Save for Summer Vacation
By JENNISE VENTURA
Preplanning for summer vacation is always fun to do, however, it can also be daunting because the cost of planning a vacation can be high. The good news is that you have time to look for deals.
First, think of what your budget looks like. Consider having an emergency budget as well.
Create an email address strictly for family vacations to track digital purchases and confirmations. This will keep all your vacation correspondences in one email, instead of having it mixed in with your personal or work emails. Create a fun name such as JohnsonFamilyVacation@gmail.com or TheTuckersTrip@yahoo.com.
When selecting a place to stay, look at hotels and their amenities, Airbnb, VRBO and local rental companies. I do find that rental companies are cheaper and often offer discounts, such as military, first responder, AARP and educator discounts.
While it’s part of the experience to visit local restaurants, saving money on meals also means having a kitchen in the place you are staying. I preplan my grocery list, order for curbside pickup at Walmart and prepare meals for the family during the stay. The Walmart+ program offers cash back on select grocery items and I also use Ibotta (referral code OBWG) so that helps me save money. If you review the restaurants you want to eat at, go to their website about three weeks before you leave and sign up for special offers (don’t forget to use the family vacation email to sign up). You may receive discounts. Every little bit helps!
When I was planning our family vacation to South Padre Island last year, I started to look at VRBO and Airbnbs. Those listings have the name of the person or company in charge of those rentals. So, I search those companies’ names and they had their own websites with exact listings. I discovered the prices were cheaper and they offered discounts. They also had discounts on golf carts, which we needed. What was super nice is that we were directly in contact with the company and we had employees who assisted us during our vacation. It made our experience more favorable. If I obtained a rental through VRBO and had an issue, most likely, I would have to utilize the VRBO website to contact the rental company. The idea of dealing with a middleman would definitely cause a delay and personally, an annoying experience for me.
Join Facebook and Instagram pages of the area you are visiting. Review their posts, read comments and ask questions. You’ll get the best source of information from the locals. You’ll be familiarized with what’s happening, what’s coming up, what places to check out (or avoid), and tips and tricks. If you want a quiet relaxing week with the family, it’s important to find out if there’s any big events or festivities happening the week you are going to be there. You don’t want to be sabotaged by large crowds, loud noises and music.
Contact the chamber of commerce for the area. This is another resource that is undervalued. Check out their website and social media. Their information should be treated as gold. Most chamber offices have a large array of brochures with information, including discounts. If you have specifics on what you want to do or go see, they can provide insights and suggestions. With the details offered, you will be able to research online and purchase with the discounts.
If you are flying, book your flights as soon as possible. Use discount airline websites to compare prices, such as Expedia, Kayak and Priceline. One of the benefits of using these websites is that if there’s a cancellation or an overbooked flight, the travel agents can review all the carriers and find you the next flight out. From experience, this is something I value. If you are like me, an anxious traveler, you’ll need an agent to help you find options.
If you are military and leaving your vehicle at the airport, check your departing airport to see if they offer free or discounted parking. Austin Bergstrom International offers free parking up to five days. Go to the website for more information to see if you qualify.
If you are driving, use Gasbuddy or the Walmart+ app to help you save money on gas. There are other gasoline companies such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron Texaco that have a rewards program. Depending on the drive, plan out the road trips based on where these are located so you can save at each stop.
Finally, don’t forget to relax and enjoy your much-deserved vacation.
