Summer Fun and Travel on a Budget

Summers can be a blast! But they can be a bust if you’re broke and can’t afford to take a cruise to the Bahamas with your friends. Or can you? Okay, maybe you can’t afford a cruise. But surely there’s something that you can do to just get away and take advantage of the warm weather and overall summer magic.

So you don’t have a lot of money that you can dedicate towards summer vacation? Trust me. You don’t have to spend a thousand dollars to get away. And who says a vacation has to last 5-10 days? If you can get away for 2-3 days, just pack five days worth of fun into them. And if you can’t get away at all, that’s not a problem. Can’t get to the fun? Bring the fun to you. Below are some tips for enjoying summer even when you’re broke.

For Travel, Use Discount Sites. So you’re taking a few days off and want to get out of town. If you’re on a budget, try a discount website for the best rate. Two good ones are www.priceline.com and www.hotwire.com. They offer great deals on hotels, flights, and rental cars. The only catch is you don’t get all of the specitics before you book. You may say you want a three star hotel, which they’ll book for you, but you won’t know which three star hotel until after they book it.

Non-Peak Travel. Fourth of July weekend? Not a good time to travel if you’re on a tight budget. Only everybody and their mama will be travelling that weekend. People are going back and forth to and from hometowns, relatives’ houses, festivals, and the list goes on. Hotels, airlines, and car rental companies don’t have to offer great rates to get patrons in the door. This is one time when most people will just be happy they could get a room within the city at all. The best time to travel is in the middle of the week when there is no holiday within the same week. Especiall for hotel rates. Weekend rates can be more than double weekday rates.

Cram! If you can get 4-5 friends together and you all pitch in to rent a vehicle and stay in the same hotel, you’ll have it made. Cram everyone into a full-size rental car, throw a couple of air mattresses in the trunk, and hit the road. You guys will enjoy the road trip experience. Plus, splitting the bill trumps going it alone.

Amusement Parks. If you have local amusement parks or parks in neighboring states, this could be a nifty little trip if you go with friends. This is definitely not the trip you want to take alone. Ticket prices maybe $30 and up depending on where you go, but you can leave going early in the morning and stay until late in the evening. Then, drive back home and dodge the lodging bullet.

Visit Friends. Take advantage of friends in great places. If you have a good friend who lives out of state, maybe it’s time to pay him/her a visit, especially if you can stay with him/her while you’re there. Then, the only thing you have to think about is mode of transportation.

For Fun At Home, The Classic Cookout. Can’t get a way. Get together with a few friends. Fire up the grill. You don’t have to go all out with ribs. Burgers and hot dogs will suffice. Spring for some soda or beer. Maybe even mix a few drinks. Set up a card table, turn on some music. Try to have an almost equal number of guys to girls. You’ll see that you, too, can have fun at home.

You can have fun this summer. And you don’t have to spend a fortune to do it. It just takes a little brainstorming. Don’t let your financial situation stop you from living this summer!