Don't know when I'll be back again ... Sing it with me! Or not ... okay thanks for lettin me hang there!
My dad listens to the oldies station in Toledo, it's a great station, but it left me permanently scarred with hits from the 50's, 60's and 70's. When I was in college I used to lead the women's locker room in bouts of Build Me Up Buttercup. I think we all know I have an old soul okay?!
So wait now, what were we talking about? Oh Yes! Leaving on a plane, but definitely planning on returning! Right! Well, my family is in the midst of planning our first major family vacay. "Christie, where are you planning to go now that you've started this absolutely tremendous, life changing blog?!" - DISNEY! Oh yeah buddy, me, my husb, and my monkey are headin down to the sunshine state! Wow! Good for you Christie your family must be doing really well to afford a trip like that! Au contrare! We can afford it, but on the SUPER cheap.
Since my mom first called and told me about the opportunity (my mom, dad, brothers and their families are all going) I thought, no way Jay will go for this. To my shock and totally gladness he did! (Seriously hit me like a foul ball at an Astro's game --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQrJZ5ki-GY) But obviously I've been super pumped ever since. Now my family is on a super tight budget; squirming our way out of debt like a 300 pound man out of a wet speedo, so naturally the limitation on going is that we can only spend X amount. And it's a small amount. So I've been doing my darn best to google my way into the world's cheapest vacation.
Here's what I've found. Some interesting articles, but I've already planned a cheaper vacation than what I've read. Apparently, no one can out cheap the master. Either that, or no one wants to. So here's Christie's ultimate guide to the world's cheapest vacation.
First of all, we're traveling from Ohio to Florida. We have yet to decide mode of travel. It's by far the biggest decision, and one we are not at one about. My husband is a born driver. He's a mechanical engineer and LIVES, BREATHES, LOVES cars. Everything about em, including driving em. So naturally a 16-18 car drive couldn't be more up his alley. Me on the other hand, all I would be thinking about for nearly a day is being on a beach. Needless to say, I have absolutely ZERO desire to spend that long in a car with a 2 and a half year old. There isn't enough McDonald's or tablet apps on the PLANET to make that drive sane. So I want to fly. We've been looking into both options and here is the best way I've found to be cheap either way. The company my husband works for offers discounts on car rentals. If we drive we would have to rent a car. (Our current cars are not conducive for that kind of travel right now.) If we do rent a car, we would be looking to rent a vehicle with the best possible MPG to drive down spending the least amount on gas as possible. What my husband found was the Nisson Versa --> do a google search for Nisson Versa, the link was too long to post. Now, this car will get great gas mileage and be nearly new with regular maintenance thus making it a safe choice. Clean, dependable and cheap. Part of his logic for wanting to drive, besides his own demented desire to be seated for that long, is, we'll need something to drive while we're down there. So ultimately, we could drive down to Florida for somewhere between $350-$400, overnight so as to let our little angel sleep as much as possible, stop 2-3 perhaps - gas, food, potty, and get to Florida sometime the next day. Flying is a whole other animal folks. It's tricky to coordinate, if you have a family you want a child friendly airline, and it's expensive. So here's what I know. My parents and brother's are leaving from Toledo, my fam leaving from Cleveland. They will most likely fly with Allegiant Air. A small but established airline that is by FAR the cheapest way to fly if you're leaving from and going to the right destinations. They have flights from $74 one way. That being said, they have a LOT of fees and it costs to check a bag - that's always where they getcha! So I've been digging and recently saw a post on a mom's Facebook page of a woman asking frequent travelers who they fly with. The OVERWHELMING response was Southwest. They already have a good reputation in my book, but that seals it. The comments were that they are the cheapest, 2 free bags per person, they are child friendly - YES!, and an overall good experience. Got on their site, they are currently having a $59 fly anywhere one way deal. Obviously this doesn't apply to anywhere anywhere. Select destinations, but I WAS able to find one way tickets to and from Florida from Flint, MI for $97 per person each way. Now, Flint is a little further than Magellan over here originally envisioned. So it would be better to Fly out of Detriot for $131 per person each way. Still the cheapest tickets I have found so far. Either way you choose the BEST thing you can do to ensure the cheapest mode possible, is for you to ask around. Post on Facebook, see who has discounts you can use, whom amongst your friends have unused frequent flyer miles, etc. Call individual locations rather than booking online, with some negotiation they may be able or willing to give you a better price than what is standard on the web. Also with Southwest child rates ARE available, just NOT on the website!
Second is where we will be staying. This is really what made us make the decision to go. Through friends of my parents, we are staying in a timeshare Villa for $200 for a week. It sleeps 8 and has a full kitchen and one heckofa pool. --> http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnclubvacations/hotels/us/en/kissimmee/discv/hoteldetail/photos-tours How did we get this deal? Friends who are generous. I'm not entirely sure, but my parents friends got the deal through the time share company and offered it to my parents. That being said, it is a Timeshare. There will be a schpiel. My parents have graciously offered to sit through it. They are going in knowing they cannot afford anything, and therefore won't be buying anything, and that sitting in a room for a few hours listening to a hard sell is worth their family having a good time. Thanks Grandma! What does this mean? My parents purchased the Villa. Their gift for all of us. Even if we did have to pay, you can't find accommodations like that cheaper anywhere ... ever. Our share would be $50 ... for a week. Did I mention the resort has a 12 acre water park? Finding a deal like this means several things. First of all we don't have to buy tickets to a water park. We also don't have to eat every meal out. Now obviously, when you travel you're not always going to a place like this where such accommodations are available. So I'm going to give a tip I'm stealing from an article I read on cheap travel. Get a hotel with a mini fridge and a microwave. Google search recipe's you can make in a hotel room and save yourself some dough on eating out every meal. Also, rely on snack foods like granola bars, fruit snacks and peanut butter crackers to get you there, back and in between meals. They're easy to pack and if you do your homework, can be purchased pretty cheaply. Try not to buy all your snacks at one time. It will cost the same no matter how you split it, but it's more easily digested by your budget if you split it up. And remember, whenever possible, impose on friends! Staying with friends may almost ALWAYS be the cheapest option.
Lastly, Disney theme park tickets. Here are some things you need to know. Don't rely on a Facebook giveaway to get your tickets. Okay maybe that's just me and I'm not lucky, but it's never a guarantee and winning things can come with stipulations, like availability dates on the tickets. You may only be able to use the tickets during certain times which might not coincide with your vacation dates. Also, children under 3 get in FREE at Disney parks. This was a hard decision for my husband, knowing that our peanut might not remember anything from this vacation. The way I see it, this is a most likely once in a lifetime opportunity to go with her cousins - we'll take plenty of pictures and video's, she can reminisce the rest of her life! (And me too) Plus, we don't have to pay for her to get in to the parks. Huge win. Another thing to remember, is most places offer military discounts. If you know someone in the military, chances are most of us do, contact them to see what they can do. Sometimes you must present a military ID with your ticket, so make sure that won't be necessary in advance. Otherwise, you'll get a nice discounted price on your tickets. It's sounds cheesy when you read it, I know, and if it's not something you're comfortable with then obviously don't do it. But for me my brothers are in the military, so it's a no brainer to ask them if they can help us. Sometimes they can, and sometimes they can't. For me it never hurts to ask.
Bottom line, it's not all about what you know when traveling but WHO you know. Much like in life the best way to get by is by contacting those you know for help. Seek advice on social networking sites and see what people come back with. Talk with people at your church, your work, your library moms group - you'll be surprised and the great ideas you'll be presented with. Things you may not have seen or even heard about! Also, keep checking various sites for good deals. Travel prices change FREQUENTLY so you never know from one day to the next what will be available. CALL rental car companies rather than accepting the online prices, a small bit of negotiating can mean a big difference on your bill. And THINK through your choices. Plan out a total budget ahead of time and STICK WITH IT. Not knowing how much you want to spend leaves the door wide open to haul home a trunk full of goofy dolls and mickey hats.
Good luck! And safe travels!
My dad listens to the oldies station in Toledo, it's a great station, but it left me permanently scarred with hits from the 50's, 60's and 70's. When I was in college I used to lead the women's locker room in bouts of Build Me Up Buttercup. I think we all know I have an old soul okay?!
So wait now, what were we talking about? Oh Yes! Leaving on a plane, but definitely planning on returning! Right! Well, my family is in the midst of planning our first major family vacay. "Christie, where are you planning to go now that you've started this absolutely tremendous, life changing blog?!" - DISNEY! Oh yeah buddy, me, my husb, and my monkey are headin down to the sunshine state! Wow! Good for you Christie your family must be doing really well to afford a trip like that! Au contrare! We can afford it, but on the SUPER cheap.
Since my mom first called and told me about the opportunity (my mom, dad, brothers and their families are all going) I thought, no way Jay will go for this. To my shock and totally gladness he did! (Seriously hit me like a foul ball at an Astro's game --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQrJZ5ki-GY) But obviously I've been super pumped ever since. Now my family is on a super tight budget; squirming our way out of debt like a 300 pound man out of a wet speedo, so naturally the limitation on going is that we can only spend X amount. And it's a small amount. So I've been doing my darn best to google my way into the world's cheapest vacation.
Here's what I've found. Some interesting articles, but I've already planned a cheaper vacation than what I've read. Apparently, no one can out cheap the master. Either that, or no one wants to. So here's Christie's ultimate guide to the world's cheapest vacation.
First of all, we're traveling from Ohio to Florida. We have yet to decide mode of travel. It's by far the biggest decision, and one we are not at one about. My husband is a born driver. He's a mechanical engineer and LIVES, BREATHES, LOVES cars. Everything about em, including driving em. So naturally a 16-18 car drive couldn't be more up his alley. Me on the other hand, all I would be thinking about for nearly a day is being on a beach. Needless to say, I have absolutely ZERO desire to spend that long in a car with a 2 and a half year old. There isn't enough McDonald's or tablet apps on the PLANET to make that drive sane. So I want to fly. We've been looking into both options and here is the best way I've found to be cheap either way. The company my husband works for offers discounts on car rentals. If we drive we would have to rent a car. (Our current cars are not conducive for that kind of travel right now.) If we do rent a car, we would be looking to rent a vehicle with the best possible MPG to drive down spending the least amount on gas as possible. What my husband found was the Nisson Versa --> do a google search for Nisson Versa, the link was too long to post. Now, this car will get great gas mileage and be nearly new with regular maintenance thus making it a safe choice. Clean, dependable and cheap. Part of his logic for wanting to drive, besides his own demented desire to be seated for that long, is, we'll need something to drive while we're down there. So ultimately, we could drive down to Florida for somewhere between $350-$400, overnight so as to let our little angel sleep as much as possible, stop 2-3 perhaps - gas, food, potty, and get to Florida sometime the next day. Flying is a whole other animal folks. It's tricky to coordinate, if you have a family you want a child friendly airline, and it's expensive. So here's what I know. My parents and brother's are leaving from Toledo, my fam leaving from Cleveland. They will most likely fly with Allegiant Air. A small but established airline that is by FAR the cheapest way to fly if you're leaving from and going to the right destinations. They have flights from $74 one way. That being said, they have a LOT of fees and it costs to check a bag - that's always where they getcha! So I've been digging and recently saw a post on a mom's Facebook page of a woman asking frequent travelers who they fly with. The OVERWHELMING response was Southwest. They already have a good reputation in my book, but that seals it. The comments were that they are the cheapest, 2 free bags per person, they are child friendly - YES!, and an overall good experience. Got on their site, they are currently having a $59 fly anywhere one way deal. Obviously this doesn't apply to anywhere anywhere. Select destinations, but I WAS able to find one way tickets to and from Florida from Flint, MI for $97 per person each way. Now, Flint is a little further than Magellan over here originally envisioned. So it would be better to Fly out of Detriot for $131 per person each way. Still the cheapest tickets I have found so far. Either way you choose the BEST thing you can do to ensure the cheapest mode possible, is for you to ask around. Post on Facebook, see who has discounts you can use, whom amongst your friends have unused frequent flyer miles, etc. Call individual locations rather than booking online, with some negotiation they may be able or willing to give you a better price than what is standard on the web. Also with Southwest child rates ARE available, just NOT on the website!
Second is where we will be staying. This is really what made us make the decision to go. Through friends of my parents, we are staying in a timeshare Villa for $200 for a week. It sleeps 8 and has a full kitchen and one heckofa pool. --> http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnclubvacations/hotels/us/en/kissimmee/discv/hoteldetail/photos-tours How did we get this deal? Friends who are generous. I'm not entirely sure, but my parents friends got the deal through the time share company and offered it to my parents. That being said, it is a Timeshare. There will be a schpiel. My parents have graciously offered to sit through it. They are going in knowing they cannot afford anything, and therefore won't be buying anything, and that sitting in a room for a few hours listening to a hard sell is worth their family having a good time. Thanks Grandma! What does this mean? My parents purchased the Villa. Their gift for all of us. Even if we did have to pay, you can't find accommodations like that cheaper anywhere ... ever. Our share would be $50 ... for a week. Did I mention the resort has a 12 acre water park? Finding a deal like this means several things. First of all we don't have to buy tickets to a water park. We also don't have to eat every meal out. Now obviously, when you travel you're not always going to a place like this where such accommodations are available. So I'm going to give a tip I'm stealing from an article I read on cheap travel. Get a hotel with a mini fridge and a microwave. Google search recipe's you can make in a hotel room and save yourself some dough on eating out every meal. Also, rely on snack foods like granola bars, fruit snacks and peanut butter crackers to get you there, back and in between meals. They're easy to pack and if you do your homework, can be purchased pretty cheaply. Try not to buy all your snacks at one time. It will cost the same no matter how you split it, but it's more easily digested by your budget if you split it up. And remember, whenever possible, impose on friends! Staying with friends may almost ALWAYS be the cheapest option.
Lastly, Disney theme park tickets. Here are some things you need to know. Don't rely on a Facebook giveaway to get your tickets. Okay maybe that's just me and I'm not lucky, but it's never a guarantee and winning things can come with stipulations, like availability dates on the tickets. You may only be able to use the tickets during certain times which might not coincide with your vacation dates. Also, children under 3 get in FREE at Disney parks. This was a hard decision for my husband, knowing that our peanut might not remember anything from this vacation. The way I see it, this is a most likely once in a lifetime opportunity to go with her cousins - we'll take plenty of pictures and video's, she can reminisce the rest of her life! (And me too) Plus, we don't have to pay for her to get in to the parks. Huge win. Another thing to remember, is most places offer military discounts. If you know someone in the military, chances are most of us do, contact them to see what they can do. Sometimes you must present a military ID with your ticket, so make sure that won't be necessary in advance. Otherwise, you'll get a nice discounted price on your tickets. It's sounds cheesy when you read it, I know, and if it's not something you're comfortable with then obviously don't do it. But for me my brothers are in the military, so it's a no brainer to ask them if they can help us. Sometimes they can, and sometimes they can't. For me it never hurts to ask.
Bottom line, it's not all about what you know when traveling but WHO you know. Much like in life the best way to get by is by contacting those you know for help. Seek advice on social networking sites and see what people come back with. Talk with people at your church, your work, your library moms group - you'll be surprised and the great ideas you'll be presented with. Things you may not have seen or even heard about! Also, keep checking various sites for good deals. Travel prices change FREQUENTLY so you never know from one day to the next what will be available. CALL rental car companies rather than accepting the online prices, a small bit of negotiating can mean a big difference on your bill. And THINK through your choices. Plan out a total budget ahead of time and STICK WITH IT. Not knowing how much you want to spend leaves the door wide open to haul home a trunk full of goofy dolls and mickey hats.
Good luck! And safe travels!
