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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 you take a shorter, more affordable getaway a few times a year instead of taking one long vacation each year. This post will hopefully inspire you to see that you can have at least a few smaller, more affordable getaways this summer and maybe even a short one in the fall.
Table of contents
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 when it comes to 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.
How to take an affordable getaway this summer?
Nine Ways to Make Your Getaway Happen
- 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.
- Sign up for new reward points from hotels you haven’t visited before! Recently, I signed up for my own Hilton Honors reward points, and they gave me a discount by making my first reservation 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 for many areas, whether it is within driving distance or it is a short flight ride.
- 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. Because it is nationwide, a lot of their prepared items and snack items are the same if not similar in 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 going to plan two vacations, determine how much you want to spend on each of them. Then keep an eye out for email notices from various travel sites.
- Visit traveling websites that work for you. People who like to plan may want a site that is more for long-term planning and may give deals because you won’t be traveling in less than three months. Other people may look for deals and fly whenever the deals are available. Whichever one describes you best, find sites that cater to your needs. Some places will give you excellent deals to help you save money on your trip, but you need to be flexible on the time of day and date you are going to leave and return. If you like last-minute deals, some sites are just for last-minute flights. Southwest Airlines has one you can check out.
- Ask family members and see if their place is available for use or 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.
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.
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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. =)