How to Take an Affordable Weekend Trip Without Overspending

A weekend getaway doesn't need to be very expensive to feel refreshing and enjoyable at the same time. If you do just a little bit of planning and make some very smart choices, you can explore a lot of new places and enjoy time away from home. 

Photo by Marissa Grootes on Unsplash

You'll also be able to relax in nature without going too far over your budget. It doesn't matter if you're planning to travel solo or with family or friends. There are some simple ways in which you can plan a meaningful and budget-friendly escape.

Choose a Budget-Friendly Destination

Your destination is often one of the biggest factors in how much you are going to spend. Instead of simply heading to the most high cost city and popular tourist areas, you should try to check out quiet nature spots. 

You will find these in small towns or on peaceful campgrounds. Many travelers appreciate staying at places such as an RV Park. When they do so, they will be able to enjoy a calm atmosphere and avoid the high prices of hotels. 

When you choose the right location, it is going to help you to enjoy your trip and keep your expenses very low.

Travel During Off-Peak Weekends

Traveling during off-peak weekends can make a big difference in cost. Campground fees, hotel rates and even gas prices tend to be a lot lower when the demand has fallen. 

You'll be able to enjoy a lot less crowds and easier access to activities as well as more availability. Even shifting your trip by just a week or choosing dates outside of the holiday season can help you to save a lot of money.

Pack Your Own Food to Avoid Restaurant Costs

This tends to add up very quickly, especially when you go on a weekend trip. Packing your own snacks, drinks and your own meals is one of the best ways in which you can stay within any budget that you set. 

Simple meals such as sandwiches or pre-made salads and wraps are all very affordable and easy to carry. When you bring along your own food, you also enjoy flexibility. You can eat whenever you want. It could be at a campsite, a lake or even a park. It's up to you.

Look for Free or Low-Cost Activities

The best weekend experiences won't cost you anything at all. If you do hiking trails, visit waterfront areas and local parks as well as nature parks after hours, you can enjoy all the excitement you want with no extra cost. 

There are many small towns that also have free outdoor markets and museums. You can even join in on their community events because they are usually fun to explore. 

Choosing destinations that have natural beauty will allow you to relax and you will be able to explore without worrying about money.

A Refreshing Trip That Doesn’t Break the Bank

When you create a basic budget, it's going to help you to control your spending on your trip. You don't need to do anything that is too complex. 

All you have to do is just estimate how much you're going to spend on food, lodging, gas, and any other activities that you choose to do. When you have a clear spending plan, you will enjoy your weekend a lot more.

5 Ways to Travel Cheap

Traveling on a budget doesn't mean you have to sleep in questionable hotels, eat crackers for dinner, or convince yourself that RV travel is the only way to save money. Though honestly it can be surprisingly economical and you get to see a lot. Travelling cheap is an art. It's part strategy, part sass and part refusing to pay too much for a bottle of water at the airport. If you want to have adventures without your bank account sobbing quietly in the corner, here's how to do it. 

Image source: Pexels

Be flexible

If you want to be cheap with your travel then flexibility is the holy grail you need. The more you're willing to wiggle your dates, destinations, and departure times, the more deals will magically appear. Flying on a Tuesday at 6:00 in the morning is painful, yes, but it's also going to be cheap. If spontaneity gives you hives, don't panic. Just plan ahead and keep your options open. You can still pack up the RV and plan a road trip, for example, but cheap travel loves an adaptable king or queen.

Embrace the off season

Everyone loves to travel when the weather is perfect and the insurance. Instagram lighting is flawless, but those dreamy peak season prices are brutal. Traveling in shoulder seasons like spring or autumn for most destinations means fewer crowds. Cheaper stays on a smug sense of superiority when you pay half for the price of the same scenery.

Be careful with your accommodation

Accommodation can devour your budget faster than you can say continental breakfast, so consider your alternatives. Do you need to go to a resort or can you travel in an RV? If you're feeling bold, hostels can be brilliant too, but just invest in good earplugs unless you enjoy listening to the strangest snoring.

Try not to eat out

It sounds like a convoluted thing to do, but trying to eat at every single restaurant you come across is going to drain your budget. Restaurants are fun until the bill arrives and you realize you could have bought a week's worth of groceries for the price of your artisanal truffle omelet. So mix it up. One nice meal, one cheap meal, one picnic cobbled together from supermarket finds. Bonus: Eating local snacks on a park bench is basically a cultural experience.

Transportation should be thought out

If you're traveling in an RV, you don't really need to worry about this one, but it is a sneaky budget buster. Public transport should be your best friend. So one of the best things that you can do is park up at resorts and travel locally on buses or trams. Walking is even better. It's free, scenic, good for justifying more dessert.

Even the entertainment doesn't have to be expensive when you're travelling. The most underrated tip of all is to travel slowly. The faster you hop from place to place, the more you spend. Slow travel means fewer transport costs, better deals on long stays, and deeper experiences. 

What are your favorite ways to save money on travel?

How to Keep a Family Road Trip Fun and Stress-Free

Family road trip adventure with music playing in the background, snacks in the back seat, and open roads ahead. Anybody who has been on one before knows that it can get chaotic extremely fast, between keeping kids entertained and having to manage long hours in the car, as well as finding the ideal places to stop and rest. 

Photo by Kampus Production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/rv-parked-on-grass-7967365/

A little planning can go a long way. Here's how you can make sure that your next trip feels more like a vacation rather than a lot of hard work:

Plan Smart, Not Complicated

You don't need to have a minute-by-minute itinerary, but it's a good idea to have a rough plan in place, especially when you have children with you. Pick your main destination and then figure out what's in between. Long stretches of driving can be very tough, especially on younger children, so plan your stops every few hours. 

Map out where the gas stations, grocery stores, and overnight stays are. For RV fans, if you're traveling by camper, have a look for a clean, family-friendly RV park where you can all get some rest and recharge. Many offer things like laundry areas, playgrounds, and safe spaces for kids to stretch their legs, which is perfect for you getting back on the road. Make sure you plan ahead if you're heading out in the summer or on holidays.

Pack for Convenience

The right supplies can make or break your trip. Make sure you keep plenty of snacks, water, and wipes within reach and not buried or hidden in the trunk of your car. Bring a cooler for fruit, sandwiches, and drinks so that you can avoid too many fast food stops. 

A small trash bag and paper towels will also help to keep your car cleaner on your journey. Let each family member have their own small bag for all their essentials, including headphones, books, or toys. That way, you don't have to dig through big bags of luggage every single time somebody wants something.

Keep Everyone Entertained

Boredom can quickly turn into frustration for children. Before you leave, make sure you load up a few playlists, audiobooks, or podcasts that everybody is going to enjoy.

For younger children, simple car games, even something as simple as Spot the License Plate, can help to keep them focused and engaged. Take breaks at parks or rest stops instead of just gas stations, as this means that everybody can get around and move for 15 minutes to reset the whole mood of the trip.

Enjoy the Ride

At the center, a family road trip is all about spending plenty of time together. You're likely to laugh, argue, and probably spill a few drinks along the way, but that is all part of the experience of your travel together. The miles you cover don't really matter as much as the memories that you make on the journey.

With a little bit of planning, patience, and making sure that you have a good place to rest each night, you will make sure that the journey can be just as rewarding as the destination that you are heading to.