Every year my husband and I make it a goal to take at least one short trip together. Just us! We took a quick weekend trip to Louisville, KY to visit some dear friends and had such a lovely fall weekend.
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 go sometime between January- March. We have other travel plans coming up that will prohibit is from heading somewhere together in winter of 2022 so we decided to do a November trip. Flights were still super cheap on Allegiant Air (who we always fly with for these trips) and the fall trees were STUNNING!
Free & Inexpensive Things to Do In Louisville, KY
Here's what we did during our stay but there's lots more to see and do!
Big Four Pedestrian Bridge - FREE
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - $16 per person (totally worth it)
Check out the Campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary- FREE & beautiful
Click the arrows on the sides to see more pics :)
Accommodations
We stayed at a really cute and clean Airbnb right outside the city in Jeffersonville, IN. It was 8 min into downtown Louisville and we loved the little city. While I would not recommend the exact Airbnb we stayed at (due to some safety issues in the neighborhood) there were many other options in Indiana that were much cheaper than staying right in the city itself. We always stay at Airbnb's - they are way more bang for your buck.
Money Saving Tips & Tricks:
I have shared these tips before but they save us so much money I'm sharing again!
To save money eat 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. Or opt for brunch out and skip lunch!
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 checked bag if bags aren't free/included!
Make sure you visit a location that's in its off-season. Some warmer locations won't really have an off-season but soooo many places around the US have a season where travel will be less expensive. Note: for this trip we did not follow this rule. Fall is prime visiting time for Louisville. BUT our flights were dirt cheap via Allegiant Air - so it was still a win.
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! Some Airbnb hosts have even left us bottles of wine and snacks.
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. Instead go for 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.
Remember...traveling can be done on a dime and it can be just as fun as a big splurge vacay!
Past Vacations for Two On a Budget:
Disclaimer: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic all travelwas done at our own risk. We encourage you to travel at your own risk too.
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