Let's break this down a bit... you work and work and work... you dream of lavish vacations... the Caribbean, Hawaii, maybe Fiji or Australia or even Paris. At the end of the day you end up at home cleaning the closet.

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It never fails, warmer weather hits and you start thinking of vacations and getaways more than work. Only problem is vacations are a lot of work and they aren't free. So where do people go?

Vacation Help

If you have ever dreamed of a vacation you know that a vacation on a budget can sometimes be a joke. If you had the luxury of working a job for life and another job for fun stuff like vacations or even carnivals and theme parks that would be cool, kind of. But there are some things besides cleaning the closet. Vacations aren't only to do the things that your everyday life doesn't afford you time to do. Vacations can be fun and stress free.

  • for airfare look to bigger hubs to fly in and out of, it could be that your destination is solely based on affordability of flying in and out. You will usually find better deals flying into places like Seattle and Miami.
  • Even with today's gas prices driving can be the cheapest route if you have the vacation time. There are many sites to see within a 10-14 hour drive from Northern Colorado.
  • When looking at hotels and you have kids under 10-12 keep in mind that most hotels offer kids stay free and at least half of those have kids eat free too-a little research will save you a lot of dough.
  • It doesn't sound as fun, but many hotels have in room refrigerators, utilize them with easy to prepare foods and cut down on your dinning out expenses. (if you don't find a hotel with a free breakfast or kids eat free policy or like me your vacation kids are over 12)
  • A lot of times an attraction destination will have buy one get one offers on their websites, if you don't have a computer with you, utilize the business center in your hotel and print some coupons. Printing coupons to some of these places can make a big difference, like getting to go there or not.
  • Sounds crudy but when looking at traveling around town, if you have flown in, don't discount public transportation. Most buses will get you where you want to be and cost a fraction compared to taxis and rental cars.
  • Another thing about a hotel, don't forget that if they do offer kids free eating and staying you can afford to upgrade your hotel choice and still save money. Staying at a cheap cheap hotel with no breakfast can add $350 dollars to a week long stay.
  • If you have ever wanted to travel to Europe, consider taking your vacation out of season, a ticket to Greece or Ireland are a lot more affordable if purchased in February or September. (airfare can be from 600-900 round trip to these destinations and most places to stay are around 50-70 us dollars a night and they almost always include breakfast)
  • Seems simple but vacation for 5 days instead of 7 or 3 instead of 5. When you haven't been on a 'real' vacation in a long time... 3 days can be a welcomed getaway.

Bottom line don't say you can't afford a vacation before you check out some of the deals and specials. Don't forget to clip coupons and look online for special BOGO deals. If your vacation is a bigger deal and you want to do it up a bit more than going to the Black Hills or the Grand Canyon or even Mesa Verde (btw, all fantastic destinations at an affordable price) take the time to do the research of the are where you want to go, get a realistic picture of the costs (some people just say its too expensive without ever really knowing the actual cost) and rethink needing a new lawn mower or updated kitchen appliances next time you get a tax refund-there's always next year to mow the lawn! :) Nothing says "ahh, this is the life" like a real vacation, don't you think its time you took one?

 

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