Spring Break Budget Tips

Spring break is a popular time for college students to go on vacation. It is a time for some well-deserved time off of school and a time to make memories with friends. However, it can be difficult to go to an exotic place on a college budget. With careful planning and enough time, it can be done.

Go with friends.

Splitting a hotel room between a couple people makes it less expensive. If you can find enough people to go, take advantage of group rates that many places offer. Going with a large group of people can make the experience more memorable and can build relationships. Just be sure to be flexible and do things that the others want to do on the trip! Doing something outside what you would normally do allows you to expand your horizons and have new experiences.

Take a staycation.

Is there a big city or small town nearby that you have been meaning to check out? Take a visit! Spend some time exploring your hometown. Try a new restaurant, check out the new museum that just opened, or attend a local band’s concert. Staying around home will help give you time to relax and an opportunity to fall even more in love with the place you call home. You will even be saving money by not going on an elaborate vacation.

Plan your trip in advance and leave plenty of time to spare.

As soon as you know that you want to take a trip for spring break, start saving your money. Calculate how much you need to get going and set as much money aside as possible. Get a job to help bolster your funds. Book your flights and hotels early as these tend to be less expensive if you get them early. See what needs to go into your trip and get started as soon as possible. Figure out your schedule for each day while leaving room to have a few spontaneous adventures.

Do your research.

Do not book the first flight or hotel you stumble upon online. Shop around to find the best price for your trip. There are websites such as Trivago and Wanderu that help you search for the best prices for your trip. These websites help students save time and money during their travel planning. Look into reviews of places to go and things to do when you get to your destination. If you are travelling abroad, look into social rules for your country so you do not appear to be disrespectful.

Use coupon sites.

Websites such as Groupon and RetailMeNot are free to use and offer coupons and deals for travel, dining and anything else you may need to consider for your trip. Many of these websites offer email newsletters so you can get alerts for deals that come on the site that are relevant to travel planning. See if there are breaks for spring break. Remember to check with companies you are in contact with to see if they offer student discounts, too!