Booking an Affordable Vacation: Part II
By Kathleen Thompson – In my previous post I shared 5 great tips for traveling on a budget. In this next post, I’m excited to share the next set of 5 tips based on my experience booking a recent trip to California.
To view the first 5 tips please visit: Still Holding onto that Tax Refund? Consider an Affordable Vacation.
6). Look for restaurant coupons.
Before we left on our recent trip to CA, we looked at top places to eat and in many cases the restaurants we found had coupons on their website or listed days that they had buffet specials and drink specials. We also found that if you look on a town website, they sometimes have a section for tourists that has a list of coupons to various eateries and markets.
7). Don’t eat every meal at a sit-down restaurant.
Eating at a sit-down restaurant can be fun, but expensive. If you’re going to do so, stick to breakfast and lunch, as those meals are generally cheaper than dinner. If you’re looking to drink- drink in and then eat out as drinks typically start at $8 and go up from there. Apart from drinks being expensive, you also have to leave a tip. We looked for local markets and stands to eat at throughout the day. The food we found was usually affordable, authentic and delicious and we took less time to eat and more time doing the fun things on our list.
8). Look for military, student or senior citizen discounts.
Many places offer military, student, or senior citizen discounts which you can usually find on their websites, or by calling. I am currently in the military and was able to get into the San Diego Zoo for free and my significant other was able to get 10% off of his ticket for being my guest. A lot of museums have these special rates too! You just have to ask.
9). Pack snacks and drinks when out adventuring.
When we first arrived, we took a quick trip to our local grocery store to stock up on snacks. We knew we would be on the go a lot, so instead of having to stop at convenient stores where these items are more expensive, we planned ahead and got things in bulk that were easy to carry with us throughout the day and we would have them to come home too after a long day of walking around.
10). Pack light if you know you’re a shopper.
I love shopping (for myself and for others). I knew before we left that I was going to pack light so I would have room in my bag to fit all the things I would want to bring home. I packed only the essentials when leaving and I did not over pack with different outfit choices as I knew I’d end up buying clothes when I was there. If you over pack before you leave you risk having to pay $40 for another carry-on bag at the airport, or you’ll have to pay to mail home what you purchased, which can be costly if mailing from the other side of the country, or world!
And there’s more travel tips to come so stay tuned!
Written by Kathleen Thompson, Associate Accountant, Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs.
Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs has been assisting Vermont individuals and business owners with tax consulting and retirement planning for more than 25 years. Call our office in Williston 802.878.1963 or Rutland 802. 775-7132 to schedule a tax planning strategy session today.
