Tightwad Tuesday - Part 5: Vacationing

Here is the next installment of EML's Tightwad Tuesday.

We just took a vacation to CA for my brother's wedding so I thought I would compile a short list of some of the way we keep our cost down while on vacation.

1. Don't just look at discount sites for airline tickets, but also check the companies site directly for sales. We usually fly Jetblue or Virgin America since they have direct flights and it is almost always cheaper to buy directly from them. Virgin America was actually having a sale on round trip tickets from DC to CA for $160 round trip!

2. Do some reach for your destination spot and see if they have any "off season." We usually fly to CA in the colder months
(January-March) since airline tickets and car rentals seem to be cheaper then.

3. When I am looking for a hotel, I always make sure it comes with a free breakfast. I am actually surprised at some hotel's free breakfast since it is like going to a sit down restaurant.

4. Get a hotel room that comes with a fridge and microwave so you can bring and prepare your own food. For our honeymoon, we stayed in an extended stay hotel and it came with a complete kitchen! We saved quite a bit of money by packing our lunch and making our dinner. It was nice to go out a few times on our honeymoon, but I actually preferred the homemade food.

5. Think about going on vacation with a group of people to help cover cost.
a. When you have a group of people you can see about renting a house in the area rather than staying in a hotel. However, renting a house usually requires week long stays.
b. Carpooling will help you save money on gas.

7. Most cities have tourist websites so check out what free things you can do in the area.

8. Set a budget of what you can spend on the vacation and stick to it.
If you are the type that always goes over then only use cash that way you have a more clear idea of how much money you have for the trip.

What are some of your ideas to save on vacation and still have a great time?