Not everyone has a buttload of cash when it comes to going out for holidays or vacations. Electricity bills, college fees, and rent already wage wars against your bank balance. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go for a beachy vacation at all, and my affordable travels are proof of it! If you are looking for tips on how to plan a budget-friendly beach trip, this blogpost is an ultimate guide.
Plus, trust me, these techniques will work for you 90 percent of the time. I have personally tested them and they did wonders for me. Now, it’s your turn now to reap the benefits.
In this blog post, I have listed the best strategies to plan a budget-friendly beach vacation.
Paradise within Reach: How to plan a budget-friendly beach trip?
So, last year, my friends and I wanted to go for a beach vacation, but a tight pocket meant something else. I was almost about to give up on the dream. That’s when my friends and I vowed that we will find a way. We all sat down with a paper and pencil to write down everything thing we can do to enjoy the best cheap and affordable beach get away.
All thanks to that serious meeting , we achieved our Oh so sandy escape! Here are 8 tested strategies that I used. Plus, these will not only help you go on an affordable vacation to the beach, but almost anywhere.
1. Start Saving for Your Vacation a Few Months Before Going
Start saving 9-12 months before heading on to your beachy vacation. I highly recommend doing this if you have $0 for vacations right now. But, there is no limitation. It can do wonders if you already have some budget and wish to gradually increase it.
So, here’s what you need to do: Every month, dedicate at least $50-1000 to your holiday budget. This amount can vary depending on your monthly earnings. As a rule of thumb, I suggest you save at least 5 percent and at max 10-20% of your monthly income for your beachy escape.
2. Make a Budget Sheet and Stick to it!
One of the best ways to strategize you holiday spending is to make a budget sheet. If you make your budget sheet realistically, and really stick to it, I assure you won’t be cashless by the time you return. For making a successful budget sheet, list all the expenses you are likely to make.
Some of these are transportation, food, activities, residence, travel documents, rent cars, etc. List down all the expenses applicable to you and total them. Compare it with your allocated budget and make reductions if necessary.
Pro tip: Save more for accommodation. While a poor transportation won’t be that big of a regret, a poor accommodation can turn the entire vacation into nothing!
I have made the cute little budget sheet below. You may print it and get to work right now!
3. Visit the Nearest Beach to Save Money
Another tip is to visit the nearest beach to you. This will help you save a lot in terms of transportation, food, and even residential expenditure (in case it is a day trip). The money you save can be spent on other things like a fancy dine out in the sea or activities like a cruise. Plus, don’t forget to spend that extra cash on shopping. I would recommend this strategy to people who live in cities close to the shoreline.
Picture this: You have dipped your feet into the gentle ocean waves and soft golden sand is smiling at you. As you move towards the sandy streets, tantalizing seafood sends waves of delicious smell towards you. You spend an entire day and play beach games with your friends or loved ones before retreating to your home or a budget-friendly resort. But, here’s the cherry on top-All of this came with a short drive and no hefty burden to the pocket because this beach was near you.
4. Do Cost-Free Activities at the Beach
Once you are at the beach, you will find a lot of attractive activities that might cost a fortune. But, you must hold your horses and spend only on meaningful fun activities that don’t cost much.
In addition, there are tons of cheap or cost-free activities you can do. If you have an old decent beachball/throwball at home, take it with you and have a fun match with friends. You can also play a shell hunting game. Trust me, they are really fun-filled. My friends and I spend around 2 hours doing this and I still have those shells in my drawing room. Plus, how can I forget the pocket-friendly bliss that sandcastles bring to all beach wanderers.
5. Look for an Affordable Accommodation
Beach rentals are of all kinds-from the super expensive private luxury beach houses to cheap camps. The choice is all yours. Look for the best accommodation in your budget.
Also, let me reiterate this here. Please give maximum budget allocation to accommodation if that is the most important factor for you while travelling. For me it is, therefore, I always spend more on accommodation.
An Insider Tip: Don’t judge me for this, but you can seriously stay at some friend’s place if they live near the beach and use this vacation as an excuse to meet that friend.
6. Pick the Right Time to Visit
The best time to travel if you are on a tight budget is the shoulder season or mid-week. The traffic volume and demand for hotels and other facilities is high on weekends and vacation season. If you visit at other times, you are likely to get tickets and lodgings at a much lower price. It’s simply because the demand is low. Another added benefit is that you won’t have to wait in long queues due to less crowd.
7. Pack all Necessary Items from Home
Spending on items like tissue papers, mosquito repellents, fish sauce, baskets, and beach towels is the worst thing you can do if you are protecting yourself from breaking the bank. Make sure that you have packed all these items from home already.
Click here to access the list of all necessary items you must carry with yourself to the beach. You can obviously customize this.
8. Bring Some Food from Home
Bring home-cooked snacks like chips, cakes, sandwiches, and pasta to your vacation destination. Also, pack some water bottles from home. This would prevent you from wasting money on snack items during your trip.
Parting Thoughts- How to plan a budget-friendly beach trip?
These are all the techniques that can help out if you were wondering how to plan a budget-friendly beach trip. If you have some other ideas that worked for you, send us a message and I will add them to the list. My favorite tips so far are saving some time before leaving and budgeting.
If you follow a budget plan and start saving from the start, you might save yourself from following the other tips I listed. You may use all or a combination of these techniques.
Oh, plus, if you are on a beach hunt, don’t forget to check out the Best beaches in Virginia.