Traveling is fun, but can be costly. Sometimes, you can bite the bullet, wait until you’ve saved the money and take that nice trip. You’ll get pampered, waited on and treated like royalty, all for a price.
You can also take nice trips on a budget. Camping is fun and cheap. Camping is work, too, but it’s not the same as working at your job, or around the house. The toils of camping can actually be relaxing.
A good balance between total pampering and camping may be going where you want to, and finding ways to do it more affordably. The time-share concept is a beautiful way to buy luxury vacations for an affordable price. A time-share provides a home away from home, so you can cook in if you’d like, or dine out. Having to dine out every meal raises the cost of a trip considerably. Being able to cook in provides a huge cost savings. If there’s a place you like to go, and would go to every year, look for a time-share resale in that location. You can pick up a week for a very good price. If you want to buy time-share points to trade to go anywhere, look at Wyndham Vacation Resorts. They are the big cheese of time-shares, but you’ll pay top dollar. Still, the trading power may be worth it. There are also ample opportunities to rent time-shares if you don’t want to buy.
Do you drive or fly? Obviously, distance is a factor in that decision. But today, many people are driving instead of flying because of the baggage fees. If you want to take golf clubs, skis or other recreational equipment with you, you could pay handsomely to tote that on a plane. Look at driving vs. flying in terms not only of distance, but what you’d like to bring.
SIMILAR AMENITIES, DIFFERENT PRICES
Some destinations are pricier than others. If you just want to go to the beach, check out the various beach destinations. You’ll see a difference in price among different areas. Some areas create a mystique about them to attract a higher-end clientele. Some don’t mind paying extra for exclusivity, but if you just want to hit the beach, there are perfectly nice beaches not so exclusive. Remember, sun is always free. Sand and water have varying prices.
Same goes for dining. The best resorts are those with many dining options so you are not paying $100 every night for dinner, and $30 every morning for breakfast, presuming you can’t or don’t want to cook in. The best compromise is to spring for a really nice dinner one night, and eat at your favorite chain restaurants, or at good, inexpensive local establishments, the rest of the time. Breakfast and lunch don’t need to be costly. If you can’t cook, you can always buy food that doesn’t have to be cooked for those little meals.
Recreation is another cost. Beaches and swimming should be free in most places, but beware of those resorts that don’t let you onto their beach or pool, unless you’ve somehow paid. If you can, bring your own chairs, blankets, umbrellas or whatever else you like on the beach instead of renting them. That will save you money.
Golf, tennis, skiing and other sports have different prices. If sports are your thing, check out the prices of those sports before you go. Bring your own equipment if you can, but do the math on renting vs. bringing if you must fly. How many times will you use your clubs or skis. If daily, it may pay to bring them. If once or twice, renting may be the better option.
There’s lots of fun out there and it doesn’t have to break you. Plan, calculate, go and enjoy!
Peter
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