How to Plan an Affordable Beach Vacation

    By Katherine Leginza

    What's your dream vacation? Some take to the mountains, others to a busy, bustling city. Personally, I love to visit the beach. Everyone deserves to get away, destress, and take a vacation. But during this tough economy, many people are finding it hard to budget for a fun trip. I'm here to show you that it's possible to head to the coast without breaking the bank. 

    First, let's discuss affordable vacation destinations. One of my favorite place's to visit is the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, Alabama area. These beaches are known for their beautiful, white sand beaches, hiking trails, amazing seafood, and much more. Another great place to visit is the St Pete/Clearwater, Florida area. These beaches are known for their beautiful sunsets, collecting seashells, great restaraunts, and clear, blue water. My third favorite option is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The beaches are wide and span 60 miles down the Grand Strand. There'ss many renowned golf courses near by and vacationers can witness beautiful sunrises. 

    Next, let's discuss the best time to travel to these destinations. You don't need to visit during the Fourth of July weekend to enjoy the beach. The best time to save money is during the off-season. While the aformentioned beaches in Alabama and Myrtle Beach might be too cold to swim in during the off- season, many resorts offer large indoor pools and hot tubs for this reason. For most of the fall and spring months, St. Pete and Clearwater should be warm enough to swim in. There are other benefits of visiting during this time. Beaches will be less crowded, there will be more availability to make reservations,  wildlife will be more abundant, and the tourist traps might be closed so you can check out local hang outs. 

    Now, we shall discuss where to stay. The most affordable option is to stay 5 minutes away from the beach. You can save hundreds of dollars booking further inland and driving to the beach. Many of these properties (especially if they are condos) will have a very nice community pool to use. If you decide to drive to the beach, all of the destinations I mentioned have several state or county beaches nearby. If it's an absolute requirement to stay beachfront, look to book direct at these condos. Usually they will throw in included amenities such as free beach chairs, free beach towels, or other activities to spark interest in booking direct. The direct websites usually have booking deals throughout the year so it is a good idea to keep checking them. Another way is to book through a direct website or rental agency that uses Affirm, a financing company, to pay in insallments. I would reccommend to only use the "Pay in 4" option, to avoid interest fees. 

    One of the costliest things to consider is means of travel. If you have a reliable vehicle. Please consider driving. Road trips are fun and it is interesting to see the countryside while travelling. if you decide to fly, consider budget airlines such as Spirit or Frontier. Another cost to consider is food. Try to get a condo with a kitchen or kitchenette so you can cook most of your meals at home. If you do decide to go out, look for happy hour deals. As far as entertainment goes, check Groupon for deals. All of the destinations I mentioned have ongoing free events, such as watching the Blue Angels practice in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, the nightly Spectra Laser Light Show at the Wharf in Orange Beach, the nightly Sunset at Pier 60 festival in Clearwater Beach, and visiting free concerts and various piers and parks in Myrtle Beach. If you need affordable beach attire or travel items before your trip, check out discount stores such as Walmart, Marshall's or T.J. Maxx. Online fast-fashion stores are especially cheap such as Temu or Shein. I hope that this blog is especially helpfull in planning your vacation!