Travel in general is not frugal, but you’ve got to live from time to time. Still we manage to find ways to cut the costs. Read:
A Few Tightwad Tips for Road Trips
Money Saving Travel Tips for Cash Strapped Flyers
Saving Money on Your Next Vacation—Book Early
Regardless of how you plan and save over the winter holidays however, it is difficult to control your wallet. One of the biggest reasons that winter travel is so expensive is unpredictability. For example, right now, four days before Christmas, there is a major snowstorm across the country. People are stranded in airports everywhere, and thousands of flights are cancelled. This means people will have to pay for unexpected hotels. They will have to pay to feed children high cost food. They may even end up canceling trips that they have already paid for. These costs cannot be avoided.
So what is a winter traveler to do? My advice… don’t! I don’t travel during the winter holidays when snow storms are most common. I prefer to visit family in the spring for Easter, or during the summer vacation season. If I do feel a hankering to spend time with long distance relatives during this season, then I plan to drive with the stipulation that I will cancel the trip should a storm be expected. Needless to say, it’s been years since my family has been away from our home during the holidays.
Still, there are things you can do to help stem the flow of money from leaving your wallet.
*Purchase trip insurance to help you recoup the cost of canceled plans due to bad weather.
*Pack lots of food for children so you don’t spend a fortune if you are stuck waiting for a flight for 24 hours. Pack powdered drinks that you can add liquid to from the water fountains.
* Call the airport before you leave home to find out if your flight will be departing on time, or at all. This can save you a day to an hour of excess waiting. The longer you have to wait, the more you will have to spend.
* Consider traveling right after Christmas when prices drop a little.
~Andrea Hermitt writes for parenting (specifically teens), the home blog, and also the frugal blog, and homeschooling at families.com.
Read:
Post-Christmas Travel Destinations for Families
More Post-Christmas Travel Destinations for Families
Frugal Trips for Holiday Travel