As small business owners, it’s not easy to go away for the entire week. It’s also not affordable either. So, I am proposing that you take shorter, more affordable getaways a few times a year instead of one long vacation each year. This post will hopefully inspire you to realize you can have at least a few smaller, more affordable getaways this summer, and maybe even a short one in the fall.
Topics
Key Takeaways
- Shorter, more affordable getaways throughout the year are better than one long vacation.
- Taking an affordable getaway benefits mental health and helps maintain business perspective.
- Use reward points, check membership rewards, or do a staycation to save money on trips.
- Create a vacation budget, stay flexible with travel plans, and explore apps to find deals.
- Plan trips at least six weeks in advance for domestic travel and utilize tools like Google Flights and Hopper.
Benefits of taking a well-deserved, affordable getaway:
Of course, I will remind you of the benefits of taking a vacation. We sometimes get so stuck in the routine that we forget to plan. So, here are the reasons why you need to take an affordable getaway this summer.
- Gives you time to let your brain and body rest.
- Helps you see the big picture of your business.
- Taking vacations throughout the year helps you look forward to a break. Yes, we love our business, but we also need some time away. Doesn’t everyone?
- Affordable getaways don’t break the bank.
Tips on taking an affordable getaway this summer
Below are several ways to save money on your next vacation.
Use points where possible!
There are lots of reward programs out there, from hotels to airlines. Check first to see if your reward points meet the required number of stays or a round-trip flight.
Earn new reward points at hotels you haven’t visited before!
Recently, I signed up for my own Hilton Honors account, and I received a discount on my first reservation made through their website. Nice, right? It was a 10% discount, but it worked. It made me take action right away.
Check your membership rewards accounts!
Don’t forget about AAA travel or your credit card benefits. They offer great deals to many destinations, whether within driving distance or a short flight.
Take a Staycation!
You don’t need to spend any money. But you must schedule what you want to do during your staycation.
Get gift cards from your credit card rewards!
We have done this often to save a little money while on vacation. If you have points, change them into dining gift cards.
Get a room with a kitchenette and a small refrigerator!
Food is expensive on trips. We like to stop by places like Whole Foods in different parts of the country. I’ve visited Whole Foods in CA, IL, PA, and FL. Since they are nationwide, I usually can find at least one in the area. I like to buy breakfast (if the hotel doesn’t have free breakfast) and snacks (affiliate). Because it is nationwide, many of their prepared and snack items have the same, if not similar, ingredients, which helped me with my limited diet. =)
Make a budget of how much you want to spend on a vacation and stick to it.
If you’re planning two vacations, determine how much you want to spend on each. Then keep an eye out for email notices from various travel sites.
Visit travel websites that work for you.
People who like to plan may want a site that is better for long-term planning and may offer deals because you won’t be traveling for less than three months. Other people may look for deals and fly whenever the deals are available. Whichever one best describes you, find sites that cater to your needs.
Some places will offer excellent deals to help you save money on your trip, but you need to be flexible about the date and time you leave and return. If you like last-minute deals, some sites specialize in last-minute flights.
Southwest Airlines has one you can check out. American Airlines has a Travel Tuesday Deals page.
Ask family members if their place is available for use or for rent.
I bet you know of at least a few people who own a second house or apartment in a city near you. If they are going on vacation, maybe you can watch their pet and get to have your own vacation as well.
2026 Apps and Tools to Find Affordable Getaway Deals
Along with points and gift cards, a few apps have made it a lot easier to spot a good deal before you book:
- Google Flights. Still one of the best free starting points — use the price calendar to see which dates are cheapest for your destination.
- Hopper. Uses AI to predict whether a flight or hotel price is likely to rise or fall, so you know whether to book now or wait.
- Skyscanner. Searches across airlines and travel sites at once, including budget carriers that don’t always show up elsewhere.
- Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights). Sends deal alerts based on your home airport — handy if you’re flexible on where you go, not just when.
- Booking.com or Airbnb with a kitchen/kitchenette filter. Combine this with your grocery run tip above to keep food costs down on longer stays.
A quick tip for 2026: Airfare has been running higher than in past years, so looking around 43 days ahead for domestic trips and 3-5 months ahead for international trips tends to land the best prices. Setting a price alert and letting it come to you (rather than searching constantly) still beats last-minute panic booking.
FAQs Budget Friendly Summer Getaways
For domestic trips, planning around 6 weeks in advance tends to work well. For international trips, aim to plan 3-5 months in advance when possible.
It can be, but only if you actually schedule activities and treat it like time off. Otherwise it’s easy to slip back into work mode.
If your points cover most or all of a short trip, use them — that’s exactly what they’re for. Save cash purchases for trips your points don’t stretch to.
There’s no set number — a few two- or three-day trips spread throughout the year work well for most solopreneurs who can’t step away for a full week at a time.
Book a room with a kitchenette or mini fridge and pick up breakfast and snacks at a grocery store instead of eating every meal out.
If you combine personal travel with visiting clients or business meetings, part of the trip may be deductible — check with your accountant or bookkeeper to confirm what qualifies.
Start by blocking even a single day off on your calendar in advance, just as you’d block time for a client. Treat it as non-negotiable, and build from there.
I hope this helps motivate you to schedule your affordable getaway this summer. Now it’s your turn: What is your favorite tip for having a more affordable getaway? Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
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This is full of great ideas! I have done the kitchenette, claimed miles, and claimed points (along with AAA and AARP help). Also, it’s been proven that several short vacations during the year are more beneficial for one’s good mood, so this is a really awesome article! 🙂 Now, if I can just find some time between summer class and fall inservice…. 🙂
These are all great ideas and I’m embarrassed to say that only the kitchenette has occurred to me. Although about all I need is a microwave, coffee machine and little fridge, and I’m good to go. I don’t generally take vacations to cook my own food, but it’s nice to have the ability to snack healthfully in between indulging myself at a restaurant.
We are planning a couple short getaways this summer after being gone too much last summer! I will definitely check my points… Thanks for the tips!
Thanks Sabrina for this awesome post on how we can take a very affordable vacation this summer (taking a few little ones) sounds like the best way to go!
I love your ideas!
Great post!
Although I love “big” vacations, I can come back feeling like I need a vacation from the vacation. I grew up with mini vacations and so that is what I love to do. They are less work to plan and I find them very relaxing. I need to plan my next one. Will check out how many points I have.
Our first go to resource is AAA. Good idea on using gift cards from your credit card. I always forgot about that! Great ideas and good tips on saving money. Thanks for sharing!
When I remarried 17 years ago & then retired we took cruises for many years. We did land trips to China, Israel, Barcelona & Alaska. A few years ago we met our kids from Indiana midway in Niagra Falls. Our big travel days are over but we still do 2 great things. We do a monthly no cost overnight in a casino & I use a low cost time share purchased many years ago to go yearly to our favorite place, Cape Cod Mass. Any form of travel can get costly & finding ways to make them possible is so helpful. When my kids were young, all we could afford was camping & we loved it.
Camping is a great money-saving vacation. I have lots of friends that do this each year. Thanks for sharing.
I definitely can NOT do a staycation… .since I work from home.. I will still work or do something. I am going back to Va for a few days next week and staying with friends and just hanging out with my old friends… so very low cost. The most cost was air fare and car rental… but I plan to visit clients to make it… deductible
I’m a big believer in the benefits of short breaks – love the long ones too. Hubby and I try to get away for a night or two several times a year and we rely on reward points to do this. Last minute offers are great too if you can be flexible about where you want to go.
Sabrina – I have to travel quite a bit for my “Pay the Rent” job, so staycations are a luxury for me. I get to be in my own comfy bed – and I’m not afraid to spend what I would have spent on motels on new bedding for my room. Also, we get to keep our little dog with us when we do a staycation. Fortunately, about 1/2 the time, I’m within 2 hours of St. Louis, 2 hours of Evansville, and 4 hours to Chicago. With no more than one night in a motel, I can attend plays, concerts, museums, etc and – this is critical – we actually do it! Great article.
I know a lot of people who are travel hackers, as in the U.S. it is so easy to accumulate points from credit card offers. We don’t have that here in Canada, unfortunately. I always use points when it makes sense and I also always get a room with a fridge in it and even a stove where possible. I must prefer making food in the room, when I go away. These are great tips, Sabrina and taking a vacation really is so important to our overall health and well-being!
I enjoy your creative blog topics Sabrina! I love your idea about using credit card points for dining gift cards. Brilliant. I’m a picky eater who tries to eat healthy, so we get a refrigerator whenever we can (and have even taken a mini fridge w/us on occasion). I admit, though, that I prefer one long vacation over a few short ones. I’ve noticed it takes me several days to unwind before I start relaxing. Nevertheless, your ideas are helpful no matter the length of a vacation. Thanks!
One summer Best Western had a deal where if you booked two stays, the third was free. We went to Port Dover for a theatre night in July, St. Jacob’s for shopping in August, and then to Brantford (definitely not a tourist spot but a getaway nonetheless) for a personal celebration in October.
I love those deals. They are so much fun and you really feel like you need to take advantage of it.=) Thanks for sharing, Janet.
Great ideas, Sabrina! I have to laugh–I never check my credit card reward points. So after reading this, I just did. My goodness! You just put a lot of dollars in my pocket! Thank you.
Good for you, Susan! I hope you do something fun with the reward. =)