Vacation Tips: How to Cut down on your Vacation Expenses

Let’s face it folks, vacations are expensive unless you are single or rich.  If you happen to be stuck with a family like me, you know your vacation becomes a folly in the realms of expensive undertakings.  Depending on where you are going and how you are getting there, it costs a pretty penny to take a well deserved vacation.

For example, if you want to fly anywhere and have a family of four, your vacation costs went up four times.  However, lucky for you, I have some easy and practical tips to cut your travel expenses by 45%!

Airline Tickets:

Flying is expensive but is it necessary only for the right family members.  Do your kids really need to fly anywhere?  A simple way to cut down on airfare is to take the plane for you and your spouse and send your kids on a bus or train.  Think how much enjoyable the first few days of your vacation would be without your children fighting or whining,  Bus fare is way cheaper than an airline ticket and your kids would make new friends on the bus.  They could have meet “Ryan the Runaway Teen” and “Butch the Ex-Con” but don’t forget “Smelly Tony from the East Coast” (who doesn’t believe in showers, deodorant, or changing clothes).  You can’t make memories that last (or scar you) for a lifetime if you don’t experience a ride on a bus cross country.

Tip: If you are really worried about your kids being unattended, slip the driver a few extra bucks to look out for them during the trip.  It is still way cheaper than two airline tickets.

And don’t forget the kids will have to return on the bus as well.  Again, you have a few extra quiet days of rest and relaxation while they travel home.

Car Rental/Hotels:

Have you ever noticed that you don’t really spend that much time in your hotel room except to shower and sleep?  But you do spend a lot of time in your rental car, don’t you?  Well, combine the two!  Skip the expensive of a big fancy hotel (or a rat hole one for that matter) and spend the money on a kick ass ride!  You can get that big fancy van which will have plenty of space for sleeping bags, luggage, and the cooler full of drinks and food.  Need a shower…visit the local gas station or state park.  Need a place to park overnight?  Try the city hall parking lot or the local police station parking lot.  Both are safe and secure!

Food:

Eating out on vacation is a totally pain.  No one agrees on anything and the prices are way too high.  A simple breakfast or lunch can cost up to $70!  Darn we mention dinner?  Always eat out at the cheapest, least healthy place for EVERY meal.  After a three or four meals of fast food (or 7-11 food), you’ll notice that your family will quickly decrease their consumption of all food.  Remember less eating equals more savings!

Sometimes you get that one kid with a cast iron stomach that can eat anything.  To make sure they have enough food, have them clear other patron’s tables.  This accomplishes four things: 1) they get a sense of giving back to the community 2) they can eat the leftovers on the tray, 3) it teaches them how to survive when you kick their butts out of the house when they turn 18, and 4) gives them a glimpse of their future careers (this is called On The Job Training).

One final note, your vacation is about you relaxing and doing something fun.  You should really consider taking a vacation with people you really care about.  Think about taking your golfing buddies or a good friend who likes to party as much as you do.  Honestly, taking your spouse or girl/boyfriend is a toss up because of their bad attitude and how they pout when they don’t get their way.  And then there is the matter with your kids: they fight and bicker with each other all the time. Why do you want to bring crap that along on vacation when you hear enough of it at home?

In a future blog, we’ll discuss how to cut down on travel costs by making your bus into a mini Greyhound bus!

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