How To Vacation For $770 Or Less – Seriously

Times are tight and the economy is struggling, but it doesn’t mean you have to skip out on giving yourself a much-needed (and deserved) vacation. Let me share with you how my husband and I took a week-long vacation for under $770 — and planned it in only four days. No joke!

Don’t go far: Choose a vacation spot that isn’t too far away from where you live. I’m all for Stay-Cations because you can get to them by car and if your vehicle is good on gas, the fuel charges won’t be extraordinary. Additionally, you don’t have to plan a “drive-to vacation” too far in advance like when you fly. We chose the panhandle of Florida which was a seven hour drive: not too far and not too close. (Cost: $135 in gasoline for our Camry.)

Find a deal on housing: Look for end-of-the-season deals or back-to-school specials, which is exactly what we stumbled upon. Some agencies or owners will slash prices if they need to fill vacancies. We found a plethora of deals on Craig’s List and opted to go with an owner-managed unit because they are more flexible. Of course, you have to watch for scams! (Cost: $496 for six nights).

Get a place with a kitchen: Believe it or not, the beach-front condo efficiency we found cost less than any well-known hotel we investigated! Besides that, this is how we saved the most amount of money during our trip.  We prepared all meals at “home”, spending what we normally would spend on food.  I can hear you groaning about how it’s not a vacation if you have to cook, but you’re wrong. Consider making dishes you don’t normally prepare, something simple and easy to clean up. Besides, what about a barbeque pool side or being able to run right out on the beach after a meal doesn’t feel like vacation!? In the end remember this fact: restaurants will eat up your cash fast. (Cost: Only $65 on groceries because we brought a lot with us).

Avoid tourist traps: Don’t get sucked into spending money on all the touristy gimmicks – try to vacation like a local. We spent every day on a different beach along the gulf coast and never once ventured near the carnival rides. Look at it this way, the minimum you would spend for one person to take a banana boat ride was $20, a helicopter ride was $30, and parasailing was $80. We never saw (or cared to learn) the costs for a sling-shot ride, renting a jet ski, taking a dolphin-sighting boat tour, or entering any of the “amusement parks”. Do you really need to do any of those things to enjoy yourself? We didn’t. (Cost: $27 was spent on beach parking passes.)

Resist buying souvenirs: Oh, I know you want something to remember your vacation by, but how long is that hermit crab going to hold your attention? Do you really need another cheap T-shirt? Will those things really evoke memories of your vacation? Photographs on my digital camera as well and still-frames in my mind are all I need to bring a smile to my face. (Cost: $47 was spent on a beach umbrella, an inexpensive bathing suit, homemade ice cream at a quaint shop and a mug with cats on it).

For my husband and me, we had a perfectly wonderful vacation lying out on the beach, soaking up the sun, listening to the crashing waves, and sticking our feet into the cool sand. There were plenty of people for friendly conversation if we wanted it, but not so many people that we had to engage with others if we didn’t want to. People-watching was all the amusement we needed.

So… go plan your spur-of-the-moment, inexpensive vacation that, when it ends, won’t leave you further in debt and stressed out over the amount of money you spent! I can tell you, it’s refreshing!

Thanks for reading and share your thoughts!

Kimberly