(Photo Credit)

After our recent roadtrip, I thought I’d share a few tips for saving on vacation!

1)  Budget for your vacation

This one may seem obvious….but too many people head out on vacation without making a plan for how much they are going to spend!  It’s easy to overspend while you’re traveling, so you definitely need to set some limits! 

2)  Stay with family or friends

Many of our vacations when I was growing up were to visit family in various parts of the country — that was the only way we could afford any vacation!   On our vacation just a few weeks ago, we spent four nights with family on our route.  It is a great way to save on hotel expenses!  (Just make sure you aren’t terrible house guests!!)

You might also consider exchanging houses for a week or so with a friend or family member.  (There are even sites dedicated to house-swapping, but I don’t know enough about them to make a recommendation!)

3)  Skip dinner out

Take along a few simple meal ideas — even “eating in” just a few times on your vacation can save you $100 or more. 

For example, we packed peanut butter, tuna, bread, fruit strips, and protein bars for lunches on the road.  We also packed lots of our own drinks  (and drink powder to mix into water) and snacks to use on the road — instead of buying overpriced items at gas stations!

Also, consider finding rooms with kitchenettes — or at least refrigerators!  This will allow you to make some of your own meals as well.

4)  Utilize Daily Deal Sites or buy an Entertainment Book

If you know your destination ahead of time, you can sign up a few months in advance to get daily deal emails from sites like Groupon or Eversave for that area.  Often there will be vouchers for restaurants and attractions for at least 1/2 price!

Another option is to buy an Entertainment Book (go through Shop-at-Home to get cashback) for the city you’re visiting.  If you can get a good price on the book, this could be a money saver if you plan to be in the same place for a number of days!  Entertainment Books contain coupons (often B1G1) for attractions, restaurants, hotels and more.

5)  Look for free things to do!

A simple online search or visit to the state (or local) website can yield tons of free and inexpensive places to visit.  Your vacation is about making memories and relaxing!  And you don’t have to spend a ton of money to do that!

What are your money-saving ideas for roadtrips?!!