Cheap Beach Vacation: Ten Tips How To Have A Fun Cheap Beach Vacation!
Need a cheap beach vacation? If you are anything like me you love to be at the beach! But planning a beach vacation can get costly especially if you have a larger family. Well just because you are on a budget does not mean you have to forgo a nice beach vacation. Here is a list of ten ways that you can plan a cheap beach vacation. By following these tips you will be able to take your family on the vacation that everyone is sure to have a great time on.
Ten Tips To Have A Cheap Beach Vacation
1.) Plan Your Trip On The Off Season
You would be amazed at the savings you can get just from this tip alone. By taking your vacation on the off-season you save at least half the price then if you went right in the middle of the summer or on season as they call it. Places like the Outer Bank NC, if you go on vacation after the second weekend in September houses that are normally around $3,000 are usually marked down to $800-$1,000. This is a great way to have a cheap beach vacation that you can afford!
2.) Go As A Group
If you have other families or friends that you would not mind going on vacation together with, this is a great way to have a cheap beach vacation. You find a house that will fit all families going and then split the cost. So if you found a house in the off-season for say $800 they are usually the size that will fit two to three families. So take that $800 and split it three ways. You just dropped the cost for accommodations for one week to $266 per family! That is cheaper than getting a hotel room for a night or two.
3.) Think About Location
If you are planning a cheap beach vacation, location can be key. Often if you vacation just down the coast by 15 to 20 miles from HOT vacation spots, you can find better deals. So when doing a search for place to stay, expand the miles outside the area you are thinking of going.
4.) Drive Instead Of Flying
If you have a family of more than two, flying can be very pricey. Yes gas is not cheap but usually you can drive for the price of one or two plane tickets. So if you have a normal family of four or more, driving can be much cheaper. You can always plan fun stops along the way or make up some fun car games for the kids to do to keep them busy while traveling.
5.) Save Ahead Of Time
One big key to having a cheap beach vacation is to plan and save ahead of time. If you are thinking of taking a beach vacation next year, start setting aside money for it now. You will be shocked how much spare pocket change can add up. In just a few months of adding my left over change at the end of the day to the piggy bank, I was able to save over $100! This way you will be saving for your trip and not even notice any money missing from the family budget. You can either use this to pay for part of the trip or as spending money when you go.
6.) Eat In
Other then the accommodations one of the biggest costs of a vacation can be food. If you are renting a house or a room with a kitchen, do most of your eating in instead of eating out. When you are in a vacation spot groceries are normally higher. One way not to pay full price is to bring a lot of your food with you. If you start stocking up on things that will travel a few months prior to your trip, this is a great way to save and have a cheap beach vacation. Use your coupons and sales ads to buy things like cereal, snacks, chips even canned orange juice. By the time you go you should have enough to last for the trip. Yes you will have to buy things while you are on vacation like eggs and milk, but it will be much cheaper than buying all of it. Remember you can always take some coupons with you too, for the things you will buy while you are there.
7.) Take Surveys or Read eMails For Money
There are many sites out there like Swagbucks, My Survey & My Points just to name a few. They offer points or money for doing things like reading emails, taking surveys or just surfing the web using their search bar. By signing up for a few of these you can save enough points/money to buy gift cards. You then can use the gift cards to pay for things along your trip like gas or the few groceries that you will need to pick up. I even am signed up and use these everyday.
8.) End Of Seasons Close Outs
When you go to the beach you always need beach balls, sand toys, towels, swimsuits and other things. If you buy those items at the end of the season when they go on clearance you will be able to save a lot. July and August is when you will see all beach and pool items being marked down. Pack these things and take them with you. By doing that you avoid buying them when you get there and paying full price.
9.) Check Deal Sites
You can often find deals on vacations at sites like Amazon Local, Groupon and LivingSocial. Buying package vacation deals like that is another great way to have a cheap beach vacation.
10.) Take Tours
There are lots of hotels or time share places that offer discounts or even gift cards for taking tours. If you set aside a few hours out of your vacation time and take one of these tours you can either get a gift card to use while you are on vacation or get a discount on some accommodations. Just remember that while you are taking the tours you DO NOT have to buy anything to get these offers. So look around and see if there are any of them around where you would like to go on vacation.
By following these tips you will be on your way to a cheap beach vacation in no time at all! Having vacations and family time makes families grow closer together. Do you have any cheap vacation tips that you would like to share that I have not covered here? I would love to here them!
