You're a mom. You can do anything. (yes, even manage your money)
Start today and download my FREE Mom's Got Money starter pack!
You’ll also get updates from me.

You CAN Go On a Nice Trip If You Do Your Research

  March 7

This post may contain affiliate links.

go on a nice tripIf you’re planning your next trip, you may be dreaming of swanky locations by the sea or sipping wine by candlelight, but let’s face it, that sounds a little expensive!

However, with a little bit of research, careful planning, and a budget, you can go on a nice trip, and it might not be as far off as you might think!

Destination

The first step always begins with research. There are plenty of travel sites to peruse before deciding on a destination like Kayak for my US readers or Cosmos Cheap Holidays for my UK readers. You can also consult customer reviews for countries and regions rated as typically cheap in terms of accommodation and living costs.

Also, be smart about the area you want to visit! Flashy resorts on the ocean are likely to come at a higher cost than quieter inland villages. That said, travel companies often buy in bulk including hotel rooms in popular spots and sell them off for increasingly cheap rates as the dates approach, so keep your eyes peeled for last minute deals too.

Basically, it’s a case of shopping around to see how far your money will stretch. And if you can be flexible about traveling in late summer to early fall, it can be a lot more affordable.

Accommodation

This is likely going to be the biggest vacation expense you’ll encounter, so consider all the options. Many people opt for all-inclusives as a way to keep to a budget. You can also follow my tip of churning credit cards to earn hotel points.

If you’re a solo traveler, consider websites like Air bnb where you may find a room in a local’s house for a cheap rate, all while getting the experience of home-cooked meals and interaction with local peeps.

I’m also a huge fan of setting up a budget before traveling anywhere. It makes everything so much less stressful, and you don’t have to worry about the guilt of checking your credit card statement when you go home!

Now let’s hear from you. Where oh where in the whole world would you like to go next?

20 responses to “You CAN Go On a Nice Trip If You Do Your Research

  1. I’m going to Hamburg, Groningen, and Amsterdam next month! Accommodations are FREE since I’m staying with the boyfriend (who is out there with work). I had to pay for the flights, but credit card rewards covered almost HALF of that expense.

  2. I am a bit boring, as I always travel in the States. It is a cheaper flight and I can speak the language…lol

    I do find that if you are more flexible on your travel dates, you can save a LOT of money. Hotels have a lot of discount programs too.

  3. Hi, I’m from Singapore and its said to be the most expensive city to live in. Everything is so expensive here and overpriced, not to mention air plane tickets. As a teen, I wanna visit different countries with my family and the tickets are very very expensive. Its already way over my budget even though its from those budget airlines and I even chose non peak periods to go on a family trip. Singapore is such a tiny city (I won’t call it a country) that we don’t even have much land to build anything unless we reclaim land from the sea, not to mention places to spend a day with my family. Also, with our new 2014 budget – government rising the price of things again such as liquor, cigs etc (our service charge is 7% for a few years now), it’s so difficult to even breathe here. How do I even scrimp and save in such an expensive place?

  4. I’d love to go to the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. I’d also love to do an safari in Malawi or Botswana – and ideally more glamping than camping.

  5. Well, two things. Between Victoria and I we have $880 worth of rewards for travel through Barclaycard. I also plan on getting two free roundtrip flights in the US through Frontier. Finally, we should have some free hotels/buffets for Vegas within a few months here. So for sure I want to go to Vegas for a quick weekend, but I also kind of want to go on another cruise. I think if we plan it right we can keep the costs down, especially combining with our rewards.

  6. We are going to Florida six weeks from Friday. I cannot wait! We driving and we rented a condo off of vrbo.com. It’s just going to be a cheap and relaxing week with the kids.

  7. I want to go to Uzbekistan and along the silk road, and to Cuba as well, which may be coming sooner than the former. I love how Kayak allows you to look for multiple destination flights if you are flexible about your arrival airport.

  8. I just started travel hacking this year. I’m hoping to earn enough and get enought to travel to Hawaii next winter. My wife and I have been wanting to go there, so hopefully we’ll be able to get it done.

Comments are closed.
Copyright © Catherine Alford.  Designed & Developed with by LizTheresa.com