This past October, we needed to get away for a bit. Explore someplace new and exciting. Get the blood flowing again. We decided a trip to New Orleans was in order. The problem was our finances.

Everyone says that when you’re middle-aged, you should travel. I agree. I love to travel. But what if you just can’t afford elaborate trips? Never fear! All trips do not require you to take out a mortgage!

We took the trip to New Orleans and spent almost a full week there. We were able to do everything on our “New Orleans Bucket List” and only spent $475 per person. Total! That included splurges like dinner at Emeril’s and The Irish House. Here’s how we do it:

• Set a Goal – I have found that saving for an “unknown future trip” is not enough incentive to squirrel away money. Having a set destination and an estimated time-frame keeps it in the forefront of our brains. We are more aware of it and save a bit more. Keep in mind, you should stay flexible!
• Save Creatively – My friend Jean throws all her change in a jar. Remember, “Pennies Make Dollars” and Jean literally saved enough change to take her whole family (6 people) to Disney World. Irene prepares taxes for 3 months to get her annual “Gulf Shores vacation” money. I hold yard sales and sell everything I’ve accumulated for 37 years but can’t fit in the Kentucky house. You can clip coupons and everything saved goes in a travel fund, or give up pizza every week for a year. Use your talent to bake for someone’s event or tutor or sew curtains. The key is to put something away towards travel without it affecting your day-to-day living.
• Be flexible – Some of the best deals are available with 30 days (or less) notice. If you’re flexible, you have a better chance of getting a great, affordable trip.
• Sign up for notification – The internet is your friend for notifying you of great deals. Especially, if you’re flexible. (Need to know who to sign up with? We’ve created a partial list of Travel Discount Notifications.)
• Sign up for perks – Sign up for Frequent Flyer miles, Hotel memberships, etc. You receive “points” every time you use it or in some cases, make purchases that give you travel miles. The points (or miles) can be turned in for a free hotel room, free or discounted travel or upgrades. Check out our partial list Travel Perks (Points and Miles) for suggestions. If you have a credit card, convert it to travel points. I don’t have credit cards, so can’t speak intelligently about this, but the Frugal Travel Guy seems to have it down pat. Check out his blog.
• USE your discounts – Too many of us have discounts and we don’t use them. Everyone thinks of AAA for travel discounts but did you know other companies and organizations offer discounts to their employees and members? Some examples include:
  • American Automobile Association (AAA)
  • American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
  • Costco
  • Farm Bureau
  • The American Legion
  • Unions and Associations:
    • Public Employee Federation (PEF)
    • United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)
    • National Education Association (NEA)
    • American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
    • American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)

Ask your insurance agent, former or current employer, credit card company, union, bank and/or credit union,  or any organization you are a member of if they offer travel benefits.

ASK! At hotels, restaurants, and attractions, always ask if they give a senior discount. The definition of “senior” varies. I have been taking advantage of this since I was 50.

• Explore near home – Weekend and day trips are great for getaways! Check out things closer to home for an affordable alternative to a “2 week European adventure”. Currently, we are visiting every remaining covered bridge in Kentucky (Indiana is next!), and doing the Bourbon Trail one distillery at a time. Go to a winery, brewery, local garden, historical site or town, sauna, golf club. The list is endless! Create a Bucket List for things to see and do near you.

• Get a travel buddy (or not) – Consider your spouse, child, niece/nephew, cousin, friend, coworker. Splitting the expenses goes a long way. Many travel packages are based on two people traveling. Just make sure it’s someone you can travel with and that you won’t have to forfeit part of your enjoyment. If you don’t have a travel buddy, you may not have anyone to split expenses with, but it’s easier to control spending, so still very doable.
• Include breakfast – Stay at a Bed and Breakfast or book a hotel package that includes breakfast. You get at least one good meal a day and can save your money for shopping or drinking at the pubs!

• Decorate a Cheap Hotel Room – This one may strike you as strange, but Irene and I have taken many trips using this little money saver. We would find a ‘newly renovated’ or a new cheap hotel (like Red Roof Inn) and get a room with two double beds for $29 – $49 per night. Then a quick trip to the nearest Walmart or Dollar General to purchase a coffee maker, candles, silk flowers and a vase, chenille throws and toss pillows, small rugs, a decorative soap dish and Goat’s Milk Soap, and a tablecloth. A few times, we even got inexpensive beaded lamps, water fountains and a stuffed cat. It makes the room much more tolerable for very little money and you can take all your purchases home to the kids.
• Kitchenette – Many hotel rooms come with a small refrigerator and microwave (and up to a full kitchen). You can buy groceries or bring home leftovers to extend your meals.

• Share an entrée – Most times when we eat at a restaurant, we end up leaving half of the meal. Split the entrée and if you’re still hungry, get another side dish, or better yet, dessert. If you’re traveling alone, order soup or salad and an appetizer rather then an entrée.

• Do Your Research! – A few minutes (or an hour) doing research online or on the phone can save you hundreds of dollars. Sometimes the deal on a travel site is phenomenal and you certainly should book online. Be aware, though, that if the deal isn’t great, you should NOT book online so that you get credit on your hotel or air membership. Do your research!
• Travel Off Season – If the hustle and bustle of the crowds isn’t what appeals to you, consider going off season. Everything can be less expensive! There’s a great article on How to Travel in the Off Season for Great Deals by lifehacker.
• Rent – If a long stay is what you desire, consider renting an apartment, house or villa rather then booking a hotel. There are two sites worth checking for rentals: HomeAway and VRBO
• Consider Alternative Means of Traveling – We always think of cars, planes and cruise ships when thinking about traveling, but there are also trains and buses.
  

Amtrak has great deals and a Frequent User program. If traveling by train, here are some helpful hints to make your trip more enjoyable:

• If you didn’t get a sleeper car, bring a travel neck pillow. The seats are large and spacious and sometimes it’s difficult to rest your head.
• Speak to the conductor and request you are notified of every stop that has sufficient time to get off and stretch your legs. Stretch your legs! For smokers, it’s a necessity for making the trip tolerable.
• If the train is empty and you’re traveling with buddies, spread out for as long as you can. It’s easier to lay across 2 seats then find a comfortable spot in one. As the train fills up, you’ll have to give up this luxury so take advantage while you can.
• Bring a deck of cards, laptop, iPod, snacks and drinks. We actually brought a small cooler. When you’re not sleeping, you can go to the lounge car and sit at tables and play cards, etc. while enjoying the passing view.

Megabus is a very low-priced option to get you to a destination. You have to be flexible and keep in mind you may have to take more then one bus.

• Demos – Although I have never tried this option, I have friends who do all of their traveling by attending demonstrations. Usually, a sales-pitch (condo sales are typical), this couple has spent weeks in Hawaii, California, Alaska and Colorado by agreeing to spend 1-4 hours listening to the demo. They have had meals, hotels and even round-trip airfare paid by investing a few hours of their vacation.

I’m certain I’m missing a lot of great tricks for traveling without auctioning off the first-born child. I’d love to hear your tips so, please, share!

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