This year’s summer vacation is going to be expensive. Whether you decide to drive or fly, you will find that prices are significantly higher this summer compared to last. Everything from gas, food, and lodging to transportation costs more than it did at the same time last year. This means you’ll need to get creative when making plans so you can vacation without going broke. 

The cost of domestic flights have increased by nearly 20%. For a family of four, you may pay more than $2000 in airfare to fly to Florida when you could easily drive to save money. Yes, gas prices have almost doubled but it will be a lot cheaper to fill up your tank twice each way than it would be to pay for flights for four people. That’s a ballpark of $226 in gas compared to $2000 for flights. You can avoid paying for a hotel at the halfway mark by sharing driving duties. This will allow you to drive straight through to your destination saving even more money. And, since you are driving, you can stock your car with the essentials – drinks, snacks, sandwiches – so you can avoid paying for fast food along the way. 

No matter where you want to travel, you will be guaranteed to find information online that can help you save money. For example, Fort Lauderdale offers “LauderDeals” to travelers online so they can find the best stay for the best price. Go to Visitacity.com and you can search numerous destinations around the world to get ideas for cost effective excursions and activities. 

You can always choose to do a Staycation to save even more money. With Carowinds, The U.S. National Whitewater Center, Great Wolf Lodge, numerous local and state parks, museums, and professional sports teams in our area, you can enjoy a fun-filled family vacation without ever leaving home. Have fun, stay safe, and tag @AlloyWealthManagement in your posts on social media!