Vacation Resorts: Artisans and Travel in Mexico

5 Ways to Vacation Cheap in a Down Economy

Have you heard the news? Predictions are that gas for the summer vacation season will peak between $3.67 and $4.00 plus this summer. Talk about cutting into the old family vacation budget. Traveling on a strict budget has become a necessity for most people with costs for eggs to airfare on the rise. But once you start looking into the when, where, how and what type of vacation to take, you can get caught up in the anticipation and excitement of the upcoming trip and forget how things can add up quick.

There are many ways to save money, avoid unnecessary cost, ensure you take care of details and become one of the successful budget travelers. Having a great summer vacation is made easier if you take into account these five priceless travel tips.

1. Compare Flying versus Driving - Conventional wisdom would tell you that if you have a family of four driving, while inconvenient and time consuming is the best way to get to your destination and save money. As a child we never flew anywhere, we'd all load up in the car and drive from Cleveland, OH to Madeira Beach, FL each year. But do the comparison in today's world: Four tickets from Chicago to St Petersburg will run about $ 600 on USA3000 if bought in advance. A car rental (economy) will run another $230 for the week. Total Cost $830 and you are at the beach two hours after you arrive at O'Hare.

If instead you drive the 1221 miles (~19 hours in the car) and get 21 miles to the gallon on average in your Minivan then at the $4/gallon estimate the drive alone costs you $465 roundtrip. You'll have to stop one night, unless you are a maniac and drive straight through, which adds a hotel room and dinner each way for $300, snacks for the kids on the trip another $40, and a couple of lunches for another $40. Not taking into account any of the wear and tear or the fact that you lose 3-4 days in transit - the total cost of driving would be $845.

2. Where to Stay: Deciding where to stay can have a huge impact on your total costs. We'll continue our example from above. Once you arrive on the Gulf Beaches you could stay at the Marriott in Sand Key but with a family of four you would need 2 rooms for this family of four as all the rooms are 700 sq ft mini suites. Cost per night $478, total cost $3346. On the flip side, if you instead rented a Vacation Rental, you would get a 2 bedroom / 2 bath condo on the beach for approximately $980.

3. Eating Out: You should definitely plan to eat a few nice meals with the family while on vacation, but do you really need to eat fast food for breakfast and lunch? If you're in that $3300 hotel, you'll have to either order up some outrageous room service or go to a nearby restaurant. However, if you chose the $980 Vacation rental on the Beach then you would have a full kitchen and probably a BBQ grill to enjoy and save BIG! Food is one of the major costs of any trip. Eating in for minor meals can save a stretched budget and allow for little extras with the money left over.

4. Keep an eye on your credit cards: It is very easy in today's world to access cash through ATM's and credit cards. Just remember that it is just as easy to overspend because of it being so readily available - your bank counts on it. A little discipline will go a long way to protect your financial interest and help you stick to your budget. Also, check to see if your bank has local ATMs as those "extra fees" can add up quick at $2.00 or more for "non-bank customers".

5. Do a little research: When visiting an unfamiliar area for the first time, spend a few hours researching the Things to Do in your destination. Most areas have great Chamber of Commerce sites that provide a lot of information and wherever you are headed check out TripAdvisor as they have ratings and information from real travelers to the area. The last thing you want to do is spend your valuable money on a terrible meal, or plan a trip to a local attraction and find that it's not kid friendly after you have paid admission.

All in all there are tons of ways to stretch your budget and enjoy the precious little time you have with your family. Use these tips and Enjoy Your Vacation!

Jim is the owner of www.FloridaGulfVacation.com which exclusively offers direct from owner beach front rentals on the Gulf Of Mexico.

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