Fifteen Useful Tips To Save Money On Your Next Vacation!

Ah vacation! It is always music to my ears. I can readily prepare everything I need except for one thing. I have to save money for over a period of time to pay for it. For me, a vacation is like going to a wonderful unknown battlefield of excitement and expenses.

I want to have fun, fun and fun while on vacation. But I also keep in mind that I still need to feel ecstatic after enjoying it. Meaning, I have money left to pay my bills and gas when I come home and go back to work.

During my trips, I discovered money tricks how to save money while on vacation. The most important thing to do is to create an itinerary that is well planned. This will help avoid confusion and being lost in the middle of your excitement. Being lost as to what you really want to do while on vacation is an expensive venture. You spend unnecessarily. Unnecessary spending usually occur when you don't know what to do, where to go or wanting to do it all at the same time.

Now, let me share with you tips to save money for your next vacation.

1)Stay with friends or family if you can

Free is a favorite word. When your accommodation is free, it helps vacationers, money-wise.

A friendly advise, you need to be appreciative of your hosts, whether it is a friend or family member. After all, you were able to save a lot from your hotel bills.

2) Buy airline tickets on Tuesday nights

I tried to canvass all nights of the week but I discovered that airfare on Tuesday nights where the cheapest among the days.

Airlines usually give out promo fares on a "season's basis". At an average, airlines usually push cheap airfares two months before the season. Example, of you want to travel during the Fall Season, cheap airfares are offered in August.

3) Compare public transportation vs renting a car

If you want to visit different places, find out if it is cheaper to take the bus, or take the train or rent a car. When renting a car, you need to factor in the gas cost and parking areas/fees. You can always negotiate with the car rental dealer before driving away.

You can also check good deals when you buy your airline ticket together with a car rental.

4) Get package deals on sight-seeing tours

First, check out online if there are "walking tours" available in the area. It only costs the "tip" to the tourist guide. You walk around the tourist site in droves for about an hour or so. It is like hitting two birds with one stone - exercising while learning about a new place!

Second, if you want to pay fees at the door, package deals are always cheaper. A package deal usually include transportation and entrance fees to a couple of tourist spots.

5) Trade airlines points

Earning airline points is a free ride to your vacation destination. You either apply from an independent credit card company or the airline itself have their own points program.

6) Trade time share with other hotels, airfare, etc

Let us say you want to invite somebody to join with you on your vacation. You can trade your time share (it's like paying both accommodation by yourself) or extra airline points (again, it's like paying for both airfares). Your companion can pay other major expenses you will incur in lieu of the freebies. It will help curb your large expenses.

7) Make an itinerary to save time, gas and those "extra costs"

Planning your vacation on what to do on day 1, day 2, day 3..... makes a big difference in the end. Your schedule will guide your activities for the day and so on. You save time, gas and unnecessary costs if you know where to go next.

8) Always carry a bottled water

It sounds so simple but it is important. When you are in a foreign place you don't really know where the nearest store is at. Due to your physical movements like walking around, you get thirsty a lot. Needless to mention the bottled water costs more in places where tourists walk around.

9) Carry small packs of chocolate, candies, nuts, etc

To temporarily relieve your hunger pangs, the small sized finger food helps. You don't really enjoy the sight-seeing trip when your stomach is grumblng.

10) Plan ahead the restaurant or food joint you want to try

Every place has a cuisine they call as their "own". Food lovers try these dishes for taste and experience. You need to do your research in advance like checking out the "food network" or by simply asking around.

I have learned that when you ask locals for a good food joint, you would like to know where is their favorite place to eat. It may sound intrusive, but when properly asked, you will describe the food as though it doesn't exist anywhere else in the world...

12) Plan your wardrobe for the entire vacation

Wardrobe is part of our personalities, you carry it around wherever you go. You need to plan what to wear everyday while on vacation. It will help you re-use some pieces or make alternatives once you have an idea what "look" you plan to project.

With the surge of social networking and posting pictures while on vacation, what you wear now matters. When the whole world sees you on the internet, you want to "look nice" at the very least.

13) Pack only the essentials and travel light

Pack only the things you need. I suggest you bring comfortable clothes fit for the weather. Throw in a small first aid kit to your luggage as well.

14) Check hotels and car rental rates outside the major city

This is my favorite part. The difference in price between rentals and hotels within and outside a major city is almost half. The ones adjacent to the airport is the most expensive of all.

Be careful though when you book a hotel based on the "picture" from the website. Three years ago, I booked on-line with a three-star hotel in New York City, with good reviews and nice pictures of the hotel itself. Lo and behold when I arrived at the hotel, it was a different place. It was worse than one could have imagined. Of course, I demanded for a refund. It almost ruined my whole vacation.

15) Plan a good budget on how much you can afford to spend during your trip!

Make your vacation a pleasurable trip without breaking the bank. Spend money that you can only afford. The trick is, you will be able to carry your budget through if you have a good vacation plan in place.

After all what has been said and done, my last piece of advise is, don't sacrifice fun with too much frugality. You will visit the place only once or possibly many years apart.

And don't' forget to bring your camera! Take pictures of your fun moments while on vacation. Video recording your memorable trips is a great souvenir for you to keep. When you get back home, you can check out your album or watch your home video over and over again, re-living the fun times. It is a free trip back to memory lane...

Your time and money spent on your vacation should be worth less, even if you spent a fortune, compared to the memories you will treasure for a lifetime. Enjoy!

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