We know that money may be tight right now, but you’re itching to have a relaxing trip to one of the beautiful beaches in Florida. You’ve assessed your options and have landed on a warm beach as your vacation destination. We are locals and we’ve got all the tips on how to vacation in Florida on a budget.
Plan Within Your Budget
When it comes to planning your vacation, budgeting is an essential tool to keep your plans on track and ensure you don’t spend way more than you were planning. Before you start planning the trip itself, you’ll want to figure your cost per day, so you’re able to plan meals and activities and keep your vacation cheap. First, decide what your total budget is. Then, take that total number, and break it into a dollar per day amount, and even further than into a dollar per person per day amount. When planning a trip, this dollar per day amount is flexible. You may need to designate more or less per day based on what your plans are. For example, if you’re traveling to and from your destination for two of the seven days, you may need less money dedicated to those days, or even a separate travel budget to account for gas or food on the road. Likewise, if you’ve got a big activity planned, like a day at a theme park, you may want to attribute more money per day there, and plan a low-key day later in the week to keep your budget balanced. Putting a budget in place before you begin planning helps give you a guide to understanding how much you can afford to do or see each day, and may help you put more value behind the activities at your destination.
Find Deals In Advance
In addition to figuring out your budget in advance, we always recommend scouring the internet for great deals in advance. Not only can you save money by pre-booking online, but you can plan your vacation in advance to know how and when you’re going to spend money. Start your hunt for deals with general resource sites, like VisitFlorida, which has deals on amusement park tickets, resorts, and experiences, or our specials page which features deals customized to your trip dates and location. The season of your visit may also offer more deals to be taken advantage of. Our beaches are always less busy in the fall, which means you may find more deals utilized for off-season specials.
Save Money At Your Florida Destination
Once you’ve planned your trip, found your deals, and have your budget locked in, you’re ready to go! Now, you may be wondering, how do I save money when I get there? There are always unforeseen expenses or things you maybe didn’t think to plan for. Food can be one of your biggest costs on a trip, especially if you’re tempted to eat out for every meal, after all, you are on vacation. However, finding a resort to stay at that either provides one of your meals, like breakfast or has a kitchenette for you to cook in, could seriously save you some money on your vacation. To keep your trip inexpensive, try finding a grocery store once you arrive at your destination to grab a few quick, easy meals for the week, and keep your eating out to once or day, or even once every few days. Transportation can also be a major cost of a vacation. If you’re planning on renting a car, you may find that those daily fees add up fast. Instead, look for a town and resort in Florida where walking to your destinations is easy! We recommend places like Edgewater, where everything you need for your trip is within walking distance.
Next Stop, Your Inexpensive Florida Vacation
Now that you’ve got all the tools you need to plan an inexpensive Florida vacation, talk to one of our locals to find out how you can get the Florida experience you want, with a budget you’ll love.
