There are a lot of ways to take vacations, even on a low budget!

My family and I love to travel, although we oftentimes have a limited budget. Here are some useful tips to be able to afford to travel that I've learned while trying to balance a budget:

1. Shop for good fare rates for airlines, car rental rates, hotels, etc. way in advance of your planned time of departure. It also helps to maintain a flexible schedule so you can pick and choose the best prices. Often, special rates are given out to those travelling on a weekday as opposed to a weekend or regular days vs Holidays.

2. Keep sightseeing as your priority when visiting places. Pictures are the best souvenirs you can ever have while on vacation, so take lots of photos, and put a damper on shopping for little things that may just gather dust on your living room shelf. Don't get me wrong, get a few souvenirs that you really, really like to remember your trip by, but don't overindulge and blow your budget!

3. You don't always have to eat out at a restaurant when you're on vacation...you can buy some easy to prepare meals that you can pop in your hotel microwave and save $$$ right there! Restaurants can get really pricey, too, when you add it all up. Of course, you don't have to go back to your hotel room each time you get hungry, you should still eat out, when you're already out, obviously ...

4. Instead of booking a tour, plan out your sightseeing yourself. This is the best way to learn about a new place. Drive around on your own or take public transportation to really get the feel and experience of the place! It beats paying tour prices, plus you get to be more flexible to stay longer in the places you choose, and skip places that you really didn't want to see.
Have fun!

Learn more about this author, R Christine Labutay.
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