Now that the holiday season is over have you already started scanning down the calendar for that next vacation date? The New Year brings excitement and a slew of resolutions, but resolutions take discipline and willpower, and the excitement wanes quickly in the chill of the long winter months. Planning that next vacation can help you get through the beginning of another year with a bit more grace and ease, and before you know it your travel date will be here. But most people are hurting a bit financially right now, due to the recession economy and the big holiday shopping days. Any upcoming vacation must fit within a tight budget, and any money saved can be spent elsewhere to make the trip the best it can be. Here are a few tips to help you save money on the biggest expenses for travel.
Airfare
Airfare is often the number one expense, and it doesn’t seem like the airlines are adjusting their rates during this tough economy. You’ll have to shop intelligently to save here, and that comes from one of two strategies. If you have specific travel dates based upon school vacations or certain national holidays, try to book your airfare as far out as possible. You can often find flights listed as far as six months in advance, and in the case of holiday travel you’ve got to book these dates quickly to lock in the lowest possible fares. On the flip side, if you can be flexible about your specific travel dates you might want to consider shopping for your airfare at the last minute. Inexpensive seats will often be released within the month you want to travel, as flights book up and new ones are added or as airlines scramble to fill empty seats. In either case start shopping online and make sure you’ve hunted down all options before locking in your ticket.
