BankerGirl Asks: What are your frugal vacation ideas?
Matt and I are in the process of making plans for our honeymoon. We’re each taking the week immediately after the wedding off of work so that we can do some kind of fun trip state-side (we’re thinking about a take bigger, all-inclusive type of vacation in February 2009 if we can find a good deal), but we don’t want to spend a ton of money. Our total allocated budget, including gas, is about $1000.
We’ve considered camping in the Rockies or somewhere in the Northwest, and Matt has always wanted to do a Boundary Waters trek, but we’re not married (pardon the pun) to any idea at this point.
I’d love some readers’ thoughts on low-cost vacations. Please leave your favorite frugal trip hacks in the comments section below.
Stumble it!
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Cruises! Repositioning cruises, in particular, are very inexpensive. I’m getting married in Sept., and as our honeymoon, we’re taking an 11-night cruise for about $1100 per person. That includes food and lodging, and we have stops in Victoria, BC; San Diego, CA; Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Can’t beat that!
July 24th, 2008 at 7:45 am
I must admit that my fiance and I are not going very frugal on the honeymoon. We decided for the all-inclusive Caribbean resort.
However, for a more frugal vacation, maybe look into a bed and breakfast. We went to one for a weekend last year, and it was gorgeous. It was in a nice quaint town that also had a bigger town with more activities nearby. It was so relaxing. And the B&B we stayed at had a refrigerator available to guests, so we packed some of our own picnic-type meals and wine to keep costs down.
Check out www.bbonline.com. You can click on your state and get a list of B&Bs in your area. Just make sure you find a place with a private bathroom!
July 24th, 2008 at 11:15 am
I consider $500 each to be the right budget for a driving/camping vacation (as opposed to a driving/hotel vacation or flying/hotel vacation). Here are some other ideas:
1) Stay with friends.
2) Do something special in your own home town or nearby, perhaps things that seem too expensive, but if you were a tourist, you just might splurge [spa day; art museum hop; city tours; renting a sports car; hiking, swimming, boating, or fishing at local parks; taking a how-to workshop (such as dancing or stained glass)].
3) Do a time-consuming project at home (especially one that is easiest when you don’t have to put everything away every day). Like, I don’t know, prepare a play or make a china cabinet for your new china or plant a grove of trees around a gazebo in your yard.
4) Wait for a local week-long event such as a film festival and take time off to do that.
I knew one guy who thought the obvious honeymoon destination was a nearby all-service hotel. What he’d most want to be doing on a honeymoon, you can do anywhere, probably indoors, so just go someplace where people will periodically bring you food.
July 28th, 2008 at 11:41 am
This isn’t really close to where you live, but you can vacation in my home region, the South, for very little. For example, y ex-boyfriend and I spent a lovely long weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas, once. We rented a nice cabin, had dinner at a great Italian place downtown, had great breakfasts, and went hiking in the national park there. It was probably the most frugal vacation ever and also one of my all-time best.
July 28th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I’m still single but I would either go something relaxing/nature or something wild on a budget.
Like maybe the mountains/woods/cabin or go all out and hit vegas?
If money was no object it would def be international travel to europe, australia or brazil!
http://zombiemoney.blogspot.com/