By Lisa D. Lenoir
This cold weather has me thinking about warm shores, somewhere! But if you’re budget conscious like I am, finding something that won’t break the bank can be pretty hard. There are a few quick tips, though, to help make it easier.
1. Come up with a budget. This helps you to know up front what you can afford before you even start shopping around. Account for everything: transportation (flight, rental car, motorcycle, etc.), meals, excursions (spa, boating, etc.) and shopping/souvenir money. Make sure you pad it, too. This will avoid you running into the red and dreading bills later. Promise yourself to stick to the plan.
2. Limit the number of days you vacay. You just want a quick respite to unwind. Try to find minimal hour flights to destinations or quick train, bus or car rides. This, in fact, could be a game you play on the Internet. Type in the number of hours you want to travel and a pick place based on it. Want to go to Montego Bay, Jamaica? It’s 3 hours and 55 minutes from Chicago!
3. Enlist a travel agent. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to hunt on the Internet for the DEAL! Of course, some love the thrill of the hunt, including myself. But I’ve heard stories of when people look on the Internet and see a price to Taipei for $800-ish and then the next day they see it’s $1,000+. An agent can help you eliminate the frustration, of course, if you find a good. Everyone should have a trusted travel agent in their Blackberry or iPhone. Any recommendations? Please share them.
4. Think about starting a vacation savings fund. Both my church and my master’s program at DePaul are featuring some unbelievable mission/education trips I want to explore: India, Ireland and the Philippines. I need to start working on my piggy bank to save up. I’ll start with the penny I found on Rush Street this afternoon. I’ve known the benefits of saving; it enabled me to pay for my first trip to Paris in 1995.
The New York Times has a must read article on the “10 Ways to Cut Your Travel Costs This Year.” Check it out. But I am curious to find out ways you’ve financed past trips on the cheap (of course, legal!) And if you’ve planned a trip, where are you going? Weigh in.
