14 Money-Saving Steps to Take Now if You're Planning a Summer Vacation

After more than a year of lockdown, there's hope on the horizon that this summer things will be different. If you've been fully vaccinated, you may be planning an amazing trip so you can finally get out and start enjoying life again.

If you are scheduling a summer vacation, you may be tempted to throw caution to the wind and spend whatever you need to make the trip memorable after such a tough year.

But there's no need to do that. You can enjoy an amazing vacation without doing financial damage. Just follow these 14 money-saving tips.

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It's easy to get carried away and go overboard when you start planning the perfect vacation.

To make sure you don't end up spending more than you're comfortable with, set your budget before you start looking into your options.

Once you've determined how much you can spend, you won't waste time looking into trips that are clearly out of your price range -- or end up falling in love with a vacation package that's too much of a stretch.

ALSO READ: How to Travel Safely and on a Budget in 2021

Chances are good that even if you set a reasonable budget, you still won't be able to afford to pay for your vacation outright out of a single paycheck.

To make sure you don't end up borrowing a fortune to go on vacation, start saving now. You can divide your budgeted amount by the number of months left until your trip to see how much you need to set aside each month.

Put the money in a dedicated savings account earmarked for travel so you can spend it guilt-free.

While you may have a preconceived idea of the perfect trip, it never hurts to take the time to explore all of the different vacation destinations available to you.

You may find hidden gems that are especially affordable or may find a great bargain somewhere that's too good to pass up.

You can attend travel shows to see if there are discount packages available and sign up for airline newsletters to spot budget fares to exotic destinations.

Strategic timing can save you a fortune when booking your vacation. Flights are often cheaper if booked weeks in advance, and rumor has it that buying tickets on a Tuesday could save you money. Hotels, on the other hand, may be less expensive if booked on a weekend.

You can sign up for price alerts to see when airfares or hotel prices drop to make sure you get the best deal possible.

If you're willing to go to a vacation destination during its slow season, you can often avoid crowds and get a great bargain.

Just be sure that the weather conditions won't affect your trip adversely and that there will still be plenty of stuff to do even if you don't visit during the prime tourist time.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.

Rental car companies sold off much of their fleet during the pandemic, and a semiconductor shortage has limited the availability of new cars and made it hard for them to build back up.

As a result, there's an unprecedented rental car shortage and prices have been driven up as a result. If you're traveling sometime soon, aim to go to a destination that won't require you to rent a car since you may not find one for an affordable cost.

ALSO READ: Does Your Credit Card Cover Rental Car Insurance? Here's How to Find Out

Although travel is picking back up, not everyone is ready to take a trip, so demand may not be back to 100% yet. As a result, it may be possible to negotiate discounted rates for hotels, tours, or other attractions.

It never hurts to ask about your options to save when you make a booking. The worst that happens is you get a no, and you at least have a chance of saving some cash.

A good travel card can give you bonus points for booking your trip that help to defray the cost. Your card may also offer other perks that help you save money, such as lost luggage insurance or rental car coverage.

You'll also want to make certain your card doesn't charge added fees that make your vacation more expensive. If you're going abroad, for example, a card with foreign transaction fees definitely wouldn't be ideal.

Although you likely have every intention of going on the vacation you're planning, the world still remains an unpredictable place due to COVID-19 variants.

You don't want to end up booking a trip and losing out on the money because you don't feel comfortable going when the time arrives.

So make sure you know whether you'll be allowed to get a refund or simply reschedule if you decide not to head out as planned.

Travel insurance can provide you with added protection if unplanned events derail your trip. It comes as an added cost, but it may be necessary if you couldn't cancel for a full refund if you need to.

If you're interested in a travel policy, then you may want to look into a credit card that offers this protection so you don't have to pay extra for it.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.

If you can pack lightly, you can save a lot of money on baggage fees. As a bonus, bringing less stuff with you makes it easier to travel lighter so you can focus on enjoying your trip rather than wrangling your bags.

You'll need something to do once you get to your destination. Paid tours can often be very expensive, so why not look into free activities going on locally.

Check out the local newspapers and community websites for the place you're visiting to see if they have a calendar of free activities.

You may just find something that's a lot more exciting than the typical tourist traps -- and that won't cost you any additional cash.

ALSO READ: 4 Frugal Activities I've Been Doing With My Kids During the Pandemic

Eating every meal at a restaurant can be one of the most expensive parts of a vacation. If you plan ahead, you may be able to avoid this unnecessary cost and significantly reduce the price of your trip.

If you stay at a hotel or Airbnb with a kitchen, you can cook at home. Or you can do something as simple as bringing granola bars to eat for breakfast so you can skip out on paying for at least one meal.

By following these 14 tips, you can have a great summer vacation without ending up spending so much that you struggle for months to pay for it.

You'll have a much better time knowing the steps you took to be frugal will help ensure that your vacation is both fun and affordable.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.