• Home
  • About
    • Disclosure
  • Categories
    • Daily Outfits
      • Casual Work Wear
      • Travel
      • Holidays
    • How To Wear It
    • Trends To Try
    • Mom Style
    • Maternity Style
    • Thrifty Tips
    • Shopping
    • Beauty
  • Shop my outfits
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Vacationing on a budget

December 15, 2013 by Katie Haller

One thing that my husband and I have always had in common is that we love going on vacations. Who doesn’t? We love going to new places, especially when it’s a warm tropical place. In the past 5 years, we have been together, we have gone on a lot of really nice vacations together. We really value that time away, so we plan and save for trips. Our goal is to go on a big trip twice a year. Since we are always looking for ways to save money, we, of course, plan our vacations around a budget.

For example, we just got back from a 4-night cruise in the Caribbean to Key West and Cozumel. It was relaxing and fun, everything a vacation should be. We had a budget of $1,000, which is not an easy number to stick to. We had a lot of unexpected expenses pop up on the trip, but we still ended up staying within our budget when everything was all said and done. Here’s how we did it…
Cruise– Cruises are the best vacation for the money in my opinion. Personally, I like to know that all my meals are already paid for when I go on vacation. I don’t like that feeling of not knowing how much I will be spending on food when I’m on vacation. Cruise ships are great because your food is included. I also love how there is entertainment every night and throughout the day. The best part of a cruise ship is that you get to go to a new place every day. I want to be able to go to as many places in my life as I can, so for me, a cruise is perfect for that. The price you pay for a cruise vacation is well worth it. Like I said, we had a $1,000 budget to stick to, so we had to chose to go on a sorter cruise this time to save on money. We paid $139 per person. After taxes and gratuity, it came out to be somewhere around $518 for the both of us. You really can’t beat that price!
Cruise ship from one of our Bahama cruises
Flights– I can’t really help out that much in this category, because we fly for free 🙂 This helps out tremendously because flying is such a huge expense when you go on vacations. I can, however, say that one of our extra expenses on this trip was due to flying. We fly standby, so we had to leave 2 days before our cruise because the flight loads were so high all weekend. It forced us to have to pay for 2 nights in a hotel. We weren’t thinking when we were planning our vacation week that we would be traveling the weekend after Thanksgiving. We were only looking at the cruise prices. Plane tickets are higher and also, as we found out, hotel prices are higher too. We both agreed that flying anytime around a holiday is not a good idea. If you’re looking to save money on a vacation, do not go during a holiday! I wish I could offer more help with finding deals on flying, but at the same time I know that there are lots of great ways that you can find airline deals. Everyone is looking to save money when it comes to flying. My best advice is just to shop around and look for the best times, be flexible with your schedule and plan ahead.
Alcohol– One thing I enjoy on vacation is sitting in the sun with a cold beer in my hand, just like the Corona commercials. The problem on a cruise ship is that alcohol is not included, but this has never been a problem for us. We always plan and set a limit for how many drinks we can have on the entire trip. This works well for us. You can spread them out however you want. On the ship, I would advise staying away from the Pina Coladas or fancy mixed drinks. Stick to beer and wine on the boat and you can stay around $5 per drink. When you’re off the ship at port, there are always local places you can try that offer special. We always like to try a local beer from the area we are in.

Port Activities– One of my favorite parts of a cruise is stopping at new ports. I love getting off the boat and seeing a new place. The cruise lines will try to sell you all sorts of excursions. They all look great, but they are usually very pricy. Our favorite thing to do when we are at a new port is to get a cheap taxi ride to the nearest beach. Not all ports have this available, so it doesn’t hurt to do some research before you book a cruise to find out what cheap options the ports have to offer. One of our favorite stops so far on our cruise vacations has been Nassau, Bahamas. You can take a taxi or boat over to Paradise Island for only a few bucks and the beach is beautiful! We found a little beach bar there that sells Kalik beer, The Bahamas beer, and conch fritters.
The view from Beach Bar on Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas
The one thing that you have to remember is that, just because you set a budget, doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice anything. You can still have a very fun and relaxing vacation without breaking your wallet. Pick a vacation that is affordable for you and set a realistic budget that you can stick to. Remember to do your research for the best deals and plan ahead. Have a great trip!

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailKid-Friendly Spots in Las Vegas Default ThumbnailWhat to Pack for a Trip to Las Vegas Default ThumbnailMom Friendly Summer Vacation Wardrobe Capsule

Filed in: Living Life, Travel • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Thrifty Wife Happy Life Profile picture

Hi I'm Katie! Welcome to my blog! I am on a mission to help women build a wardrobe that they love without spending a lot of money doing it. I believe that everyone has the right to feel good in their outfit, no matter what your budget is! I am excited to have you here!
About me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Follow By Email

Amazon favorites

Shop my Favorites

Maternity Favorites

Beauty Favorites

Search

Archives

Disclosure

This blog contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link I earn a small commission.  For more information click HERE!  Thank you for your support!

Follow

@thriftywifehappylife

thriftywifehappylife

Helping women love what they wear on a budget!
Thrifted fashion + Affordable retailers
👨‍✈️ Wife • Mommy
📍Michigan
💌 thriftywifehappylife@gmail.com

Katie || Affordable Fashion
For the last year, I have been on the hunt for com For the last year, I have been on the hunt for comfortable and affordable bras. I've bought a lot of bras I love and some that I wasn't too crazy about, but I've come to the conclusion that you don't need to splurge too much on a good bra. 

Check out my blog post today on thriftywifehappylife.com to read what my hits and misses of affordable bras are!! [link in bio]

#comfortablebra #affordablebra #womenundergarments #momstyle #momstyleblogger #themominfluencers #affordablefashion #budgetfriendlyfashion #michiganblogger #michiganmom #momootd #newblogpost #newontheblog
Here are some of the new items that I have added t Here are some of the new items that I have added to my wardrobe this spring that I have been loving! ⬇️

Target black midi dress- https://liketk.it/3ELfo
Target black Sandals- https://liketk.it/3ELfo
Target animal print sneakers- https://liketk.it/3ELcp
Amazon gingham dress- https://liketk.it/3ELba
H&M white blazer- https://liketk.it/3ELbQ
J.Crew Factory striped tank top- https://liketk.it/3ELbQ
Amazon floral dress- https://liketk.it/3EL9Y
Amazon belt- https://liketk.it/3EL9Y

Follow my shop @thriftywifehappylife on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!

#ltkblogger #shoppingonabudget #ltkstyletip #ltkunder50 #affordablefashion #whatibought #targetstyle #amazonshopping #amazonstyle #affordablestyle #midwestblogger #michiganblogger
What I wore this week as a SAHM... I had planned What I wore this week as a SAHM...

I had planned to document all my outfits this week, but I haven't been feeling that great the last couple days, so my outfits did suffer as the week went on! He's what I wore Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday! 

Follow my shop @thriftywifehappylife on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!
🛍➡️ https://liketk.it/3Ebzv

#wiw #sahmstyle #momootd #ootdfashion #everydays #everydayoutfit #realoutfitgram #realmom #michiganmom #michiganblogger #midweststyle #momiform #momfashion
I'm not sure if my content is getting better or th I'm not sure if my content is getting better or the Instagram algorithm is finally liking me, but I cannot believe the amount of growth I've had in the last couple months here on Instagram! Almost half of you are new!! 🥰 I'm not very good at sharing about me posts because I never know what to say, so drop me a question in the comments about what you want to know! 

As for the outfit, this cute floral dress is from Amazon! I'm loving the orange this season! I have a discount code for you to use until 4.26.22! Get 20% off with code: 2036KGEQ 

Follow my shop @thriftywifehappylife on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!
🛍➡️ https://liketk.it/3DsUs

#gifted #floraldress #affordablefashion #springstyle #ltkmothersday #ltkstyletip #ltkunder50 #amazonfinds #amazondress #amazonfashion #easystyle #momstyleblogger
Happy Easter 🐣 (a day late). We celebrated our Happy Easter 🐣 (a day late). We celebrated our first holiday at our new house! I hope everyone had a great day!

I was happy that I got to wear my new chambray dress from @loftoutlet however the weather didn't let me wear it the way I wanted.  Michigan Easter's are always chilly! 

Similar dresses linked ➡️ https://liketk.it/3D6YT

Follow my shop @thriftywifehappylife on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!

#easteroutfit #easterstyle #springstyle #chambraydress #sundaystyle #springdress #affordablefashion #budgetfriendlyfashion #affordablestyle #michiganblogger
I am loving this orange gingham dress! Gingham is I am loving this orange gingham dress! Gingham is an easy spring trend that you can bring into your wardrobe. I have a couple tops with blue gingham, but this orange print is so fun! 🍊

Use this 20% off discount code up until 4/19/22: 202NPX3P 

Follow my shop @thriftywifehappylife on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!
🛍➡️ https://liketk.it/3COHB

#ltkunder50 #ltkstyletip #ltkmothersday #amazonfinds #affordabledresses #amazonfashion #affordablefashion #budgetfriendlyfashion #springstyle #cutedresses #gingham #michiganblogger #easystyle
I wasn't sure what to post today. I was debating b I wasn't sure what to post today. I was debating between a picture or a reel, but then I found this picture on my camera roll and I couldn't resist. My little photo bomber is always trying to make her way into my photos. 😜 

This is just a friendly reminder that you never know what or who is behind the Instagram feed. 

#mommoments #lifewithatoddler #momstyleblogger #momsofinstagram #momblogger #momootd #michiganblogger #michiganmom #sahmstyle #sahmlife #midwestmom #behindthescenes #behindthefeed #reallife
We are having a snuggle kind of day. Seasonal alle We are having a snuggle kind of day. Seasonal allergies are hitting both my littles. They aren't sick enough to be sick, but feel yucky enough to be whiny and clingy. Hopefully it will pass soon. For now, my lap is the most popular seat in the house. 

#momlife #sahmlife #sahmproblems #michiganblogger #bloggerstyle #momstyleblogger #lifewithlittles #realmotherhood #motherhoodunplugged #momofboth #momootd #momiform #michiganmoms
Load More Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Thrifty Wife Happy Life