Last month my husband (Danny) and I took a sweet little vacation on a serious budget! Towards the end of 2019, we were discussing how we had never been on an actual vacation just the two of us since our honeymoon in 2016! We have been so blessed to have been able to travel every year to some amazing places thanks to and with our generous family (hello Mexico, California, and various mission trips overseas)! So this little vacation was just what we needed/desired. Danny let me pick the location, activities, and transportation within a small budget and I made it happen. Traveling can be done on a dime and it can be just as fun as a big splurge vacay!
Here are some of my best travel tips & hacks for saving money!
Location Selection- We really wanted to be somewhere cold (with the potential for snow). I went back and forth between Niagara Falls, Canada, and Asheville NC. Both locations are tourist hot spots but not in the dead of winter. Eventually, I landed on NC (I had been to both options) and I'm so glad we did because it felt like we had the entire state to ourselves!
Flights- Because it was the off-season flights were SO CHEAP! We flew Allegiant Air for less than $250 total round trip for both tickets and that included adding one checked bag for $50 each way! This was the best deal that included bags so it was a total win. Allegiant is nothing fancy but they have some great deals! We choose to bring one checked bag and just shared (although we were overweight and had to get creative). It ended up being cheaper to fly and rent a car vs. drive
Instead of paying the fee for overweight baggage. I stuffed our laundry bag with tons of stuff and brought it as my personal item.
Car Rental- I booked our rental car about 3 months in advance from Expedia.com through Ebates (hello cashback). Guys...I got such a good deal when we picked up the car at the Asheville airport the Alamo lady was telling her co-workers! We got an SUV for 5 days for $99.00 total (with taxes & fees)! It had unlimited miles and we only had to fill up for gas once right before we returned it! Total steal. You NEED to book well in advance! I wasn't even charged until after the trip!
Airbnb over Hotels- Guysssss you have to stay at Airbnb's if/when you can. They are 10X cheaper you have more space, character, and amenities. We ended up getting an Airbnb Plus for under $400 for the 5 days. It was one of the nicest places we ever stayed at (see full pics here) and it was simply perfect for two people. Did you know you can get $55 off your first stay!!! Click here for details!
Activites- We choose one splurge activity (The Biltmore Estate) and the rest of our time we spent doing free things. We visited national parks, hiked, went downtown, and drove for hours on the Blue Ridge Parkway. At night we watched movies in the Airbnb because we were so cold haha! The Biltmore was $50 per person (but we booked in advance online and saved a little money). P.S. IT WAS SO WORTH IT!
Set your budget BEFORE you go! It will help you stay on track while you're on vacation.
Set your budget BEFORE you go! It will help you stay on track while you're on vacation.
Food- To save money we ate one meal "in" every day. We decided to go to the local grocery store and stock up on some snacks and breakfast foods. We spent $30 total and ate breakfast every day before we left. We also had a lot of gift cards to restaurants that we got as Christmas gifts so we used those for dinners!
Other Tips & Tricks:
Bring refillable water bottles to the airport to fill-up with H2o after security so you don't have to buy the $8-$10 ones!
Search on Yelp, Travel Blogs, and Instagram for free and cheap activities before you arrive!
Ask the cashier at the grocery store (we went to Ingles) if they can use their rewards card to give you the discounts since you're from out of town!
Let waiters know you're visiting- we got a lot of things given to us "on-the-house"!
Share one carry-on bag if bags aren't free/included!
Make sure you visit a location that's in its off-season. Tropical locations won't really have an off-season but soooo many places around the US have a season where things are going to be 10X the price.
Bring two pairs of shoes ONLY. Trust me don't worry about feet fashion it's just not worth the extra hassle/weight.
Invest in a Makeup Eraser! Skip out on bringing makeup wipes and thank me later!
Leave reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc. Sometimes the retailer will give you a little discount. Plus it's just helpful for others!
Ask your Airbnb host, hotel workers, etc for recommendations on free/fun things to do!
Set your budget BEFORE you go! It will help you stay on track while you're on the vacation.
Opt-in for movie nights, desserts back at your lodging. It will save you from going out every night and its much more fun and cozy for two!