For those of you that know me, I love to travel. I try and travel internationally once a year and love both ski and beach vacations. Being a personal finance expert, I clearly don’t want to spend top dollars and am always looking for a good deal but don’t have much time either. Check out these tips to save money on your next spring vacation with your nieces and nephews!
 
1. Pick up the phone.
Call travel agencies. I recently booked a condo online for Monday-to-Monday. I called the management company and pointed out that they could still rent out the condo for the weekend and get me in. I got $75 off per night for my stay!
 
2. Choose cheap countries (if your family plans to travel abroad).
My closest travel buddy claims her trip to Panama and Nicaragua was her best beach vacation. I never would have thought of those countries, but why not go on a journey along with the kids (with or without their parents) for a week? This site lists “10 Cheap Places to Travel on the U.S. Dollar.”
 
3. Splurge when it matters.
One of my favorite exercises is RATHER. “I would rather spend my money on _____ than _____.” Same goes on vacation. (This is a fun game to play with nieces and nephews when shopping for souvenirs.) For instance, I would rather spend my money on a special purchase (i.e., a cool piece of local art) than a fancy dinner.
 
4. Pick up the local paper.
Local papers, sites, and magazines, such as TIME OUT, always list a wide selection of museums and shows for all budgets.
 
5. Facetime is your friend.
If you’re unable to travel with the kids this spring, it’s a good idea to rely on Facetime to keep in touch. When I went to Europe last year, I didn’t have a local cell phone and didn’t want to pay for one. I called my family with Facetime using my hotels Wi-Fi at no cost!

Photo: David Castillo Dominici
Published: March 11, 2013