Many families and friends like to take summer vacations or even winter getaways. No matter how big your family is, we all know it’s not the cheapest to plan a vacation. Planning a vacation doesn’t mean it has to break the bank, so here are a couple of tips on how you can enjoy your vacation on a budget.

1. Find the place you want to visit.
2. Find Hotel and Airfare deals; websites like Expedia, travelocity, Hotwire, and priceline allow you to book your flights, hotels, and car rentals together for less money. Bundling all of these purchases together can save a lot of money. Science teacher Jason Plawa, who travels a lot, said he uses “Any airline that is reasonably priced and does not have an exorbitant amount of fees.”
3. Book your hotel within close distance of food and activities that intrigue you.
4. Set a spending budget for yourself: maybe instead of eating out a lot while you’re there, buy groceries and make your meals. Maria Gillies, said her family “Ate out 2-3 times but mostly ate at the house with groceries we bought”. Also, remember to set a budget of what to spend on things like souvenirs or gifts.
5. Travel off season. In general, cold weather climates like Europe are more expensive during the summer, whereas warm weather climates, like Hawaii, are more expensive in the winter. Prices tend to also go up around the holiday season. July and late August are times where prices rise for airfare because of the holidays and they are the hottest months. February through April are the cheapest for a colder climate because there aren’t many holidays happening and not many people travel during those months.
6. Look for package deals. When my family and I go on vacation, we normally stay at condominiums and they would have deals for any activities or food and some coupons for shopping that they supplied us with. Also, my parents had a timeshare, so we got rewards towards our next vacation. So, if you are one that travels a lot maybe a timeshare is a good option for you.
7. Do your research. Make sure there are activities in the area for everyone to enjoy so you don’t waste your money just sitting in a house.

The most expensive costs of a trip are airfare, hotel, and any other out of pocket cost. These tips will help you save for your next vacation.