Travel Tips

If you are planning a summer vacation on a budget, you want to reduce expenses. Luckily, it is easy to find good deals for airline tickets and hotels. For some however, the problem comes with souvenirs. They are nice, but costly. In fact, they take up additional space in suitcases. With many airlines charging additional fees for checked baggage, this just increases their costs more.

The best way to save money on vacation souvenirs is to not buy them at all. This is easier said than done. You want to have a memento from your trip and give a few small gifts to close friends and family members. If you want to buy vacation souvenirs, go right ahead and do so. The key is to be careful and spend your money wisely. How?

Dont buy souvenirs on impulse. If at a popular vacation destination, like Virginia Beach, the streets are filled with souvenir shops and gift shops. Many sell the exact same products, but the prices vary greatly. Do you want a new pair of sandals with a Virginia Beach logo? The store you are in may charge $10, but did you know the store just a few steps away may charge $5 for the exact same pair? Price differences like these are common in popular vacation destinations and resort towns. To save the most money, browse first. Spend a few afternoons browsing through local shops. Make note of the prices. Another afternoon, return to the stores with the best prices to make your purchases. Dont pay more money than you need to. Be a smart shopper.

Keep use in mind. There are all types of souvenirs available for sale. You can usually pick between logo shirts, magnets, shot glasses, and everything in between. Dont buy a souvenir just for the sake of buying one. You may just toss it aside when you get home or your gift recipient will do the same. This is a huge waste of money. A great and cheap souvenir is a magnet. We all use them on refrigerators. T-shirts are best for children, as adults are less likely to wear tourist shirts. As for shot glasses, they too are cheap, but basically a worthless purchase for someone you know doesnt drink alcohol. Save money. If you are going to buy souvenirs, buy nice or useful ones. Otherwise, you mine as well throw your money in the garbage.

Give yourself a budget for souvenirs. If you head into your trip knowing you want to bring home a few mementos, decide on a budget. For example, give yourself $30 to buy a gift for yourself, one for your mother, and so forth. When you have a strict budget, you are more likely to pay attention to prices and avoid costly impulse purchases.

Leave room for souvenirs in your luggage. If you head into your summer vacation knowing you want to buy souvenirs, not only set a budget, but also make sure you have room in your suitcase. Nothing is worse than needed to pay extra airline handling or luggage fees. A good approach is to use space saving travel bags. They condense clothes and leave more room in your luggage for souvenirs. Also, consider size. Try to avoid souvenirs that you know cannot fit into your suitcase.

In short, souvenirs are an easy way to increase the cost of a vacation and exceed your budget. You shouldnt let that stop you from buying vacation mementos and gifts for loved ones. Just use your best judgment, price compare, think small, and you will be fine.

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New York City on a Budget It Can be Done

Despite common misconceptions, it is quite possible to enjoy many of the great things that New York City has to offer even on a rather modest vacation budget. It is important to remember when planning your vacation that your budget is often the most important deciding factor as far as which activities should or should not be included in your families plans.

The beauty is that you can still present many fun and wonderful options to your family while following a rather strictest of budgets. First of all, if you pay for your lodging ahead of time that is one worry you won’t have during your stay. Finding a hotel room that has microwaves and refrigerators can go a long way towards limiting expenses. You can also save money by filling your bottles with waters at your hotel rather than purchasing new water bottles, bringing snacks from home for the kiddies, and eating at nice restaurants that offer lunch menus at lunchtime and hitting less expensive or fast food restaurants in the evening.

Another thing to remember is that you do not need to purchase every photograph that is taken of your children while in New York. Consider carefully which photograph will be the most meaningful to your child years from now and let that be the photograph you purchase. Use your camera to record other memories of your time in New York for a fraction of the cost. Be sure to bring plenty of extra film (if you’re still using a camera that requires film) and batteries with you from home, as these are likely to be more expensive to replace in New York.

Other great money saving ideas for your time in New York would be to purchase The New York Pass. It may seem rather expensive but you can purchase a 3 or 7-day pass that will actually grant you free admission to many area attractions. You will easily make up your investment if you were planning to visit the attractions that this provides free admission to. You will find wide selections of museums and zoos are offered as well as discounts in some of the gift stores.

New York is a great city in which to shop. It’s not such a great city in which to shop on a budget. If shopping presents too great of a temptation for you avoid it. While there are some wonderful and interesting shops to see and experience if you can’t go in and out without spending money, then it would be in the best interest of your vacation budget to skip them all together. If you can resist the temptation there are many malls and stores that offer not only delightful merchandise but are also a sight to behold in and of themselves.

If you have children there are many activities for children that are available for free in and around the city. Search the Internet while in the planning phases and I’m sure you’ll find many activities that you can all enjoy as a family that fit into the fabulous freebie category. Many of the museums in the city also offer free admission on certain days of the week or at certain times. Other museums offer a pay what you will type of admission so that no one is actually turned away from the wonderful experience that awaits them inside.

New York City also has many national parks, some of which have profound historical significance. The admission to these national parks, including the Statue of Liberty is absolutely free and the family can enjoy their time there as well as gaining a profound sense of history in the process.

No matter what your budget, you can afford to have a good time in New York City if you take the time to carefully plan the events you will and will not participate in based on your budget. Keep in mind to allow for a few really nice events and reward yourself for being so budget conscious throughout your trip. It is a vacation after all, even if you are limited to expenses.