How to Budget Travel in 2017

Is one of your 2017 resolutions to save money? It’s likely you’re not alone. The beginning of a New Year is a great time to reevaluate your finances and look where you can cut expenses and grow your savings. Is traveling also one of your resolutions? This is also very common! Travel is often considered a luxury that not everyone can afford. But we want to give you some tips and tricks to budget travel into your schedule this year. It’s not nearly as out of reach as you may think!

Find Cheap Flights

We know this is probably one of the first things you think of when considering planning a vacation. Flights can get pricey fast, especially for a large family to go to a popular location. For starters, here are the top worst days to fly if you are trying to save:

  • Spring break (February for young kids, March/April for college kids)
  • Memorial Day through Labor Day
  • Three day weekends in the Summer
  • The Wednesday and Sunday around Thanksgiving
  • Christmas week
  • New Year’s Eve and Day

From the looks of that list, you’re probably thinking, “well that’s nearly the entire year!” And while it may seem that way, there are plenty of gaps where you can choose to plan a vacation…you just have to get a little creative!

Statistically speaking, the best and cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The second two are Thursdays and Saturdays. This is because they are not exactly what we think of as “ideal” days to start or end a vacation. But if you have any sort of flexibility, you can enjoy some savings.

If you are interested in a summer vacation, you may have noticed that we listed Memorial Day through Labor Day as bad times to fly. And yes, that essentially is the whole summer. If you can plan your summer vacation for early May or mid September, you’ll be able to save more. If not, try to plan flights on the days mentioned above.

For Spring Break travel, there are really only certain destinations you should try to avoid. Lots of families are going to be bringing their kids to Florida, where as most college kids will head off to Cancun, Punta Cana, Los Cabos, or Nassau. If there is somewhere entirely irrelevant to those crowds that you are looking to travel to, you should still be able to find a good deal.

Think driving could be the better option? You can utilize this handy fly or drive calculator here, where you can enter in your travel dates and destination to determine whether flying or driving makes more sense financially.

Consider the Off-Season

Budget travel can also be possible when you are traveling to places in their off-season. You’ll avoid the crowds, high accommodation costs, and other off-season deals and discounts. Many destinations want to keep travelers coming through for all seasons, so never underestimate the opportunities available to you in any location.

Here is a list of the most affordable places to travel in the US for each month of the year:

  • January – Los Angeles, CA
  • February – Honolulu, HI
  • March – Flagstaff, AZ
  • April – Chicago, IL
  • May – Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • June – San Antonio, TX
  • July – Boston, MA
  • August – New York City, NY
  • September – Orlando, FL
  • October – New Orleans, LA
  • November – San Francisco, CA
  • December – Las Vegas, NV

Now, many of these places are considered less expensive during these months because of the drop off percentage of nightly hotel fees. We at ResortRentals.com know that you can score a rental deal anytime of year with us, but also understand there are other reasons to visit these destinations during their slow month.

For example, Fort Lauderdale in May allows you to miss the Spring Breakers and high humidity. San Antonio in June puts you an hour away from the debatably more popular Austin, TX without the higher accommodation price. Boston and NYC may be blistering hot in July and August, but if you don’t mind that, there’s plenty to do and see in these spectacular cities. And once school goes back in session, Disney prices in Orlando are at an all-time low, as well as the lines for the rides.

Utilize Websites and Apps to Find Discounts

With both flights and accommodations, prices go up and down all the time. Last summer, we wrote a blog on some of the top free travel apps. Some of these will help you uncover great discounts, but you can also use websites such as Kayak and AirFareWatchDog. These sites allow you to set email alerts so that you never miss a good deal. It may force you to be a bit more spontaneous, but that’s another great 2017 resolution…right?

Find Accommodations on ResortRentals.com

Not only will you uncover incredible deals on spacious resort suites within our inventory, but the amenities found in these units can help you save as well!

Many of our accommodations feature multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, full kitchens, and washers and dryers. Find a multi-bedroom suite to avoid paying for two or more hotel rooms. Buy groceries and prepare meals in a fully applianced kitchen so you don’t have to pay to eat out every night. Bring less clothes with the ability to do laundry in your own suite. And of course, save time with the help of more than one bathroom for a large family.

Budget travel is possible! Don’t write it off because you think you can’t afford it. Find deals that work for you and get out and see the world.

No Comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.