10 Big No-No’s: On Vacation With A Tight Budget

Many of us who go on vacation (tight budget or not) have the same mindset when at our destination: splurging. In other words, we say to ourselves or to those who we are traveling with, “Well, since we’re on vacation….” as if every moment and decision was based on it being a “special occasion.”

We’ve all been there and done it.

But when you are on a tight budget, going on vacation usually takes a larger chunk out of your budget than you expected or desired.

You will go to nicer restaurants, purchase fancy beverages, tour all the places possible, take taxi cabs everywhere you go, make a reservation for a nice massage/spa day, and shop ‘til we drop with souvenirs for your friends, parents, kids, roommates, and other family members….

All these things really add up and will bite back hard once you look at your bank account after returning from your trip.

Here are the 10 Big No-No’s to avoid. 
Also, tips on how to minimize spending while still having a great experience on your vacation:

1. Skip the fancy cocktails and beverages.


• Mistake: Yes, it is fun to splurge and get a fancy drink while on vacation. But do you really need the bright colored drink with a slice of pineapple on the side and an umbrella straw? No.
• Try this: BYOB –find out if the beach, park, restaurant, or other area you are going to allows public drinking. If so, buy a bottle of beer, wine or liquor and make your own drinks. Many restaurants will charge a small fee for having your own alcohol (such as a $4 corking fee to open the wine bottle), but it is still cheaper than buying the bottle at the restaurant for a much higher market value.
• Try this: Ask about current specials or get a similar drink with bottom shelf liquors (instead of expensive top shelf brands). 








2. Buying an item right after someone tells you the price.



• Mistake: You go to a shop or market and ask how much something is, and they tell you. You pull out your wallet and give them the money, then carry on with the rest of your shopping.
• Try this: Haggle. Many of us really don’t like to negotiate or haggle prices, but if you are on a tight budget, you will find that this process is much easier than you think…especially in certain vacation spots and shopping centers. At the bottom of the page is 5 tips for negotiating prices and places where haggling is easiest to do.



3. Buying souvenirs in “tourist trap” areas.



• A.k.a. anywhere that mainly tourists go to hang out and shop.
• Example: In San Fransisco, a popular tourist area on Fisherman’s Wharf is Pier 39. This is where all the expensive restaurants and shops are. Although it is very cool to check out, almost everything is very overpriced. On a "semi-lost" walk trying to find our way to Lombard St., we found a random tourist shop all by itself that had some VERY cheap prices! Sweaters and jackets for only $10, Cali license plate for $6, shot glasses for $2, t-shirts for $5, etc. We were glad we didn’t spend $20 on a t-shirt at Pier 39.
• Try this: get away from the tourist trap areas and find a random tourist shop to explore. You will be surprised at what you will find.



4. Buying souvenirs at the airport or hotel.



• These places can be even more overpriced than the popular tourist shops in the city (especially the airport). They target all those last minute shoppers who didn’t have time to get anything elsewhere.
• Try this: plan ahead a time and/or date that you are going to get your souvenir shopping done and out-of-the-way. If you wait last minute, you may be forced to buy an overpriced item, or nothing at all.



5. Buying all souvenirs at tourist shops.



• Who said you had to get the typical souvenirs when on vacation? Who said you had to get an “I Heart Cancun” t-shirt or magnet for your fridge?
• Try this: go “local” shopping. Unless you collect specific souvenirs from everywhere you go, why not just go shopping at a local store that had clothes, accessories, books, trinkets, home items, etc? Some local shops might even have items that say “New York” on them (or wherever you are on vacation).
• Do this: Check out the souvenir shops first to see what kind of prices to compare to when shopping at other stores.




6. Buying family and friends all “touristy” souvenirs.



• Unless Auntie Jan wants a coffee cup with New York written all over it, your family and friends (more than likely) would prefer not to have something touristy from your vacation since they haven’t even been there. They might prefer something they would actually wear, taste, or decorate their house with, rather than a t-shirt that says Cancun on it and they would feel like posers since they have never been there.
• Do this: Ask those who you will buy souvenirs for what they would prefer to have from your vacation. 



7. Buying “forgotten” toiletries and items at the hotel or tourist traps.



• Mistake: We’ve all forgotten something, ran out of something, or had to throw away something due to airport security at least once when we went on a trip. It can be frustrating and inconvenient. Therefore, we buy these items conveniently at the hotel or while shopping at souvenir shops. 
• Try this: Most places DO have some kind of pharmacy, convenient store, or general store that you can drop by to get those items. (If you are in a remote area, you may be out of luck). If you are traveling to a big city, you might even find one right around the corner of your hotel. 
• Do this: Ask the concierge at the front desk of your hotel about free items they provide, or for information on the nearest general store.







8. Taking taxicabs everywhere you go.



• Taxis can be very expensive, especially when splitting it between just two people. They have a base price as soon as you get in the car and the price goes up from there as time/mileage goes by.
• Try this: Research areas around your hotel to see if they are in walking distance so you don’t get in a taxi and realize you just paid $5 for literally a mile long taxi ride (not including tip). If you do pay for a taxi, plan on being in that area for a while and only needing to take the taxi again to come back to the hotel for the night or to another important destination area. (a.k.a plan ahead!)
• Try this: If your hotel offers a group shuttle, find the scheduled times for departure or make a reservation. Whether it’s free or a set price to ride (not including the tip), it will more than likely be much cheaper than taking a taxi.




9. Eating out for every meal, with most nights at a popular tourist restaurant.



• There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying out a restaurant or two that are popular or well known for your vacation’s destination. But limit yourselves.
• Try this: Eat at hole-in-the-wall, unpopular restaurants. You would be surprised at how many delicious hole-in-the-wall places there are, and sometimes even better than the popular restaurants.
• Try this: Go to a market or grocery store and buy stuff to put together to munch on (such as sandwiches, snacks, fruits, etc). Do this for lunches instead of eating out for every meal. Bring granola bars and snacks on the trip for breakfast.






10. Splurging on everything.



• Mistake: I hear this all the time: “Well, since we’re on vacation…I will buy this, or eat this, or spend more money than usual on this.” As I said before, this is the most commonly made mistake when going on vacation with a tight budget. 
• Example: Splurging is like drinking too much alcohol: at first it seems really fun and exciting, but then afterwards you realize how much it affected your bank account and it gives you a headache. It’s just a bad idea. Keep it to a minimum and limit yourself within your budget.

5 Tips On Haggling & Negotiating:

1. Have a set price or goal in your head that you want to obtain.
• If the seller asks you what price you want, you need to know and be confident in it.
2. Use your judgment in choosing the right places and items to haggle with. 
• There's no point in haggling the price of something that is only $2 or something that seems obviously set-in-stone in the price. If a shop looks very mainstream, professional, or high-end, you probably won't be as successful in negotating prices. But if you are up for the challenge, go for it!
3. Work on your acting skills and facial expressions.
• If you look and act uninterested in the price they give you, decline the offer, and start to walk away, they may become inclined to haggle with you or sell it to you for the price you want. The vendors/sellers who try to bring you back or willing to negotiate are easiest to haggle with since they will do almost anything to get their stuff sold. 
4. Know the best places and vacation spots that make negotiating prices easier to do.
• The best places seem to be: on an island, Mexico, South America, "Chinatowns" of large cities such as New York City and San Fransisco, and even some parts of Europe. 
• You will find negotiating most useful in places such as flea markets, farmers markets, street vendors, "Chinatowns," and hole-in-the-wall tourist shops. 
5. Be confident and stick with your price goal!
• If you are not strong in what price you want, seem timid or one to give-in easily, vendors can spot it instantly and you won't get your souvenir for the price you wanted.