By Shelli ElledgeITWPA Member
Photographs by Ron Elledge
Want to take the family on a trip but not sure how to afford it? Planning a vacation is fun and it can also serve as a valuable lesson in personal finance, saving, and budgeting. The trip is the reward!
Here are several ways to save money when going out of town:
1. If there is a small fridge in the hotel room, fill it with milk, fruit, protein powder mix, granola bars, and cereals for quick continental-style breakfasts. Another option is to stay at hotels that provide breakfast and/or snacks.
2. Make lunch the main meal of the day because they are usually less expensive than evening meals. Be sure to limit the beverages or drink water.
3. Check online to see if season passes to your local zoos, museums, and aquariums are accepted in other cities, too. If they are reciprocal, then local passes are even more of a value.
4. Take free shuttle services and public transportation as much as possible. This saves financial and environmental resources and avoids the hassle of parking.
5. Travel light. Check the weight limit on suitcases to avoid extra charges if traveling by air.
6. Stop and smell the roses! Explore the wonderful parks, historic churches and cathedrals, famous landmarks, and beautiful civic buildings. Entrance fees are usually free.
7. Make exercise part of the experience! Spend time biking, hiking, and doing other recreational activities.
8. Carry healthy snacks with you. Ice cream shops and candy counters will be less tempting when hunger starts to set in.
9. Schedule destination trips around peak seasons. In other words, it would be difficult to find great travel deals in Colorado during the winter months.
If you would like to purchase this article for your publication, please click here to contact the author directly.
Want to take the family on a trip but not sure how to afford it? Planning a vacation is fun and it can also serve as a valuable lesson in personal finance, saving, and budgeting. The trip is the reward!
Here are several ways to save money when going out of town:
1. If there is a small fridge in the hotel room, fill it with milk, fruit, protein powder mix, granola bars, and cereals for quick continental-style breakfasts. Another option is to stay at hotels that provide breakfast and/or snacks.
2. Make lunch the main meal of the day because they are usually less expensive than evening meals. Be sure to limit the beverages or drink water.
3. Check online to see if season passes to your local zoos, museums, and aquariums are accepted in other cities, too. If they are reciprocal, then local passes are even more of a value.
4. Take free shuttle services and public transportation as much as possible. This saves financial and environmental resources and avoids the hassle of parking.
5. Travel light. Check the weight limit on suitcases to avoid extra charges if traveling by air.
6. Stop and smell the roses! Explore the wonderful parks, historic churches and cathedrals, famous landmarks, and beautiful civic buildings. Entrance fees are usually free.
7. Make exercise part of the experience! Spend time biking, hiking, and doing other recreational activities.
8. Carry healthy snacks with you. Ice cream shops and candy counters will be less tempting when hunger starts to set in.
9. Schedule destination trips around peak seasons. In other words, it would be difficult to find great travel deals in Colorado during the winter months.
If you would like to purchase this article for your publication, please click here to contact the author directly.
