The time for spring break is almost here once again and if you’re a broke college kid, you may be having a hard time trying to figure out how to spend your week off from class. On top of the chaos of being back at school, spring break should not be another thing added to your list of stress. So, here is a list of some tips and ideas on what you can do this spring break if you’re on a budget.
1. Go home with a friend
Chances are, you have friends from all kinds of different parts of the state, country, or even the world. If you know one of your friends is going home for break, ask if you can tag along! You get to explore a new city or town and your friend may even be pleasantly surprised by some of the hometown quirks they never noticed while acting as your tour guide.
2. Do things in groups
While you don’t need a big group of people to have a good time, traveling with a lot of people may have its perks. Sites like Airbnb give the option of renting out apartments and houses by the night, giving your group the opportunity to live it up by the beach in places like Puerto Rico for less than $20 a night. While this may sound like a typical Airbnb price, consider that the only people you would be sharing your space with would be your friends.
3. Plan Ahead
Get together with your friends to come up with a list of possible destinations. Then, do your research and try calculating the estimated costs of travel, lodging, food, and activities. If it turns out to be completely out of your price range, move on! Planning ahead gives you the luxury of time so that you can find just the right place to go to that’s right in your price range without the stress of having to figure things out the week before.
4. Go Somewhere Less Conventional
While your heart may call for popular spring break destinations such as Miami or Cancun, your bank account might not necessarily agree. Look for fewer tourist cities or maybe a quirky town instead of your typical spring break destination. Chances are, these places will be a lot cheaper and you still get to experience somewhere new and charming.
5. Go on a Road Trip If you or someone you know has a car, head out on the road and hop through different towns and cities. You can adjust where and how far you want to go by how much you are willing to spend. You can split the gas money as a group, stop at different diners and visit some awesome places on the way whether it be a national park, museum, or the Mall of America. Road trips are a great way to get closer to your friends while blasting some of the best music of the 90’s and your teen angst phase.
6. Go on a Service Trip
I would never recommend to sign up for a service trip solely for the purpose of traveling. However, if service is something right up your alley, I would recommend to take a look through your university’s national and international service trip clubs and find one that interests you. A lot of them discuss heavy topics such as poverty, privilege, race, etc., and incorporate reflections in them as well. Service trips allow you to learn about another community while expressing how you feel about different issues and topics. On top of that, you get to meet new people both from your school and the community and become a close-knit family as the days go by. Just remember, service trips are usually a year long commitment and should be something you want to do and not just for the purpose of traveling.
7. Stay at School
If you really don’t want to go home for spring break, stay in your home away from home. Use these days off from school to explore your college town and discover some new restaurants, shops, or museums you would otherwise be too busy to go to. If your friends decide to stay too, even better! Between classes, work, homework, and extracurriculars, heading downtown does not always fit into your schedule so you might as well try to discover all that it has to offer in your off.
8. Go Home
Going home for spring break is not that bad, I promise. In fact, I’ll even go as far as to say it’s a great option, one of the best even! *gasp*. If you can afford to go home this spring break, I do not think you would regret doing so. Your parents miss you, your dog definitely misses you, and, you can spend all day sitting on the couch watching Netflix with a plate of homemade lasagna in your lap. What is honestly be better than that?
Whether you go to Puerto Rico or back home, just remember that you have an entire week of no class and can relax in whichever way you choose. Spring break can be a great week no matter where you are and It’s up to you to make the best of it!
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