College students might have a reputation for being “broke”, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have the time of their lives during spring break.
While tuition, housing and meal plans rise every year, there’s also a slew of mandatory fees many don’t even know about until they see their bill. If students start working, saving and planning early, they might just make it in time to sip margaritas in Cancun by March.
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These are the top 6 topics students need to do their research on before they plan a getaway.
1. Set A Budget and Stick To It!
The earlier you plan your budget, the longer you’ll have to save and find the best locations for the lowest prices. When setting a budget, you want to break your spending down in small sections (airfare, hotel, excursions, food, etc.). Microsoft Excel has easy to use budget templates specifically for college students to make sure they don’t overspend and stay on track with their savings goals.
2. Location + What your money’s worth?
Choosing a location is more than deciding if you want to hit the beach or go sledding. If you’re a college student looking to save money, see how much your currency is worth in different countries. For example 1 USD is worth nearly 20 Mexican Pesos but .95 of a Euro! Being aware of changes in currency can help you make a little go a long way!
3. Flights + (Discounts)
For many people flights are the most expensive part of planning a trip. Knowing the best sites to go to can help save hundreds in flight expenses. SkyScanner is a website that allows you to choose” flexible” locations and dates in order to find the cheapest flights and destinations. Google Flights is a great site because it compares different airline prices in no time so you don’t have to constantly click back and forth between numerous websites. You can even choose the option to get email updates on price changes!
4. Planning Activities
When it comes to local activities and excursions sometimes it’s best to wait until you’ve arrived to your location. Although you should keep an eye on the prices you see online, chances are there are many local companies that provide the services for a much lower price. Sometimes companies even partner with hotels or airlines to give certain customers a discount, but these offers are subject to change and aren’t always found online.
5. Hotels, Hostels, Villas & MORE
Hotels can be luxurious and expensive but they are far from the only housing option. In many countries hostels, villas, apartments, condos and even homes are rented out to tourists. Airbnb is known for their discounted and unique lodging options. On Airbnb, you can select your price range, group size, type of housing and find out if a place is party or pet friendly. Many of the locations on Airbnb have photos and reviews to learn from and a lot of information about the place in the description.
6. Traveling with Friends?
Anyone traveling in a group should know that planning early and constantly communicating is key. Try to schedule bi-weekly meetings with everyone to make sure you all are on the same page on location, budgets and other travel-related aspects.
The group should work together to come up with mandatory dates to have a certain amount of money saved and dates to start the booking process. Sometimes people might have to cancel on the plans but the earlier you all plan this together the more time the group will have to adjust.
Traveling while in college can be an amazing chance to see do something risky, experience new cultures and of course take once in a lifetime selfies. Stressing out about money should not be on the list of things to do!
