How We Are Going Away For A Week For Very Little Money.
We are leaving tomorrow for a week in Chicago to attend a wedding and visit with family. Normally a week away from home can be very costly, but for us this week won’t be that bad because we took care of a couple of things in advance. How are we getting away with spending only a little bit of money for a week away?
We got our airline tickets for free months in advance by using miles. Either by using a credit card that gives you mileage or by flying a lot for business, this is a great way to fly for free. OK, not free, but it is costing us $10 in ticketing fees. The key to getting free tickets is to book as far in advance as you possibly can, that way you might actually get the dates and times that you want.
We are already prepared for the airport. I mean this in that we have snacks, books, magazines and music ready to go so we do not have to stop and eat or buy anything in the airport. A coke for $4.00? No thanks. Be a boyscout…be prepared.
Find coupons online for airport transportation. I found a 2 for 1 coupon for our shared ride van to and from the airport, which means our transportation costs have been cut in half. If you have a favorite service that you use, check online for discounts before you book the reservation.
Stay with friends or family. This should be a no-brainer, but I know people that go to visit family and then stay in a hotel…not because they have 14 children, but just because they do not want to stay with their own family. Strange, I know…so we will be staying at my wife’s mom’s house free of charge.
Granted, we will have some expenses related to the wedding itself, but only for the tux and dress we are wearing and the wedding gift itself. But because our travel expenses are so low for this trip, and I will continue to work from Chicago (during any downtime I can continue freelance work), we won’t really end up spending too much money. And anytime I can go away without spending much at all is a good thing!
“Loans can be secured or unsecured. Make sure you know the difference and the implications of each. If you acquire too much debt and get yourself into trouble, a secured loan may help.”
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9 Comments so far
You do know that you can’t bring your own soft drinks through security unless they’re in containers smaller than 3 oz. and those containers are in a single 1-quart Ziploc bag, right? Really, if you want anything other than drinking fountain water after you get through security, you have to buy it there.
Yep we know….but you can bring empty ones to fill up with tap water!
Wow, thank you very much!
This will definitely be something to bookmark to remember when I take my vacation this summer.
Have a great time!
Another way to save some money on a vacation is to take public transportation. In Chicago, you can take the train/bus into downtown for $2. They also sell unlimited ride visitor passes, which save money too.
Thats a big one, thanks Justin!
Two years ago we did a trip to Disney World that cost close to nothing. We drive, of course. The I found a 4BR, 3 Bath pool home for less than $100 a night, because the owner needed to fill in the 5 nights we stayed at the last minute. Then, we mystery shopped the park gates and got fully paid back for all park tickets and parking. We cooked at home at night and were thrifty otherwise. It was a great vacation, because I knew I wasn;t springing a leak in the checking account.
Mystery shopping at parks is a great idea, I had not thought of that one!
So what happens if you go somewhere that family doesn’t live? And what happens if you go to Europe or something and want to travel between cities by rail?
Cheap hotels and rail tickets…traveling my train in Europe is much cheaper than flying and more fun too. This post is not a be all end all, but rather how we are affording a nice trip to Chicago for very little money!