by Renee Ruby

Created on: March 02, 2009

Planning the Vacation in a Bad Economy or On a Strict Budget.

With the market hitting all time lows and the economy taking a severe nosedive, you may be considering putting off your spring or summer family vacation. If there were any time you could use time away from home and work it would be during this hard time. Just to spend even a long weekend away where you can escape from stress and strain. But how?

Well, never fear, with a little planning and some penny pinching you can actually take that vacation, virtually stress free! The first step is to decide where you want to go and the things you want to do. Those theme park vacations will be less expensive now due to the economy and most all of the hotels in theme park or resort areas have great room + park tickets' packages. Expect hotels to cut their rates, especially through sites like Hotwire and Priceline (where they can disguise the discounts through auctions and opaque sales). Be sure you check closely the policies of the package, things like no refunds and prepayment may be part of the deal. If you have the money in savings already or are planning enough in advance that you can safely use your credit card to pay the prepayment (and have it paid-off by vacation time), prepays are a great deal. Some hotels and cruise lines will give you free upgrades and discounts of upwards to 50%, that's on top of heavily discounted rates.

Be sure that if you prepay using your credit card that you can afford to pay the credit card down by vacation time. It is like making payments on your vacation and being able to prepay all at once. There are also some resorts and cruise lines that will accept payment over time as long as you are paid up before arrival.

When searching for that perfect vacation spot do your own research, spread out the maps, put together an itinerary you love, and make it happen. At the end of the trip, you will feel like you have actually accomplished something. And prepare to be flexible. It is okay to approach your vacation with a specific destination in mind, but realize that you may miss some big savings. Better to consider four or five places that capture your imagination, and explore the possibilities for all of them. Hotel expenses can be cut down by staying in an extended stay hotel and bringing or buying groceries to cook yourself. Save space in your budget for one nice sit-down meal. Bring lots of portable and microwaveable meals and beverages. Supply each member of the family a lightweight backpack

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