It seems like the semester has barely started, but Spring Break is already right around the corner. This means a much-needed break from homework and exams, and—for many students—an epic spring break trip to share with friends. Unfortunately, many students aren’t able to afford these extravagant adventures. With a little bit of planning and tweaking, however, you can still make your break one to remember! Here are some tips to help you save a little bit of cash on your upcoming trips!
- Book everything early
The sooner you start planning the fine details of your trip, the less you will end up spending. Snatching up cheap hotels and rentals ahead of time will ensure that they are still available when everyone else will be looking for deals at the last minute. If you are going to be flying, plane tickets will also be much less expensive if you buy them a few months in advance. Planning ahead will not only ease the stress on your mind—it will ease the stress on your wallet, too.
2. Driving > Flying
Flying is great, yes. It takes much less time and effort, which makes planning seem so much smoother. However, on the other hand, plane tickets can end up being a couple hundred bucks a piece, which is precious money that you could spend on ice cream later (just saying). In total, we will have nine days free over the break, which means that you can definitely justify spending a couple of them on the road. In the long run, it will save you hundreds. Besides, who doesn’t love a good road trip with some good friends? If you don’t have a car suitable for a long trip, you can also check out websites like Expedia for car rentals!
3. Explore your housing options
Housing, of course, is also an important part of every trip. Luckily, there are a lot of ways that you can save in this area! Don’t pick out expensive hotels located right next to popular tourist attractions. There are bound to be cheaper places just a few more miles down the road. You could also consider checking out an AirB&B; depending on where you’re going, you could get a high-quality house to yourself for a very low price! Another option is to try to stay with family or friends. Try to pick a place where you are able to stay with people you know. If all else fails, you can also just camp out—depending on the weather of your destination, of course!
4. Take advantage of discounts
There are many places that accept student discounts on products, so take advantage of that Aggie ID! Saving just a few dollars on a couple of meals will leave you with a little bit more cash to buy souvenirs—or bills, if you’re the responsible type. If you or a friend is in the military, you could also try to find places with big military discounts. Popular attractions such as Disneyland or Sea World offer heavily discounted prices to people that are rocking the uniform.
5. Bring your own food
If you’re traveling for the break, of course you will want to try out a few of the local restaurants. However, you can save a lot of money in this area by packing up your own meals. Before you leave, you can buy cereal, pop tarts, lunchables, sandwiches, or other foods to bring with you on the trip. Let’s face it: nobody wants to spend $15 on a small meal inside some amusement park. Pack your own food—at least for a couple of meals—and your bank account will thank you!
It’s not easy to coordinate a trip between a group of busy college students. However, with a little bit of hard work and determination, setting a plan into action is achievable for anyone. Even if you don’t get to take your dream vacay, even a little road trip can help you relax and have fun with the people that you love. I hope that these tips will allow you and your friends to plan and execute a trip that is one to remember!