20 Top Tips to Save on Spring Break 2019
Finish those exams and pack your bags: It’s time for spring break! We’ve got a lot of ways to save. Spring break is around the corner, and you’re ready to chill. But while you’ve been slaving away to pass your midterms, you haven’t made any plans — and you don’t have much money. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
A good spring break doesn’t require a ton of cash. You just need a place to go, a way to get there, somewhere to stay, cheap food, and — for those of proper age — perhaps a drink or two. Check out our money-saving, fun-boosting tips:
1. Plan ahead
Depending on your spring break dates, it might already be too late for thorough planning and advance ticket purchasing. But plan what you can. Knowing where you’re going, how you’re getting there and what you’ll need means less stress and less likelihood of extra expenses and last-minute rate hikes. Developing a budget now will help you save on staples so you can splurge where it counts.
2. Check with your school
Many colleges have on-campus travel agents who can help plan your vacation and find the best rates. Your school might even get special discounts. And campus organizations might be planning trips of their own, so you can get in on good deals there or find people to split costs with you.
3. Look for deals everywhere
Find Restaurant.com, Groupon and LivingSocial deals for areas you’re heading to or through. These sites serve travelers well, because deals frequently pop up for food and hotels. When booking or buying anything, look for online promotional codes and discounts too. When you’re in a hotel or all-night diner, grab one of those deal books from the corner stuffed with tourist brochures — they’ve got maps and coupons.
4. Be outgoing
When you’re traveling, don’t be shy about talking to the locals — first, because meeting new people is what travel is all about, but just as important, locals can tell you what’s worth checking out and what’s an overpriced tourist trap. They’ll save you time and money.
5. Don’t buy stupid souvenirs
Most of us cut loose on vacation, including with our wallets. While it’s fun to be impulsive about what you do and where you go, don’t succumb to impulse buys of tourist junk. You can find that stuff cheaper online anyway.
6. Know the local laws
Speed limits are obvious, but some states — and certainly foreign countries — have different rules about driving and what could get you pulled over, including driving while on the phone. The last thing you need on a trip is a brush with the law, which could mean hefty fines or worse. There may also be noise ordinances, or restrictions on what you can have at the beach.
7. Gather your posse
Cost sharing is a great way to cut car, hotel and other travel expenses. Try to collect a group of friends with useful skills: your obsessive-compulsive roommate who’s organized and can keep track of details, the cheapskate who can sniff out deals, a sweet-talker who can score discounts and smooth over ruffled feathers, and somebody who can cook.
8. Wield your student ID
Especially if you’re going to a popular destination with high prices, there are probably student discounts that can bring things down to more reasonable rates. Sometimes you need a local ID, sometimes not, so ask. On the other hand, there are a lot of people looking to scam students on spring break, so be skeptical of “student discounts.”
9. Gather all the necessities
If you’re the type to have a little party the night before you go, you’ll probably end up packing at the last minute. Make a list so you don’t forget stuff like sunglasses, hat, clothes, sneakers and sandals, camera and whatever else you might need. That will keep you from having to buy them again at your destination.
10. BYOB
If you’re going to be drinking, bring your own. Alcohol isn’t cheap, and you won’t immediately know where the best prices and drink specials are on arrival. So bring your own — but only if you’re old enough to legally have it. And be careful — the quickest way to ruin any trip is to overindulge, and one place you don’t want to save is with free lodging in the local jail.
11. Get off the beaten path
You already know the most popular places for spring break — Las Vegas, South Padre, Daytona, Key West, Cancun — and so does everyone else. So pick somewhere less popular for a more interesting experience and cheaper air and hotel rates.
There are a number of organizations, like International Volunteer HQ, that arrange for volunteers to travel affordably to places like Guatemala, Costa Rica, Romania and the Philippines to help out in such roles as teaching, working on agriculture and conservation projects and more. If you’re looking abroad, you might want to skip Europe; your dollars just won’t stretch as far there. Instead, think south of the border and the Caribbean.
12. Go for pedestrian-friendly
One more thing to factor into your destination decision — if you’re not going on a road trip, at least — is how you’ll get around. Pick a destination where you won’t have to rent a car: Look for places where everything worthwhile is within walking distance, or pick a place that has good, cheap public transit and bike rentals.
13. Rev up for a road trip
As we just mentioned, one way to save might be a road trip. Wherever you’re going, you’ll have a way to get around. If you listen to our earlier advice and decide to travel with your buddies, you can take the most fuel-efficient car among you and split the cost of gas. Traveling with friends can be fun wherever you’re going.
14. Consider hostels
Hostels are a cheap solution when you need a place to crash. And while it’s true you can’t party at many hostels, how much of your spring break will you be spending there anyway?
15. Call on friends (or friends of friends) and family
If you know anybody near your destination, maybe you can get a free room from someone you know and trust. Just don’t abuse your welcome, and throw them a few bucks for what you use in food and electricity — it would’ve been far more expensive otherwise.
16. Look to other people’s homes
The alternatives for vacation rentals, spare bedrooms and apartment swapping opportunities have exploded in the last few years. Look for good deals through Homestay, Airbnb and VRBO.
17. Camp out
f you’re going on a road trip and plan on slumming it, you could always stay in your vehicle — but that’s often illegal. A better option is to find a nearby campground, which is also a great place to make new friends and cook out.
18. Hit the buffets
Sometimes all-you-can-eat is all you can afford. Find out where the best happy hour and buffet places are in the area, from locals or online.
19. Use the kitchen
If you’ve got a place with a kitchen, make use of it — and not just the microwave. Cooking is way cheaper than eating out every day, and if you make just one or two big meals, the leftovers can last all week.
20. Take advantage of hotel freebies
If you get complimentary breakfast or any kind of on-site discounts, make use of them. Watch out for stuff in your room that costs you, though: That mini-bar is not your friend. What’s the best road trip or spring break adventure you’ve experienced? What made it so great? Share with us in comments below or on our Facebook page.
By: Brandon Ballenger, February 2019, 20 Top Tips to Save on Spring Break 2019, MoneyTalksNews, recovered from: https://www.moneytalksnews.com/26-tips-save-spring-break-2013/
