I never get tired of watching those Dateline NBC shows they constantly run on “ID”. I’ve never been much for scripted television shows (at least the network shows) as I find real life much more interesting. Luckily for me there is an endless supply of crime, history and travel shows that all both entertain and inform. Now, I’m not completely against scripted television shows as there are some that are really well made. I’m a huge fan of the Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, but these are shows that have zero basis in reality. When it comes to CSI or Law and Order none of them are original they are mostly based off of real life cases so I figure why not just watch a show about the actual real life case.
I’m taking an early Spring break. Me and the girlfriend are going to be flying down to the Caribbean for some rest and relaxation. This is the first time we have been away in nearly a year so I feel confident in saying it is much deserved. We’ve saved for a long time and are both coming off of busy holiday seasons so its safe to say we are both really looking forward to letting lose.
I know a lot of you may think my life is all about saving and not about doing anything fun. While it may be true that I don’t go out as often as a lot of you do, or buy as many shiny things as some may like, I do like to have fun. One of the things I do that is against the idea of saving is going on vacation. I usually go on 2 vacations per year, which I can afford to do thanks to my cost cutting measures. However even when I do spend money on vacation I make sure to do it in a smart way. The smartest thing you can do when planning a vacation is do it yourself. What I usually do is search around for an unbelievable package and then I make it even more unbelievable by dissecting it and putting the parts together myself. You can often find everything in a package deal on the internet a la carte and for much cheaper. With a little searching I can usually save about 10% or so off the price of a vacation package by doing the leg work myself.
Like I said before I am a huge proponent of vacations. I believe it is good for the mind, body and soul. What I don’t believe in is needlessly spending on vacations. What I mean by needlessly spending on vacation I mean resorts. While it may sound great to stay at a resort in the Caribbean the allure of the trip should be the destination not the accommodations. I am not saying stay at a run down no-tell motel. I am saying rent an apartment instead of staying at a fancy resort. When I go to the islands I spend minimal time in doors and every second I can exploring and going to the beach.
Over the years I found out I can rent a really nice condo for the week for less than half the price of staying in a resort. The last one was 1000 dollars for the week as opposed to 2200 for a resort. The only difference was I didn’t have maid service or an on site restaurant. The condo was larger, I could cook if I wanted, and we still had a pool. There are millions of time shares out there, many of which go unused every week by finding these time shares you can have a great vacation extremely cheap.
I know you have seen the commercials, fly from NY to LA for 59 dollars. While you can get flights for that price the likelihood that it will happen are slim to none. The reason is because only a handful of seats on each flight are priced at the promo level. These specially priced seats only go to the first people to book that particular flight so if you are fast you will miss out. If you have missed the promo price there is another option, you can book last minute. Airplanes for the most part cost the same amount to run whether completely filled up or running at 85% of capacity, but airlines of course make more if the plane is full. Since the airlines want every plane that leaves the ground to be filled up, if you book within a few days of when you are going to travel you can often get your ticket at cheap. It isn’t unusual for last minute bookers to get their tickets for half of what the person sitting across the aisle from them paid. That being said the late method should only be used for those with the flexibility to deal with not getting the exact flight they want.