Vacations do not have to be expensive to be great. Over the years I have taken long weekends off to various places around the world. This includes Costa Rica, Aruba, Ice Land, Utah, Arizona, Jamaica, Oregon and Mexico with a $1,000 budget. The goal is always to have a great time and spend the least possible. I will show you how you can plan a $1,000 vacation or less and still have an amazing time.
If you are frugal by nature then this post is perfect for you. If you are trying to plan an affordable vacation then these next few tips will be great. I’ll go over what I do and the different tricks that you can use to plan a vacation for less than $1,000.
Please note that I am the type of traveler who packs in a lot even on a $1,000 budget. I still try to experience as much as I can in a country. Just because you dont spend alot of money doesnt mean that you can’t experience the culture, see all the amazing sights and travel through different parts of a country. With careful planning you can get the most out of you hard earned money on your travels.
Table of Contents
How to Plan a $1,000 Vacation Or Less
Create a Budget
Always start with a budget. This is the only way to ensure that you don’t overspend. List out all the things that you need to pay for. This includes flights, accomodation, visa costs if any, car rentals, tours etc. When you start your search you will then be able to gauge how much you can spend and where you have room to save.
Sometimes there are some non-negotiables like flights. Occasionally I have lucked out on error fares but often times flight prices don’t swing by much when you shop at the right time. More on that below. Create a simple budget and ensure that you track it for it to be useful. If you want a more comprehensive guide on how to create a budget see this guide.
Go in the Low Season
To stick to the $1,000 budget it helps if you travel in the low season. Prices are lower and you get more for your money. Essentially your money goes further for you when you travel anywhere in the low season both domestically and internationally. Also in the low season there are fewer places everywhere so you get a better experience. Remember this as you start to plan a $1,000 vacation or less
If it’s possible plan your trips and vacations during the low season or shoulder season. Most things on your budget above will be cheaper in the low season. Flights, accommodation, tours and even restaurants are cheaper then. If you take the time you will notice that some restaurants even have different menus depending on the season because of demand. When they have longer wait times and more reservations they can charge premium prices which is the opposite in the low season.
Search for Cheap Flights
Flights are usually the biggest expense for most vacations or trips and hence why they are the first item on your budget. There are different search engines that I use when I am looking for flights but by far my favorite is SkyScanner and Google Flights for comparison.
You can set up alerts for price changes and even search by the cheapest month on these sights. This tool comes in handy when you are flexible on travel time and when you want to save money on your flights. I have saved so much money using these sights and would recommend that you try them if you want to save money. This post goes into detail on how to save on flights.
Don’t Limit Accomodation Options
Often when thinking about accomodation we limit ourselves to traditional hotel stays. However there are so many options now to choose from. From hotels, AirBnb, camping, couch surfing, renting a van the options are unlimited. All the different stays offer different advantages depending on what you are looking for.
Book hotels especially when they have breakfast included to save money on food. If an area you are traveling to has limited hotels chances are they will be expensive so AirBnb may be the perfect alternative. Most AirBnbs have a small kitchen which can be a cost saver in terms of food. For people who like flexibility and the ability to stop and start when they want then a van may be a great way to travel in a country as well as live in. Also you can cook your meals which will save money.
Drive Yourself
I am always surprised that people are afraid to rent a car and drive themselves. However if you have driven in your country of residence most countries are easy to navigate through if you just follow along with the traffic. Driving yourself offers different advantages.
One of the many advantages is that you save tons of money by not hiring a driver or paying for ride shares or taxis. If a car rental is $40 per day, this is easily the cost of two rides on a ride share. Whereas you can drive the car anywhere you want whenever you want. Also when you self drive you have more flexibility about where to go and what to do. If you are on a tour for instance you are limited to what the guides want and where they take you.
Book Things Early
Don’t wait until the last minute to book things. For one popular sights or tours do sell out. Also things tend to be discounted if they are booked early. There is an incentive to buyers to book things early and usually it will be labeled ‘early booking discount’. Whatever you can save is always something you can spend on something else on your discount.
Look for vendors or booking sites that have discounts. I usually use Tripadvisor to read reviews before booking.
Create an Optimal Route/Itinerary
An optimal route or itinerary is one that is cost and time effective. The goal is to make sure that you use gas efficiently by trying to avoid going back where you came from. If you can plan your route around an itinerary that forms a loop then it’s the perfect way to save money and see more without retracing your steps.
Another way to think about this is to try to create an itinerary that takes you to the most sort out sites or sites that are on your bucket list. This will ensure that you don’t waste time or money. By pre-selecting everything you want to do or where to go you can find ways to save money and avoid wastage. You are also able to estimate how much you will spend on gas, hotels, sites, tours, food, parks etc
Travel with a Friend/Family
Traveling with a friend enables me to plan a $1,000 vacation or less because we share expenses. This doesn’t always work for solo travelers but sharing costs is a great way to save especially on accomodation, renting cars and buying food. Recruit someone to travel with you and split costs. I find that group travel is hard to plan so a friend or two are great for this strategy.
Find Free Things to Do
For some reason people always skim over free things to do. By finding free things it provides every traveler with an opportunity to experience life like a local. Find free events in the city that you are traveling in. You can also visit parks, libraries and beaches which are mostly free. Here you find local food and drinks which is one of the best ways to experience a city. There will be local activities that you can join in too that are not catered to tourists which is always an authentic experience.
Do Your Research
Finally the best way to save money is to research. There are tons of blogs and information that will give you tips on how to save money and the best places to visit. Reviews are some of the best way to get first hand information on a place you want to go to and will ensure you don’t waste money. I always read as much as I can on a place before I go. You will find out places to avoid and places to jump on. Also people share information on what they feel is worthy of spurging and what you should avoid.
I hope these tips are helpful and that you use them on your next travels.
