The Good Life on a Budget

• Posted by JvW on August 13th, 2009 filed in Budget, travel

As I mentioned earlier, my husband and I are taking a vacation in a few weeks to the lovely island of St. Maarten. We’ve been there twice before - once as a stop on a cruise and once for our wedding. When we were there for our wedding & honeymoon, we were at a financial low point, partially because we spent a lot on the trip. This time, we’re much more prepared - we made a full budget (and didn’t charge the vacation).

St. Martin Sunset

1. Determine the size of your budget before you start looking.

The easiest trap to fall into when planning a vacation is to decide what you want to do, then decide how much you’re going to spend. Wrong, wrong, wrong! It’s OK to browse for ideas, but you should have a rough estimate in your head of the costs. The last thing you want is to only have $1000 to spend on a trip that costs $2000, but to book it anyway because you deserve a vacation. Decide what your budget is, then stick to it.

2. Shop around to maximize your money.

There are so many avenues and choices to book your vacation. I have had great experiences with Expedia, but for this trip, Cheap Caribbean cost less for the same hotel - so we booked with them. We also compared different hotels and chose the one we felt was the best value (good location & free breakfast).

3. Prioritize your spending.

Just like in real life, you can’t do everything when you’re on vacation. We like to balance out more expensive excursions (SCUBA diving, boat rides) with cheaper options (relaxing on the beach, hiking). We don’t try to overextend ourselves too much - the point is to relax! We pick a few favorite things to do and save others for another time.

4. Save on food.

The two best ways to save on food on vacation are to have a room with a kitchen or to go to an all-inclusive resort. We like to explore different restaurants, so we don’t usually travel to all inclusives. We like to cook a few easy meals throughout the week, and enjoy dinner out a couple of times. In addition, hotels that offer complimentary breakfast can help to save money.

5. Skip most souvenirs.

Most things you buy as souvenirs end up collecting dust. We take lots of pictures and that is mostly sufficient. We also like to purchase edible items specific to our destinations - almond rum or macadamia nuts, for example. The only other souvenir we pick up is artwork to be displayed around the house. All the trinkets (magnets, coasters, etc) are usually a waste of money. If you’re going to buy something, make it something you love that serves a purpose.

On our Honeymoon at the top of Pic Paradis in St. Martin

Vacationing doesn’t have to break the bank - you can trim it down and still have a great time! It’s all about relaxing and spending time with the ones you love.