With so many vacation savings options, I love sharing the strategies we used for our trip down to Florida.
Having generous family members scattered throughout Florida, who graciously allow us to stay and visit with them, I know our situation is rare.
But in working with our situation, we chose options that fit our budget and enjoyed a great time together while stretching our dollars.
In this 5-part series, we started with the cost breakdown of our two-week vacation where we spent less than $1,000. Then in Part 2, I shared the benefits of our zoo membership, followed by Part 3’s science membership and Part 4’s botanical gardens membership. In this last segment, I highlight guess passes.
Part 5: Guest Passes – Free
When purchasing annual memberships, some establishments offer guest passes with your membership. With our current memberships, we have guest passes with our zoo membership.
Our science and gardens membership are only for our family. With these two memberships, we had the option of selecting a level with guest passes. In finding the prices better through daily deal sites for my parents’ admission, we bypassed the upgraded membership prices.
Having grown up in Florida, I have lots of friends and family in the area. On a previous visit, we were given passes to an amusement park from my mom’s generous neighbor, who had extra tickets through his business.
On this visit, another friend graciously granted our family admission to an aquarium. With a $6 parking fee, our family enjoyed a morning walking through the aquarium, touching the sting rays, watching the sea creatures, and racing the river otters, which seem to have boundless energy.
In accepting guess passes from generous friends, our family enjoyed an additional experience for a minimal cost of $6 while stretching our dollars. As this series comes to an end, I trust by showing you how we maximized our savings that you can go forth and prosper.
While planning your next vacation, use savings strategies, like memberships and guest passes, to save money and stretch your dollars. In using time wisely, start early and enjoy planning. Happy savings!
Question: How do you plan to stretch your dollars on your next vacation?