Winter in about to begin winding down, which means it’s time to start thinking about what you want to do for Spring Break. College students often struggle with this vacation period because there’s so many fabulous options, but so little cash to follow them through with. If you’re on a tight budget during this season, you may want to rethink your options. There’s actually a lot of fun things you can do over your Spring Break that will allow you to get in the relaxation you deserve while keeping to the budget that won’t leave you rustling up change for top ramen over the next few months. With these ten ideas, Spring Break may become a little more than your time to spend on the beach while handing over your only spending money for over priced goods.
1. Rethink Your Location
When it comes to college and Spring Break, you may feel the need to follow the crowd and go for some of the top Spring Break locations. You know, Cape Cod, Florida, Cancun and other way out of budget locations. There are other places you can go to have a good time though, which won’t force you to leave the country or even spend a small fortune. One great option is to find a beach town that isn’t going to be overcrowded with tourists. There’s actually many small towns that have perfect relaxing beaches that won’t force you to spend hours looking for a spot to catch up on your tan. You may want to look at states like Oregon, Washington, North or South Carolina for these sweet spots. Another fine option is to catch the tail end of ski and snowboard season. You won’t have to wait in huge lines here and you’ll be able to get in the last bit of fun in the snow before the heat wave begins. Finally, you could also search for things to do near you. Even if you travel to a nearby city, you could find that there’s lots of entertainment that won’t force you to spend extra money on a hotel room.
2. Split the Cost
Spring Break is always made better when you share the fun with your friends, so why not take the concept of sharing a little further? Rather than buying everything with your own money and having everyone take on their own expenses, you could end up saving big time if you just split all of the costs. For instance, booking your own hotel won’t be cost efficient on a college budget, but if you share your room with 2 to 4 people, you may feel like the room is even more affordable than you thought. Another great option is to look into Groupon deals, so you can get even more out of your stay without having to spend a small fortune. This is a great route to take if you plan on eating at restaurants. Of course, it may be more frugal to buy some groceries to get you through the trip. With the bill split with everyone, you’ll be eating on pennies a day if you shop right. Apart from that, it may be wise to drive to your location, so you can split the price of gas, rather than forcing everyone to pay for plane or bus tickets.
3. Don’t Be a Tourist
Most of the time, college students end up staying where all of the action is going to be happening. Between beach parties and the convenience of restaurants, it might seem wise to stay in tourist areas. However, you’re going to end up paying a lot more in these regions. If you can, find a hotel that isn’t in the spotlight. Inns and motels won’t charge you a fortune and tend to be close enough to public transit, so you can get around with ease. You should also avoid restaurants in the tourist zone too as they may end up charging you an arm and a leg for food that isn’t all that great. Instead, ask around to see where the locals eat. Beach towns are especially known for great little hole in the wall restaurants that offer great portions at a low price. Finally, don’t buy your family souvenirs in these areas as you won’t come out ahead. The stores generally hike up the prices because they know tourist will pay them.
4. Shop Ahead
It’s hard to plan for Spring Break, especially when you’re juggling classes, budgeting issues and the fear that one or all of your professors may spring a huge project on you just before the holiday. However, if you’re thinking about your budget more than anything else, then you may want to go ahead and plan out your Spring Break. Booking hotels, flights, bus tickets and rentals are always best done as early as possible, so you don’t end up spending a pretty penny on them. Although it’s only February, you should hurry and get in your reservations before the price goes way up and everything gets booked up. For some, Spring Break starts in March, so you’re looking at a very small window to get your room and flight prepped for the vacation. If you’re worried about not being able to go then book a room where there’s no cancellation fee and find an airline that offers refundable tickets. You’ll be thankful you planned early, especially when you have more spending cash on your trip.
5. Mid-Week Travel
Although a lot of students want to take in the full effect of Spring Break, it may be wise to cut your break a little short. Leaving in the middle of the week is the best way to enjoy savings when it comes to airlines and hotels. If you can plan your trip as just a short rendezvous, then you’ll end up spending less money anyway and you’ll have the much needed time to study. Of course, if you’re not cool with only going for a few short days then you may want to see if you have exams during the last days of class. If not, then you can skip a few classes and return during the middle of Spring Break week. This will give you a full week of fun, plus the savings. Then, you’ll even have time to unwind and work on projects before returning to class on Monday.
6. Buy a City Pass
If you’re not a huge fan of the beach life, then you may want to see what all the city has to offer. Of course, this can really cost you a lot, especially if you plan on going to museums, amusement parks and other attractions that actually cost money. One way to remedy this problem and to get more out of your vacation is to check out a City Pass. You can usually get one for around $50, and it will give you just about double the value. The pass often gets you into many locations and will give you front of the line access in most cases. One of the best things about investing in a city pass it will allow you to learn more about the city and check out things you never realized were in the city.
7. Camp
With the weather warming up, you may want to take this time to fully clear your mind from the stresses of college. One of the best ways to do this is to take to the great outdoors. Camping is one of the cheapest ways to enjoy yourself during the week. If you plan accordingly, it could be one of the cheapest ways to do so too. If you live near a free camp site then all you really need to get set up is some basic groceries and a tent. Sometimes, you can rent tents for fairly cheap, but if you know someone who may have one then it might be the better bet to ask around. While you’re camping, make sure to take precautions with the cold weather and try to bring a group with you or at least keep in touch with someone while you’re enjoying your tranquil time.
8. Go Home
When it comes down to it, one of the cheapest vacations you can take is heading home. Imagine how great you’ll feel after eating some good home cooking for the week and sleeping in a bed that doesn’t make you feel as if you woke up on a bed of rocks. Getting out of the dorm will help make the last portion of your vacation a little fresher, while hanging out with the parents for a while will make them happy. You can use your vacation time to get in touch with old friends who are still in town too. Before you know it, you’ll feel recharged and ready to make your final exams weep.
9. Watch for Bedbugs
Most college students try to find the best possible deal when it comes to accommodations when they travel. Although this is pretty normal, it could lead to a lot of expenditures down the line. A lot of cheap hotels and motels have bed bugs. That’s not saying all of them do, in fact, even a high class hotel could have bedbugs. So, before you book, make sure you check out the reviews to see if anyone else has recently had a problem with bedbugs. If you can’t find anything, then it’s probably safe to go ahead and book your room. However, when you arrive, don’t bring any of your items in before checking to see if there’s bedbugs in the room. They’re quite small, but you should be able to find husks or maybe even a few bugs on the mattress or in your chair cushions. Make sure you lift up the mattress before you call the room safe though. If you end up with these pests on a trip it could mean having to do lots of laundry or even replacing a mattress. Worse yet, you could have to pay for an exterminator to come in which ranges in the thousands!
10. Staycation
If you don’t really have a whole lot of money to spend on Spring Break then a staycation may be in order. You may be surprised by how many people end up leaving during the break, which will make the dorms one of the most peaceful places to be. This is perfect if you have a lot of projects to work on during your break. This will also give you a chance to go out and explore the city in which you are living. You may find brand new places to eat, some cool art exhibits or a new place to study when the library is full. Before you know it, you’ll forget all about spending break on the beach, especially when you have new places to show your friends when they get back from break.
College and Spring Break go hand in hand, but it’s hard to keep up with the hype when your budget isn’t on your side. With these ten tips and ideas, you should be able to find a way to make Spring Break memorable without having to tighten your budget even more.
