14 Money Saving Tips to Make a Summer Vacation a Reality

Every Saturday I look forward to reading Canada’s Globe and Mail. After I’ve finished with the travel and lifestyle sections I love to check out the latest financial profile of an individual or couple who volunteer for a financial makeover. Two items stand out time and again. First, almost all want to retire by 55 or 60 (and do what for the next 20 years??) and secondly their vacation budgets are rarely greater than $250 a month, and in fact are usually much less. It seems that there are lots of people out there who simply can’t travel if they want to quit working by 60. I say work till 70 and travel on a budget while you’re still healthy. Of course there are the people at the other end of the spectrum who feel they deserve a vacation no matter what their circumstances.

Suzy Orman says:

As far as I am concerned, vacations are a necessity, not a luxury. But where I see so many people take a wrong turn is when they spend money for a luxury vacation that they can’t afford.

So here are 14 money saving tips to make travel and a summer vacation a reality.

1. Try renting your house especially if you live in a desirable location.
2. Swap your house through any number of house exchanges – HomeExchange, Intervac, HomeLink or VRBO.
3. Find a house or apartment through housecarers where you get free accommodation in exchange for house, pet and/or garden sitting. I’ve used this several times and it’s saved me paying for a dog sitter.
4. Rent a cottage with friends or family so you can split the costs.
5. Stay in hostels.
6. Sign up for email notification for hotels you want to visit. Take advantage of their sales. Long Beach Lodge Resort in Tofino offers amazing specials from time to time that I only hear of through my email.
7. Travel in the shoulder seasons for lower rates and third night free offers.
8. Concentrate on one particular hotel chain and leverage your stays over time for free upgrades or reduced rates.
9. Stay at small B&B’s where prices are usually cheaper plus your breakfast is included.
10. Look for places where you can do at least some of your own cooking.
11. Look for seat sales on airlines.
12. Sign up for notifications from the airlines or check out airfare predictions.
13. If you have a good driving record and a flexible schedule then sign up with people like Hit the Road and deliver a vehicle so you at least get free one way travel. In Canada there are lots of opportunities right now to drive across the country.
14. Forget all of the above. Buy a tent and a camp stove and head out for the great outdoors. Canoe, kayak, hike, cycle, backpack, car camp. You may have to drive somewhere but after that it’s very cheap. Try one of the following.

• National Parks the world over are known for their scenery. Pick one close to home and set up a basecamp for day trips.
• Head to Lake Superior for a budget vacation in stunning country.
• Walk for a month on the Camino de Santiago in Spain and stay in hostels for only about $7 a night.
• Canoe the Bowron Lakes circuit, Algonquin Park, Killarney Park, or Boundary Waters as examples. Canoes are inexpensive to rent and it’s easy to go out for a week or more.

• Do a part of one of the world’s great long distance walks. Every continent but Antarctica has something to choose from.

Plan ahead for travel. Set aside some money every month and there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a travel adventure of some sort this year.

Leigh McAdam

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