel room. We can usually get 2 queen beds for the same or cheaper then a king. We always stay at a hotel that has free breakfast. Some even have a free light dinner during the week. Then all we have to do is lunch which I can bring. Since Hubby is working, I either drop him off, we walk or we take the hotel's shuttle. Even if all we do is stay at the hotel while Hubby works it is worth it. We stayed at one near Boston that had an indoor/outdoor pool, hot tub, gym, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts and a game room. We had a blast. After work we would drive around with Hubby to see the sights. We have only gone on business trips that he has driven too. Once the kids are gone, then I would go with him but for now it would cost too much to fly all of us.
*Airbnb. I have never used it but I know plenty of people that have. A friend of ours even has 2. OD went away earlier this year and used one. OD and 4 friends got a 3 bedroom condo. They were able to cook, had plenty of room and it was much cheaper then 3 hotel rooms which is what they would have needed. They had all sorts of amenities and their host was wonderful. He told them some great but inexpensive places to eat and where to get discounted activities. She keeps saying how she can't wait to go back.
*Look for discounts before you go. We have AAA and BJs memberships. I always check prices for hotels to see who has the best rate. We also sign up for hotel chain rewards. Hubby travels for work so we sometimes get free nights at the hotel chain that he uses. We stayed at Down Town Disney, on Disney World property for free with hotel points that we earned from Hubby traveling for work. Disney is not cheap, but not having to pay for our room several nights was a wonderful way to cut costs.
Check back for other ways we keep our vacations low cost. Just because we don't spend a fortune doesn't mean we don't have a wonderful time. We have made some amazing memories without breaking the bank. Do you have any low cost options for your lodging on vacations?
There are so many different options out there. You just have to be open minded. Don't just think hotel. Go outside that box.
* Staying with family or friends. OD lives out of state. We like to go see her every few months. She shares a small 2 bedroom apartment in Baltimore. A hotel is easily $200 a night. We would not be able to visit often if we had to pay for a hotel. So we make it work. Hubby and I sleep in the small second room. It is a full bed but we deal with it. OD has a couch and a cot. We used to bring an air mattress before she got the cot. We usually only go for 3 nights max so we can deal with it.
We have also stayed at our friend's condo in Vermont. It is on a ski slope and they only use it in the winter. We went in the summer. Think off season. Free lodging with a full kitchen. There were only 2 other families around since most people go for skiing. We went hiking and biking. We explored the towns near bye. We went blueberry picking and visited Ben and Jerry's. There were plenty of other things to do even though it was a ski resort. Our friend was actually grateful that we went because she likes to drive up every other month to make sure everything is OK. She didn't have to go because we went.
My 2 youngest just got back from Italy with my sister. Half of the time they stayed with her friends. We have gone to our friend's beach house, visited friends in Florida, stayed with my family in Connecticut and Hubby's family in Massachusetts. Just remember that if you are a guest be a great one. Offer to cook and do the dishes. Bring a gift. Send a Thank you. Make them want you to come visit again.
* Camping. When the kids were younger we used to go camping every year. But unfortunately Hubby now has a bad back so unless we get a camper this is no longer an option. Camping is very cheap. We have stayed at state parks that were as little as $20 a night. You can't get any cheaper then that. We had borrowed a tent from a friend the first time we went to make sure it was something we wanted to spend money on. Then we bought one on sale. Over the next few years we would buy items that we needed on sale, at yard sales or at thrift stores. We gave our tent to OD a few years ago. She now uses it since we can't.
* Work travel. Hubby has to travel for work sometimes to an out of state office. We sometimes tag along. It is not a vacation for Hubby but it is for the rest of us. Hubby's company is already paying for the hotel room. We can usually get 2 queen beds for the same or cheaper then a king. We always stay at a hotel that has free breakfast. Some even have a free light dinner during the week. Then all we have to do is lunch which I can bring. Since Hubby is working, I either drop him off, we walk or we take the hotel's shuttle. Even if all we do is stay at the hotel while Hubby works it is worth it. We stayed at one near Boston that had an indoor/outdoor pool, hot tub, gym, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts and a game room. We had a blast. After work we would drive around with Hubby to see the sights. We have only gone on business trips that he has driven too. Once the kids are gone, then I would go with him but for now it would cost too much to fly all of us.
*Airbnb. I have never used it but I know plenty of people that have. A friend of ours even has 2. OD went away earlier this year and used one. OD and 4 friends got a 3 bedroom condo. They were able to cook, had plenty of room and it was much cheaper then 3 hotel rooms which is what they would have needed. They had all sorts of amenities and their host was wonderful. He told them some great but inexpensive places to eat and where to get discounted activities. She keeps saying how she can't wait to go back.
*Look for discounts before you go. We have AAA and BJs memberships. I always check prices for hotels to see who has the best rate. We also sign up for hotel chain rewards. Hubby travels for work so we sometimes get free nights at the hotel chain that he uses. We stayed at Down Town Disney, on Disney World property for free with hotel points that we earned from Hubby traveling for work. Disney is not cheap, but not having to pay for our room several nights was a wonderful way to cut costs.
Check back for other ways we keep our vacations low cost. Just because we don't spend a fortune doesn't mean we don't have a wonderful time. We have made some amazing memories without breaking the bank. Do you have any low cost options for your lodging on vacations?
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