I was thinking the other day that it's time to start planning a summer vacation - if I can afford one, that is. With rising airfares and the higher cost of gas and food, many Americans are going to be foregoing a summer vacation this year or sticking closer to home.
We usually try to hit the beach for a week in the summer. Often 7 or 8 family members will go, and we'll take 4 or 5 cars. This year, however, we'll probably try to lower that number. Yes, it's convenient for everyone to have their own car. But with escalating gas prices, it's just wasteful.
We already cut costs on accommodations, generally staying a few blocks back from the beach in an older beach house. And we hit the grocery store before we leave home, stocking up at Big Lots and The Dollar Store on such things as mayonnaise, ketchup, paper products, etc.
But I work too hard not to get at least one week's vacation a year, and I'm bound and determined to have it. In fact, I always make sure we have Internet access at the beach, so that I can still work a little at night and make some money. That way, I don't come home flat broke, with no money on its way.
Local12.com has a helpful article on saving money on summer travel, which included some things I didn't know about saving on vacation. Check it out!