Every year my husband and I make it a goal to take a short trip (just the two of us: no kids, other family members, or friends) to reconnect and reflect on our marriage. It is always so refreshing and we always make sure its quick and cost effective! Traveling can be done on a dime and it can be just as fun as a big splurge vacay!
Disclaimer: Due to COVID-19 all travel was done at our own risk. We strived to take the appropriate precautions on the flights, with the rental car, and in the Airbnb. We proudly wore masks when in public places and sanitized surfaces before and after using. Travel at your own risk - and remember to be mindful to others.
Here are some of my best travel tips & hacks for saving money! Plus a run down of what we did in Tennessee.
We always try and go during the "off-season" meaning - we choose a place that is typically more crowed during the summer, fall, and holiday seasons but we go sometime in January- March. The week prior to us going was New Year's and we were told that some of the same places we visited to were so packed you couldn't even get around. Knoxville was dead and Gatlinburg was far less crowded than their busy times! It was amazing (and safer due to COVID).
Location Selection- We like going places that are cold (with the potential for snow). It's just a nice change of pace / scenery compared to hot Florida lol. So this year we choose Gatlinburg, TN. We didn't know if we would see snow but a small front came though and we did! It was a dream. It was also Danny's first time seeing snow falling and on the ground!
Flights- Because we go in the off-season flights are always SO CHEAP! We like to fly Allegiant Air. This year our total was less than $250 total round trip for both tickets and that included adding one checked bag for $50 each way! Allegiant is nothing fancy but they have some great deals! We choose to bring one checked bag and just shared For us it ended up being cheaper to fly and rent a car vs. drive. Additionally our trip was Thursday night - Sunday morning so driving would have taken too much time. (We flew from St.Pete to Knoxville).
Car Rental- I booked our rental car though Allegiant as well and while I have gotten better deals on rental cars it was still just over $100 for the three days. It had unlimited miles and we only had to fill up for gas once right before we returned it! Typically I don't recommend booking the rental though the airline - but since we were arriving so late I wanted to make my life a tad easier and let the airline handle reserving our car.
Airbnb over Hotels- 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 for under $350. The Airbib this year was super cute and in a great location. We loved our Airbnb from last year SO MUCH it was hard to compare but this cozy cottage was perfect for this years stay. Did you know you can get up to $65 off your first stay!!! Click here for details!
Activities- We always choose one splurge activity (Anakeesta in Downtown Gatlinburg) and the rest of our time we spent doing free things. We visited Great Smoky National Park, hiked though Ijams Quarry and Nature Trails, and went to downtown Knoxville. Anakeesta was $24 per person and it was a lovely little escape from Downtown Gatlinburg. A ski lift takes you up to the cutest little shopping center and amazing views. We spent the entire day at Anakeesta until we got too cold. We liked it far better than the Gatlinburg strip and 10/10 would recommend.
Other Tips & Tricks:
Food- To save money we ate one meal "in" every day. The first morning I used Instacart to order some snacks and breakfast foods. We spent $30 total and ate breakfast every day before we left.
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. (NOTE: I did NOT do this tip this year due to COVID)
Search on Yelp, Travel Blogs, and Instagram for free and cheap activities before you arrive!
Ask the cashier at the grocery store 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 have gotten 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, and drinks back at your lodging. It will save you from going out every night and its much more fun and cozy for two! Our host left us a bottle of wine and I ordered some snacks. On the last night we had a cozy little wine and movie night!
Choose an Airbnb that meets your needs. If you know you're going to be spending a lot of time away from it - don't pick something that is too fancy / has lots of amenities. Choose something more low-key. And vice versa if you are gonna be spending more time at it - choose one that has some extra comfort or a nice view.
Rental cars don't need to be fancy. They will try to upsell you a nicer car when you check in - don't let them fool you lol. Also most auto insurance companies cover rentals so check with yours before your tip - that way you don't have to purchase the rental insurance.
We typically only do 2 meals when we travel. One home-cooked meal at the place we are staying (normally breakfast). During the day we will eat snacks and have coffee but skip lunch (or have a later lunch). So we only eat one large meal out a day- this saves a ton of money.
For last years tips and tricks for Asheville, NC click here!