Clip Your Way to a Cheaper Vacation
Find out how you can save on your trip away.
June 27, 2008 — -- A weak dollar and struggling economy don't have to curb your summer vacation plans entirely. You can still get some rest and relaxation without emptying your wallet. Check out these tips from Yahoo finance and happiness expert Laura Rowley, and you could slice your vacation costs in half like she did with her Myrtle Beach, S.C., vacation. Check out her plan below.
Drive rather than fly. Although gas is expensive, driving is just one-third the cost of flying. And although your SUV may get only 18 miles to the gallon on the highway, it's still cheaper to drive your own vehicle than to rent a car.
For instance, if you rented a Nissan Versa, which gets 33 miles to the gallon on the highway, it would cost $175 for the rental and $192 for gas — bringing the total to $367 — still about $40 higher than using your own car.
Rent from an owner. Check out homeaway.com, vrbo.com (vacation rental by owner), and redweek.com, which lists timeshares for rent. Because you're dealing directly with the property owner, these sites offer big savings on accommodations. (On redweek.com, for example, I found a timeshare in the Marriott Oceanwatch Villas for $264 a night or $1,700 for the week — less than this family was paying for four days.)
Plan ahead and buy groceries.
Because you're staying in a villa with a kitchen, stop at the grocery store when you arrive and pick up breakfast, lunch, dessert and snack items. This also means healthier eats for you, too.
Laura created a healthy menu and shopping list of two dozen items for $62, or $15.50 a day. The only cooking required was boiling water or microwaving. (For an extra $20 you can add a case of beer and a bottle of wine.)
Take advantage of every coupon available.
You can start by ordering a free copy of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce 2008 Vacation Guide online, like Laura did. It contains $1,000 in coupons. (All local chambers have these.)
Check out airline sites such as www.kayak.com, hotwire.com, and faircast.live.com. At Yapta.com, you can enter your departure and destination cities and it will track flights for you, and let you know when fares have dropped.
($62, based on sale items in online Myrtle Beach circular found at Kroger.com )
Breakfast Menu: Cereal
Toast
Juice
Yogurt
Fresh fruit
Day 1: Mac 'n' cheese, corn on the cob, grapes, milk
Day 2: Ham sandwiches with chips, peaches, milk
Day 3: Pork spare ribs, baked beans, baby carrots, strawberries, milk
Day 4: Turkey sandwiches, corn on the cob, apple slices, snack crackers, milk
Lunch Menus for the Adults
Day 1: Oven Baked herbed chicken, chef salad, fresh fruit
Day 2: Ham and turkey sandwiches with chips and fresh fruit
Day 3: Pork spare ribs, baked beans, chef salad, fruit, soda
Day 4: Calzones, fresh fruit
Desserts: Ice cream and cookies
Snacks: Fruit, crackers, yogurt, baby carrots, cookies
Click here find the complete grocery list.
