We have found ourselves out of town nearly every weekend for the past month and it’s been a great way to disconnect from media and cell phones and reconnect with each other. These little excursions can be expensive though if we don’t plan them centsably!
Before you finalize your own plans, I have some tips to share to help you save money and have a very memorable vacation doing all the things you want to do!
This is part one of a three-part series this week. Check in tomorrow for Part Two: Attractions and Events!
Pre-planning step: Get your maps and guidebooks, but don’t pay for them!
- AAA is my favorite place to get maps and guidebooks BUT, you have to be a member (which is actually a really great investment). For a great FREE source, check this link.
- Another great resource is PaperBackSwap.com. (If you haven’t tried this before you definitely should!). Read more about PaperBackSwap and how to start building your library for free here.
Transportation
Make sure you are getting the best deal you can getting to your destination. Whether you are flying, driving or taking the train there are ways to get smokin’ deals even when it appears there aren’t any.
For air travel, try bidding on Priceline.com. We’ve done this twice this year and cut the cost of our air travel by 40%! That’s huge when you are working on a strict vacation budget. You do have to be flexible with your flight times. Priceline’s policy is to bid on flights that depart/arrive between 6:30 am and 10:30pm local time.
- In February, I was able to fly non-stop, round-trip from Phoenix to Kansas City for just $150 on just a 5 day advance (phenomenal). This past Friday morning I was able to purchase tickets for two of my sister in laws to come from Atlanta to Phoenix for just $250 round-trip with only a 12 day advance. The best price we could find anywhere else was $358 each!
Here’s the trick: when you bid, bid really, really low, and when your offer is rejected, see what counter-offer they make you in return. Then go back and bid a bit under that offer. Be sure to read their offer closely as sometimes they will include fees in it and sometimes they don’t. For the deal I got on tickets this morning, their first counter-offer was for nearly $800, but after three rounds of “negotiations” I got the tickets for $600 with fees included! The whole process took me about twenty minutes.
For train travel check for discounts from AAA if you are a member, your local craigslist site for unused tickets, and on Entertainment.com and Travelocity for specials and last-minute deals. Train travel is NOT faster, but if you have the time in your schedule it can be a lot of fun, and is statistically safer than driving!
If you are driving here’s three recommendations:
- First, spend some time thinking about whether or not to take your own vehicle. Read this great post from The Simple Dollar that details Trent’s decision and why he made it.
- Second, if you make the decision to drive your own vehicle the best thing you can do is make sure you have it serviced before you leave (tires aired, rotated and balanced, oil changed, fluids checked, brakes checked – all the basic stuff). Find a repair shop you trust and tell them you are going on a road trip — they will know what to check for.
- Third, get a AAA membership. As I’ve illustrated, there are numerous ways to save with AAA. They will provide motor-assist services, tow your vehicle, arrange for a rental and offer discounts on lodging, food and entertainment as well as travel loss coverage. The towing and discounts alone save more than your membership in a year’s time.
Start planning your last summer getaway before school starts…just a few weeks left!
Leave a comment to share your money-saving transportation tips and come back on Thursday for tips to save on entertainment.
For 10 more great travel tips, check out the post published earlier this summer here.
