3 Cheap Vacation Ideas

Vacations are supposed to allow you to take a break from your life. They’re meant to be fun and relaxing, and taking a vacation with your friends, significant other or family should be an enjoyable experience.

Street in Alicante, Spain / Illustrative photo by admin

From travel to lodging to food and everything in between, some people aren’t taking vacations because they can’t afford them. Rather than dish out your life savings to go on a trip you really can’t afford, try out these three cheap vacation alternatives.

1. Go Camping

Camping is one of the cheapest vacation options available today. Live off the land for a weekend (or longer, if you can handle it) and enjoy the time spent together without the chaos of the city and the constant need for technology.

If you don’t have camping gear, you will need to spend some money on these items up front, but they will last you for a very long time. If you don’t feel like buying, ask your friends and family members to see if anyone has gear you could borrow. Tents, sleeping bags, blankets, lighter/matches, pillows, toilet paper, cooking utensils—all of these items will help make your camping trip more enjoyable.

If you don’t want to hunt for your food, stick with easy meals that can be prepared over a burning fire. Items such as hot dogs and beans tend to work well, just make sure to bring a can opener with you.

Most campsites allow you to camp overnight for a very minimal fee, usually between $10 and $30 per night, which is much less than the cost of a hotel. You can either visit a campsite somewhere close to home or you can travel a bit further and go out of state. Obviously, the further you go, the more expensive the trip will be due to the price of gas.

There are plenty of activities to do while camping, too. If you camp near a lake, you can go swimming. During the day, you can take hikes and watch wildlife in its natural habitat. And at night, you can sit around the campfire making s’mores and telling ghost stories.

If tents are not your idea of a vacation, campsites also rent out log cabins. Though they’re more expensive than tents, they’re much cheaper than hotels and can provide you with more comfort than the tent but still offer the camping experience.

2. Visit Out-of-State Family and Friends

Visiting friends and family allows you to travel to new parts of the world on a small budget. As long as you are staying with your friends or family, the only cost you’ll really have is that of travel and possibly buying dinner a few nights per week (or at least splurging on groceries and cooking dinner for your hosts).

If you opt for this cheap vacation, make sure you don’t overextend your stay. Even the closest family members and friends can get sick of each other after a while. Make sure to limit your visit to three days maximum so not to be a bother.

It’s also a great idea to pitch in with chores and make sure that you and your family are respectful at all times. Let your host know that even though you are staying in their home, they don’t have to be your cook, maid and tour guide while there. Allow them to continue to live their normal life, and don’t force them to take off work or chauffeur you around .

3. Staycation

This word can take many forms. Some people use staycation to literally stay home, which isn’t a bad thing. Use this time to catch up on a good book, enjoy a community event or take a tour of your own neighborhood. If you live close to a big city, you may want to visit it for the day and take in all the free attractions, such as parks and window shopping.

Set up a tent in your backyard one day, grill out on another day, break out the sprinkler on another day. Staying home doesn’t have to be boring. You can make it fun. Just try to relax and keep yourself from doing too many of your normal chores. Those will still be there when it’s time to re-enter the real world.

Some people use staycation to stay overnight in a hotel close to home. Simply getting out of your house for one night may be the experience your family needs to have a good time. Opt for a hotel that has a pool or other amenity that your family would enjoy. Though you’re still spending money on lodging, you are eliminating the high cost of travel.

If a vacation is on your to do list this year, but you can’t afford to travel somewhere exotic, opt for camping, visiting friends and family or having a staycation. As long as you are with friends or family, and as long as you make the best of it, you could end up having one of the best vacations of your life.

Carrie Johnson lives in Houston and works with a traveling agency.  She likes to travel and recently won a trip to the bahamas island resorts.

Tags: burning fire, campfire, camping gear, campsite, campsites, can opener, cooking utensils, easy meals, enjoyable experience, ghost stories, hot dogs, minimal fee, mores, pillows, sleeping bags, tents, toilet paper, vacation options

Category: Travel Tips