13 Things I do to Save on Vacation

A late edition for Thursday Thirteen from me today..

I have been very lazy to blog and crazy getting ready for our cruise. So today I want to write about things I did to save for our vacation and things I plan to save during our vacation.

1. Plan vacation during off-peak - I know that not everyone can take their kids out during school year and I'm not at all promoting that. I'm sure my kids would like me to promote that ideas. :) But if your kids are still in Kindergarten like mine, one week before the school break will help a lot. We planned our cruise one week before the end of the school year and was able to save over $500 on the total cruise for a family of 4. The last week of school is pretty much all fun and party. So I don't think they will miss much. Unless you don't want to miss school party.

2. Research about your destination - With the current 21st century information-highway, it's easier than ever to find any information you need from the internet. Heck! You are reading my blog so I'm sure you can google about your destination. Find a forum dedicate to your specific destination. People is really kind out there and they are willing to share their information.

3. Think outside the box - Instead of booking hotel rooms wherever you plan, think about a timeshare rental, a house, or a cabin. Not only you will get a bigger space, you can also cook your own food. A lot of people might argue that they don't want to cook during their vacaion, but pouring cereal to a bowl with milk isn't that hard to do.

4. Power of a group - If you have a group of friends that you think can still be your friends after vacationing together, it might be a good idea to plan a vacation together and share the cost of renting a house.

5. Cruising with Guarantee room - This is a controversial one. So I will just base it on my own opinion. I like booking a cruise with Guarantee room. It's the cheapest room available but you will have a chance of getting upgrade. My first try I get Inside 4G instead of 4A. So even if I don't get a balcony room, I still get a room on the higher deck than if I would have gotten from booking a specific room.

6. Plan ahead and setup your budget - This is pretty new for me. I normally never thought about how much we will spend during our vacation till we saw the credit card statemet. But this time, I have planned everything. Setting up a budget helps me to find a way to save on the unnecessary expenses.

7. Comparison shopping - This goes without saying.. Like every other kinds of purchases, you must comparison shopping to find the best price. But do keep in mind that with traveling and vacations, you have to compare it Apple to Apple. The cheapest one might not be the best one that suit your family situation. So read all the fine prints!

8. Be a Traveler not a Tourist - The reason most of us travel is to see the world, to experience different cultures and people.. So don't be afraid to explore and venture out from the tourist trap. If you want to have American food then eat at home.. you don't need to fly a thousand miles away to eat in McD in Thailand!

9. Using Coupon - Huh? How is it related to vacation you might ask. Using coupon for my grocery shopping has helped me to save on my grocery budget and allow me to add those saving to my vacation fund.

10. Find free things to do - You don't need to do all the tourist stuff when you visit a city or country. With a little research, you will find that there are a lot of free stuffs you can do in each city. Go to the park, enjoy a picnic by the beach, check out the playground or museum and my favorite.. people watching!

11. Don't Procrastinate - This is a tough one for me to adapt to. I normally don't think far enough in advance. After live here long enough, I start to understand the power of advance planning. So if you know where and when you want to go, then put it in motion and start booking it. You normally will get discount for early booking. Unless you can drop everything in a pinch then last minute deal might be your take..

12. Check out your own backyard - Vacation doesn't have to always be about this expensive trip to Europe.. A day trip to a neighboring state or even city can be the best memory your family create. Check out events and make it a weekend trip.

13. Dig out those Mileages - We all have several mileages accumulating that you have never looked at. Well, now it's time to dig them out and see what can you redeem from those mileages. It might help pay for your airline tickets, your car rental or your hotel rooms. Don't let it go stale in your wallet.

So now you have it. My 13 tips to save on your next vacation. What are your tips?

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