Get The Most Out of Your Vacation

Are you one of those people that love to go explore the world but never seem to be able to get everything in order to do it?

Maybe you’re like I was and when you finally did go every couple of years you found yourself aimlessly wandering around and not really getting the most out of your trip.

I used to take one vacation for about a week, every 2-3 years. I’d never really pre-plan what I’d like to do, or what I wanted to see, or even what the place I was visiting had to offer.

If this sounds like you, go ahead and keep reading. I’m about to open your mind to a whole new way of looking at traveling.

Start Planning Out Your Year

Our family had a heart to heart one day and we’ve all come to the conclusion we prefer experiences over materialistic things. We’ve stopped funneling money into Birthday presents and Christmas presents and started taking trips instead.

I know that we will take a vacation in May, August, and December. Depending on our budgeting skills throughout the year we may throw an extra trip in there in April or October.

Once you have your time-frames, it’s time to get to work.

Start Looking at Tickets NOW

This is when you pull up that fancy calendar most airline websites offer and use it to your advantage when selecting your dates.

Be flexible with your choices. It’s always most expensive to fly on the weekends, see if you can swing leaving mid-week.

Now is when the mileage programs work their magic (Don’t worry if you’re not there yet, you have to start somewhere!)

We fly Alaska Air consistently because, well, we’re flying out of Alaska and that’s what we have to work with. We use their milage program to collect miles for every flight we take and also on every purchase made with the Alaska Air credit card.

Another benefit of having their Signature card is that you get a companion fare ticket every year! (You buy one ticket, and your second ticket is only $99 + tax – It works out to be about $120) No I don’t get commission off of this, I honestly just love this program.

Once you have your time-frames and pricing down for your trips, you’re ready to move on!

Start Looking For A Place To Stay

Are you wanting to be in a hotel, Airbnb, VRBO? Opportunities are endless.

I personally love AirBnb. I’ve never been disappointed and it makes me feel like I’m really getting the experience of living wherever it is that we’ve traveled to.

Also, I enjoy having a kitchen and the extra amenities. You can get anything from top notch bougie to couch surfing on Airbnb. Plus there’s reviews – I love to read reviews.

As you’re working through all of the choices, you’re making a list of your favorites along with the price. You’re not committing, you’re just exploring your options.

Research Where You’re Going

What is that place known for? What’s the best food places? (I’m a huge foodie)

Maybe they have some cool museums or monumental sites that you never knew about. This is all about your preference. What are you into – History? Shopping? Maybe you enjoy top notch coffee or just strolling around the town.

I like to Google “Best things to do in ____” and see what pops up. If it interests me I’ll jot it down. TripAdvisor is also a good resource.

I usually look on Yelp for reviews of food places. There’s nothing worse than being on vacation and getting food, only to find out that the food is terrible! I hate being disappointed like that. I’m on the hunt for 4 star or above.

You’ll also stumble across the hole-in-the-wall spots, where the locals go. Those are the best! They’re cheap, and amazing. I’m big on trying different cultural foods, and Yelp has yet to let me down.

This is when I compile a list of all of my “must-do’s”. As I’m doing this I’m looking at pricing and dates/times of availability and plugging that into my list. (Entry fees, average costs of meals, etc)

Once you have this list established it’s time to move on.

Map It All Out

Now that you’ve gathered all of this information you’re able to start adding it up to get an idea of how much money this trip will cost and plan accordingly.

You know your budget better than anyone else. You know what’s acceptable numbers and what just will not work.

Now is the time to start pick-and-choosing your activities, your place to stay (Maybe you don’t need the hot tub in the bedroom!) your dates, etc.

This is what makes your vacations more realistic – more doable. When you plan for your trip, you know how much money to expect to spend and you can save for that.

Pro Tip: Buy everything in advance that you can! After your plane tickets and wherever you’re staying, of course.

If you want to go to that museum, book those tickets now. I prefer to have most everything paid for up-front (as soon as I have plane tickets and a place to stay, I’m trying to book!)

This way when you’re on your trip you’re not having to remember all of these prices, it’s already taken care of and budgeted for. The only thing I want to pay for while I’m there is food, shopping, and maybe transportation (if I didn’t rent a car)

Obviously things pop up and that’s the joys of being on a vacation – go with the flow. But I promise that the more you plan, the less stressed you will be and the more things you will enjoy.

You’ll also be able to do it more often because you’ll know what numbers you’re looking at and can budget your life accordingly. Even if it’s once a year, this will help you to achieve a memorable vacation to look back on for years to come.

Last but not least … Take all the pictures!

-Boss Mom On A Budget