Consider a road trip

Most of the time, driving is going to be significantly cheaper than flying, especially with multiple people. On top of that, you can skip rental car costs when you drive.

Pack Snacks & Meal Plan

Packing snacks can be much cheaper and healthy. It will also help prevent expensive stops. Meal planning can significantly cut costs of food while traveling.

Set your budget

Keep your budget in mind while planning a trip. If you book in advance, you can save money. You can also travel with others to help cut costs (sharing a place to stay, whether it’s a camping spot or a rental can save money too).

Check out cheaper options for activities

Hiking, visiting national parks, public parks, free museums, etc. can be a great way to check out the local culture and history! My husband and I did this when we were in Utah several years ago, we visited a state park, and an artsy little town. It was a really fun way to see the local culture!

Consider camping or renting an AirBNB/Vrbo

Hotels are notoriously more expensive than camping or staying at an Airbnb or vrbo. Plus, if you rent a place with a kitchen (or camp with a camping stove), you can save a significant amount of money on food. National Parks are incredible places to check out while on vacation. If you purchase an annual national park pass, you can save significantly if you stop at several.

Travel mid-week &/or off-season

As we are all aware, prices of everything goes up on the weekend. Traveling mid-week can save significantly on costs, especially on places to stay. You can also save by traveling off-season as the cost of accommodations and activities is usually much lower.

Utilize discounts and rewards!

If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know I’m a big advocate for this! If you use cashback apps or travel apps, you can utilize discounts and rewards to help save on traveling. If you’re driving, check out my post on how to save money on gas/fuel (we ALL need this these days).