With summer vacation season fast approaching, it’s time to nail down your travel plans. Although most of us would probably love to go on a tropical cruise or enjoy a lavish trip to Europe, the costs can quickly add up if you’re not careful. For Americans, the average vacation costs $1,145 per person — about as much as a new laptop. 

So, how can you enjoy a relaxing vacation without skimping on the fun or breaking the bank? By planning ahead, choosing low-cost meals and lodging, and finding ways to save on your trip activities, you’ll be enjoying your wallet-friendly dream vacation in no time!

Planning ahead

In my family, vacation planning was a highly anticipated annual event. With two teachers for parents, we never failed to make the most of our free summers together — but we could never afford to do anything extravagant, either. As we planned our summer trips together, we always tried to implement several key money-saving principles.

Here are a few of those methods that you can use to save money on your next trip:

• Set a budget. We all know that budgeting saves money. But is it really important to budget for a luxury expense? Yes! By setting limits for yourself and your family, you will be able to enjoy the freedom of spending your trip budget without having to worry about the amount you’re spending, not to mention easy decision-making once the budget is used up.
• Make reservations far in advance. When it comes to bookings, the early bird gets the discount. By reserving flights, hotels, campgrounds, event tickets and even restaurant visits far in advance, you’re much more likely to get a better price, let alone a booking in general.
• Start saving early. Remember your “travel funds” mason jar? Use it or a separate bank account to start saving up for your ultimate trip. One great way to fill it up is to hold off on making certain small purchases, like fast food, and add the money you would have spent to your trip fund.

Food and lodging

According to Value Penguin, vacationers spend about $27 daily at restaurants but only $6 daily on food they prepare themselves. Additionally, lodging costs account for about one-fourth of travel expenses. While food and lodging will certainly make up a large portion of your vacation budget, it’s not hard to find ways to reduce your spending in these areas. Follow these tips to save on meals and lodging for your summer trip:

• Make your own food. Resist the temptation to justify overspending on food simply because you’re on vacation. Whenever I go on a road trip, I always pack enough food for several meals during the journey so that I don’t have to spend on eating out — it’s a great way to save. Once you arrive at your destination, buy food at the local grocery store to prepare at home rather than eating out each day. Even if your hotel only has a microwave, you can use it to prepare a variety of fresh and frozen meals.
• Stay somewhere other than a nice hotel. Hopefully, you’ll be doing so much sightseeing that you won’t be spending much time at your lodging, anyway. Instead of spending a lot on a hotel, check out local Airbnb listings or hostels. And, if possible, find one with a kitchen that you can use.

Activities

While vacation activities may be the most important part of your trip, it’s still wise to keep them within a set budget. This doesn’t mean you have to cut back on fun experiences, however — you’d be surprised by the amount of entertainment you can find for free.

Check out this list of ways to save money on activities during your summer vacation:

• Borrow gear. One of the best vacation experiences I’ve enjoyed was kayaking in Colorado on my honeymoon. The best part? Thanks to a friend, we were able to borrow a kayak for free! Ask around your circles for equipment that you’re interested in using. Friends, family, neighbors, coworkers or even someone in your church congregation is bound to let you rent or borrow their gear.
• Participate in free activities. Community calendars can be a great resource for finding free or discounted events in your area. For example, locally, Now Playing Utah has pages of listings for all kinds of events in Utah Valley. If you’d prefer something less structured, summer is also a great time for no- or low-cost outdoor activities in many parts of the world. Take a hike, go for a swim or simply sunbathe for some inexpensive vacation fun!

Other ways to survive

Any vacation that you take should be a relaxing, enjoyable experience–if you come home to an increased financial burden, you’re doing it wrong. “Reducing unnecessary expenses is one of the best ways to relieve financial burden,” said Justin Hatch, CEO of Reach Reporting, a financial reporting software firm in Springville. “Experiences don’t have to be expensive to be valuable and memorable.” 

Here are some additional ways that you can save money and create a stress-free summer vacation:

• Student and military discounts. Many businesses in a variety of industries provide discounts to students and military personnel. Bring your student or military ID with you on your trip to take advantage of any discounts that you may find.
• Use public transportation. In larger cities, public transportation is readily available and fairly inexpensive. By taking the bus, train or trolley, you can quickly cut down on your gas and parking expenses.
• Buy souvenirs at the local stores. If you’re vacationing in an area that gets a lot of tourists, chances are you can find souvenirs just about anywhere. Save money on overpriced tchotchkes by getting them in local grocery stores or markets rather than the airport or tourist hotspots.

As you plan ahead, choose low-cost meals and lodging and save on your trip activities, you’ll be all set to enjoy your most exciting, cost-effective vacation ever.

Lillian Sanders is a project manager at Stage Marketing, a full-service content marketing agency based in Provo.

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