4 Ways To Realistically Afford Spring Break: Tips From RetailMeNot

By Megan Weyrauch on March 3, 2015

Imagine this. It is finally time for spring break. You’ve finished all of your midterms, projects and papers and your suitcase is whispering to you from under the bed, telling you it’s time to pack up for your dream trip.

Your hotel is booked, your friends are ready and all that is left to do is to take out some money for the trip. However, as you check your bank account, horror overcomes you as you realize your balance is a measly $200.

Now what?

Whether you are currently on spring break or sitting in class staring out of the lecture hall window wishing you were on spring break, you know one thing is certain: spring break can be expensive.

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But it doesn’t have to be!

There are ways to realistically afford your spring break trip and RetailMeNot, a leading digital offers destination that helps consumers save money, compiled a list of the top ways to spare your bank account during your much-deserved travels, according to this recent press release.

1. Research affordable destinations on travel sites that specialize in student vacations.

The following three sites provide deals and activities for college student travelers.

i.) StudentUniverse: This site gives deals on activities for college students including discounts on tours, rail passes and events like snorkeling and winery tours. This site also includes a travel blog with tips and advice written by fellow students and a free app that keeps track of your itinerary.

 ii) StudentCity: This site allows you to search by the type of trip you are going on and offers StudentCity packages where they will coordinate your group’s flights, hotel reservations, parties and activities.

iii) Kayak: A great option if you are flexible on your spring break destination, Kayak has a feature called “Explore” that lets you enter in your departure city and travel dates and in turn shows you a map with the prices of round-trip flights to major cities around the world.

2. Book a vacation rental home instead of a hotel.

Rather than book a hotel for your group, save money to search for houses and other residential properties to stay in using a website like HomeAway.com.

Renting a whole house and splitting the costs saves you money, allowing you to splurge in other areas.

“On average, vacation home rentals are half the cost of a standard hotel room, which enables your group to not only save money but to stay together, relax and create the ultimate spring break memories,” said HomeAway.com Senior Vice President Jon Gray in the press release.

3. Consider a road trip.

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Have you noticed how low gas prices have been lately?

If you cannot afford airfare, plan a road trip instead to a nearby destination. Consider using an app like Hotel Tonight to find same-day hotel deals in whichever city you end up.

4. Make the most of money-saving apps and websites.

Visit coupon destination RetailMeNot.com (or download the free app) to save on everything from travel and hotel arrangements to spring clothing and luggage for your spring break travels.

With access to thousands of online and in-store offers for all of the stores you love you are sure to find a deal that satisfies both you and your wallet.

Use the app to find nearby offers and receive exclusive access to restaurant deals when you login as a member. Before you book your trip, check RetailMeNot for travel discounts from sites like ExpediaHotels.comHotwire and others.

On RetailMeNot, offers are voted on by users to ensure that quality deals rise to the top and expired deals drop down the list. Follow RetailMeNot on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.

Get more information on how you can save money by visiting the college section of The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.

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