Ah, college. Four plus years of being broke and having to dig up change just so you can eat. I know the struggle first hand as a college senior. Don’t worry though, I am here to tell you that you CAN travel in college! Here are some tips for making it happen:
This applies to anyone, not just college students. Make sure you do research before you book any vacations. I do research for at least a month before I book to make sure I am getting the best deal. Figure out what the cheapest day to book your flight is (usually Tuesday) and book it then. Another smart thing to do is search for your flight on Google. Google is able to compare flights from all different airlines. They also have this awesome feature where they let you set an email alert. If you do that, Google will email you when the price of your desired flight changes, up or down.
Save Pennies
It’s so easy to spend money when you’re in college. I’m not saying you have to cut out every latte you buy. But instead of getting one 4 times a week, try only buying it once or twice and make coffee at home the other days. Then save that extra $15-20 per week towards a fun vacation! It may seem like a big sacrifice now, but when you’re laying on the beach somewhere tropical it will all be worth it.
Bring food/Grocery shop
Food is one of the most expensive parts of a vacation. Try to limit yourself to one meal at a restaurant per day (I usually do dinner) and go to a grocery store to stock up on breakfast and lunch foods. This is super easy if you have a kitchen in your hotel. I also like to bring some snacks with me in my carry on if I have room. This can help you save a crazy amount of money on your trip!
Don’t check a bag
This one can be tough for some people, but it is such a good way to save money. Every time I go on a trip, I only pack my things in a backpack and a rolling carry on suitcase. By not having to check a bag, I save around $100 per trip! This is my favorite carry on suitcase!
Fly Frontier
Frontier is a really great airline if you’re looking to fly for cheap. Along with Frontier, a lot of companies will run specials to get discounted flights. It’s great to sign up for emails so you know when airlines are running a discounted flight promotion.
Use coupons
Groupon is a really awesome site to look for discounted vacation packages. If you can be flexible on the dates you go, you can score some really awesome deals! Another awesome way to travel for cheap are flight vouchers. I’m not saying to complain about every little thing that goes wrong, but if you have problems on your flight (like a super long delay or the flight is overbooked) ask if you are able to get a flight voucher. Sometimes the airline will give you voucher up to a few hundred dollars to use on your next trip!
Take advantage of knowing the right people
Do you have a great aunt that lives in Hawaii? Or a brother that lives in Florida? If someone you know lives where you want to vacation, you could ask them if you can stay with them. You can offer to pay them, but more than likely they will let you stay for free. Saving on lodging will make your vacation so much cheaper.
Go with friends or family
If you go on a trip with someone else or multiple other people, generally you are able to split the costs on the hotel and sometimes even the food. Plus you will have so much fun spending time with the people you love!
I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to start searching for some inexpensive vacations for yourself. It’s so important to treat yourself, and for me that is taking a vacation! Shop some of my travel essentials below:
Great tips 🙂 I always pack food in my bag as well!
Such good advice! So practical and yet so often overlooked!
These are great tips, Jordan! Thank you for sharing!
These are great tips! Carry-ons are a must for me. The food tip is smart too!
Awesome tips! Definitely keeping these in mind for my next trip!