We look at going away once a year, it’s a serious downtime and a chance to relax and let the day to day stress wash away! I’m not saying everyone can afford a holiday once a year but it’s nice. If you check out my prolific post you’ll see how we pay for our last minute holidays without working overtime!
Although I might be able to afford last minute holidays without doing too much, I like to stick to a budget while I’m there. It’s not easy don’t get me wrong but there are a few things you can do. Things to ensure you spending money for the entire trip and not just the first few days and things that mean you’re going to enjoy your holiday that little bit more and not stress about money!
1, Location, location, location
Last minute holidays are great, that doesn’t mean you pick the first thing you see. I always go with anything half or all inclusive. This just means we’re not having to pay for meals during the day and the amount we spend on food is reduced. You can still pop to the local supermarket and pick up some much needed supplies for the hotel room of course! I’m just talking about breakfast and dinner, which in some places can cost a fortune!
Also if you’re going when it’s nice and hot make sure your hotel has a pool. You’d think that all hotels would have a pool but actually nope. I’ve found that when looking some hotels don’t have a pool, most will have at least one though; unless you’re staying at the amazing Diana Palace which has a children’s and a main pool, gosh I love that place!
2, Tripadvisor is your friend!
Just like google is also your friend! Scout out the local restaurants and entertainment before you get there. When we went to Benidorm we found most of the places we wanted to visit on Tripadvisor, the same when we went to Bangkok. Tripadvisor is great, you get honest reviews and you can even ask questions; it even tells you how much you’re likely to spend at the place you want to visit! I use it a lot to check any hotel as well as I don’t wish to be staying in a dump!
Make a plan of the places you want to visit, don’t pick expensive places and if you do all this before you even get there you’re going to know you won’t be going over budget. You might even find some places while you’re out there. Don’t go in straight away though. Wait till you’re back at the hotel and check out the app, if it’s budget friendly and the reviews are good then you can go back and enjoy yourself!
3, Money
NEVER! I repeat, never take all your money out with you for the day. Stash it in your hotel room, locked away in your case or the safe if you go for that option. If you take all of your money out with you on the Monday, it’ll probably all be gone by the Wednesday unless you have amazing self control!
On every single holiday I’ve been on I’ve separated the money into each day I’m away. If we have some left over from Monday’s money then we can spend a little more on Tuesday. You are bound to have money left over one day which is great. If you have children with you on the trip that are old enough to understand the value of money, give them an allowance, say 20 euro per day. If they have money left over then they can use it the next day as well and it means you’re not having to worry about spending more on them and they’re learning for the future when they go on holiday!
So remember, never take all your money out at once and lock it away. If you have children you can teach them a valuable life lesson and reduce any holiday stress you might face if your child keeps asking for everything!
4, Student discount, discounts in general!
So a lot of people think that discounts only apply in the UK, wrong. I’ve used my student discount a couple of times while I’ve been on holiday. Sure there might not be a lot of places, when you do find somewhere and you’re able to save money though it feels great! Again ask on Tripadvisor if there’s some sort of discount and don’t forget to ask when you get to the venue, you never know how lucky you might get!
That’s me done folks, hopefully you’ve picked up a couple of tips? A budget can be a right pain, it might even feel a bit depressing. I get that, I’d love to have all the money I wanted so that I didn’t need to worry; if only! There are ways in which you can still have fun on a budget though and that’s the main thing!
Don’t forget to always plan in advance as well, it helps. If you’re looking for more ways to save money, if it’s in the airport or just knowing what essentials to pack then check out my other posts and learn some else!
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