Since we started the family beach vacation tradition, we’ve come up with some ways to save once we’re at the beach. Things like visiting the store immediately when we arrive for groceries and beach supplies is such a big help in ensuring we save as much as possible. We love enjoying the local restaurants, but by planning ahead and buying drinks, breakfast items, lunch fixings, and snacks we’re able to dine out more often without blowing our budget.
Making the yearly trek to the beach for vacation and relaxing with my family in paradise is definitely one of the highlights of my year. The price of vacations can quickly add up, so while we make efforts to stay within our budget once we’ve arrived, we have to be mindful of our spending leading up to our trip as well. I have to research home rentals to find something that meets our needs – large dog friendly and with room for each girl to have their own bed. Since we always drive to Florida so that Dude, our bulldog, can go with us we have the added expenses of gas and a full day of driving each direction, expenses can rack up.
The website is so easy to use! I brought up my current insurance coverage in another window and was able to put in the info as the website asked for it. There were a few times when the wording was confusing or wasn’t the same on my current policy and on the AutoInsurance.com, but by clicking the question mark icon I was able to get a little more information and ensure I was inputting the correct values.
I’ve been with my current carrier since I got my learner’s permit, so was curious to see what kind of savings I might find. I was impressed after plugging in info about our vehicle, my husband and my driving records, and our current coverage that with www.autoinsurance.com we could expect savings of $14/month or $168/year!
2. Make your own coffee. It sounds simple enough but taking the extra few minutes to brew a pot of coffee can add up exponentially. Not only are you saving money on the cost of your drink but also time by avoiding the long drive-thru line.
3. Cancel your cable TV subscription. We haven’t had cable since 2008 and honestly do not miss it. With services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on cable to see your favorite shows. By choosing to not subscribe to cable, it makes you more mindful of your TV viewing habits. We no longer just turn on the TV and aimlessly channel surf, we’re intentional and limit ourselves so we can spend more time living life.
4. Review your cell phone plan. If you’re not under contract, call your carrier and inquire about lower rate alternatives. But don’t stop there, check out switching carriers to see if you can receive a more competitive plan for less money. Just as you reviewed your car insurance rates, review the services you receive and drop any unnecessary features. In this day and age, if you have a cell phone it’s a pretty safe bet you don’t need home telephone service.
5. Be mindful of your utility usage. Unplug appliances and electronics when they’re not in use. While this doesn’t work very often in Texas, before turning on the air conditioner, try turning fans or opening the windows first. When you do turn your air conditioner on, turn it up higher when you’re not at home. Use your slow cooker or grill during warm months to avoid heating up your house unnecessarily.
What are ways you use to save for your summer vacation?
You had to go and tell me to cut down on my trips to Dunkin Donuts, huh? I suppose I could make coffee at home, but the ones I get at the store are so much better 😉
Great tips! I’m already doing many of these. I just called and saved over $80 on my cell phone bill and always make coffee at home except on Friday’s when I treat myself. We’ve been talking about getting rid of cable but still undecided.
Great tips! I think looking at things like car insurance and even cell phone bills are things we don’t think of when trying to save money.
Those are really good tips! We know we probably pay too much for our car insurance, but we are really happy with the company and the service we get from them, so we stay.
We’ve never really intentionally saved for a vacation, we just watch our budget all year long and then when we find that we have a ‘surplus’ in our bank account, then we book one 🙂 The home we just purchased though, is taking a little bit more of our cash flow than we had anticipated when we bought it, so this year a vacation just might not happen 😉
Great list of tips to help save! We have already removed cable from our monthly expenses but I need to get on board with checking out alternative insurance rates and cell phone plans.
Thankfully, my car insurance isn’t too bad.
Great tips. I always put our Dish on hold when we’re going to be gone for a week or longer. To some people it’s pointless but that couple of dollars helps out in the long run.
Those are good tips. I would much rather spend money on vacation than anything else.
making your own coffee is a super saver!!
i really need to cut back heading thru the drive thru in the morning for caffeine. Luckily our insurance rates are as good as they could be.
These are great tips. I’ve done a few of these recently to lower bills for us.
Those are some great tips. Thanks! Ever since I’ve been making my own coffee and cutting out the coffee shops, I’m surprised at how much I’ve saved.
These are great tips! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been thinking about canceling my cable for a while now. I just can’t pull the plug! When this site is active in North Carolina I’ll be checking my rates, too! I think I have a good one, but who knows?
#client
We have been thinking about cancelling our cable, but we wouldn’t do it for long.. my husband is thinking in a few months.. football season LOL! Go Bears! 🙂