The temperatures are on the rise and before we know it, it will be time for Spring Break! Everyone wants to change in pace and maybe even a getaway or small vacation. What everyone doesn’t want is to spend more than necessary to have a great time with your family. Here are a few penny saving, travel worthy tips, guaranteed to slice your budget while increasing your fun. You’ll be certain to save on your next spring break road trip when following these guidelines.
Use EBates to Book Your Car or Hotel. I’m a huge fan of using discount sites to book rentals and hotel rooms at a fraction of the price. Even if you already frequent sites like Hotwire, Priceline, or CarRentals.com, you can take your savings to a whole new level by using a cash back site like EBates. EBates is an online shopping portal where you can find great coupons and discounts on almost every site imaginable from JC Penney to Amazon, Kohls, or even Best Buy. You can also use it to book cars or hotel rooms and get cash back on an already great deal. Bonus: You might even snag a $10 gift card just for signing up!
Match Priceline and Hotwire with Better Bidding. I love the online forum Better Bidding to assist in cracking the code, identifying the “secret identities” of hotels. Consumers share what hotels they received based on star rating and amenities so you can figure out where you might land rather than rolling the dice.
Schedule Your Stops Using Meetways. Meetways is a free site that allows you to determine the halfway point between your home and destination. Once you get an idea of where the midpoint might be, google and look for restaurants or even grocery stores where you might stop for rest breaks. Certainly spontaneous breaks might be necessary; however, you’ll fair much better if you can choose where you’re going to stop.
Stop at Grocery Stores instead of Restaurants. Instead of hitting the drive thru or even sitting down for a meal, try to stop at a big box store or grocery store. You can pick up food for a fraction of the price, stretch your legs, and purchase items you might have forgotten (batteries? books? beverages? tooth brush?) for a fraction of the price you’d be forced to pay at a gas station. Many big box stores even have a seating area near the deli where after purchasing a sandwich or salad you can sit and eat.
Bring a Brita. One of the oddest travel tips I often share is that we bring our Brita water pitcher with us almost every time we travel. $4 bottled water in the hotel can sink your budget with the first sip. Bringing a filtration pitcher along for the ride will allow you to pack light. It’s much smaller than your flat of water. You’ll be able to have drinking water without hitting the vending machine or the mini bar.
A little careful calculation can save you money in small ways so you can truly enjoy your destination. If you can spend a few minutes planning where you can reduce costs, you can afford to do more on your trip once you actually reach your destination. No matter where you go on your spring break road trip, you’ll be certain to save.
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Hi Cherie: I’ve never used Meetways or Ebates– but definitely will start using them:) Thanks!
I just booked hotels through Orbitz but if I had come here first and learned about Ebates I would have saved even more. Next time I know! Thank you for posting this.
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