Welcome to Day 3 of Vacation Week here at Sensible Harmony! Today’s tips will focus solely on saving money while on vacation.  I’m guessing that many of these will have a universal appeal, unless people just don’t like to save money.

Saving More Money While on Vacation:

1. Bring a small electric stove and small pan.  Hotels are a major expense while vacationing, but eating at restaurants is huge expense as well.  Bringing your own food, pan, and small stove (unless your hotel room will have a stove) can save considerable money.  In addition, cooking your own food allows you to know exactly what you’re consuming.  This makes eating healthy a lot easier.  Keep the restaurant splurges for a few special meals during the trip.
2. Plan your exact route ahead of time to save gas.  Driving miles out of the way, arguing with your partner, then finally giving in and asking for directions doesn’t make much sense.  If you know where you’re going ahead of time, plan a route on the computer, print or copy it to a portable computer or GPS device, and use it.  This saves gas, time, and ultimately money.
3. Use local libraries for Internet access.  Internet access has become a necessity for many people, even while on vacation.  If your hotel doesn’t provide free Internet access, try the local library.  Many of them provide day passes for guests, and Internet access is usually free.
4. Use free Wi-Fi at the hotel.  Some hotels do provide free Internet access, whether wireless or Ethernet.  If easy Internet access is a requirement, check with hotels ahead of time and find a reasonably priced one that offers free Internet access in the rooms.
5. Don’t buy trinkets.  “Tourist traps” get that name for many reasons, including (and mainly) because they are designed to take your money.  They want to sell you anything and everything you don’t need.  Trinkets that have little or no value aren’t probably the best things to buy.  Pick and choose carefully anything you buy in touristy areas, and don’t buy trinkets!
6. Set a daily spending limit or number of items limit on memorabilia purchases.  For the unnecessary things you do buy on vacation, set a spending or item number limit for each day.  Stick to this limit and turn it into a game to make it fun.  For example, whoever spends the least each day gets to choose the meal for the evening.  The bottom line is to stick to a preplanned budget, and don’t take home more items than you have space for in your home.
7. If you must buy something on vacation, try buying useful things that get used up or things that add to an existing collection.  Once again on the subject of buying (or not buying) things on vacation, try to buy things that will be useful once you get home.  Try buying special fragrances, location-specific foods, and other items that will be used up over time.  Also, instead of buying things that start a new collection, try adding to an existing collection, and focus on quality instead of quantity.
8. Take home pictures and memories instead of stuff.  Before spending money on a bunch of take-home items, consider taking personal photos instead.  Photography is not only a fun pastime for many on vacation, but it becomes a lasting and cheap way to document your adventures.  The best stuff is made of memories, feelings, and experiences.  Photos help keep those memories alive for decades to come.
9. Be on the lookout for items or deals on regular necessities that are cheaper than at home.  Sometimes on vacation you’ll find good deals on products that are regularly used at home.  Don’t be afraid to spend part of your daily spending budget on buying things you use every day instead of touristy items.  If the local superstore happens to have a great deal on your favorite shampoo, stock up now and take them home.  Save money whenever, and wherever, you can.  It may seem weird to come home with ten bottles of shampoo instead of ten tourist trinkets, but you’ll be glad you did.
10. Stay the first night with a friend or relative who lives closer to your destination.  Long road trips add costly hotel nights due to all of the driving involved.  To save one or two hotel nights, ask to stay with a friend or relative in a town that is part of the way toward your destination.  People who have friends and relatives scattered around a whole country can sometimes avoid hotels altogether!  Sometimes, staying with friends and relatives who you haven’t seen in a long time can be a fun experience that really adds to your vacation.

That’s all of the vacation tips for Day 3 of Vacation Week!  Also check out our Day 3 helpful products, and come back tomorrow for the tips continuation.  Thanks for reading!