Drew Myers
Staff Writer
Lewis and Clark Community College students rejoice as spring break, starting up on March 14, gives them a whole week to put down their textbooks and spend time with friends.
This time can be used to relax, sleep, and catch up on some favorite tv shows, but also an opportunity for students to enjoy a well deserved mini vacation. However, some may wonder whether or not the hard earned cash is worth spending on a holiday out of town.
For those who would like to plan a trip this spring, here are five helpful tips for a student to have a great, memorable vacation without breaking the bank.
To start, one would need to choose a different destination. Usually, larger groups gather at warmer spots, like beaches, over break, but one could also beat the massive crowds by trying out somewhere different like Oregon, Wisconsin, Louisiana, and Arizona. Each of which can offer their own unique tourist attractions not many students will have the opportunity to enjoy.
Another idea is to stay out of the sky. Gas prices for vehicles are slowly decreasing, making the possibility of a road trip more cost efficient.
There are many fees associated with flying, aside from the rates of plane tickets. Students could drive a car with a higher gas mileage and split the cost of the trip with a group of friends.
A follow up tip would be to plan out meals ahead of time. By making a tentative schedule of lunch schedules and restaurants, one could save time and money along the trip.
This also could make it easier for students to budget in some indulgent extras, like stopping for frozen yogurt, without all the guilt.
In addition, students can save money by not buying any souvenirs. Many times, knick knacks are bought during a trip and then later forgot about, collecting dust on shelves. To avoid this, one could instead invest that money into a cool activity while along the trip.
“Once on a camping trip me and my buddies decided to save our extra money up along the way and go ziplining. I had never gone before and it was pretty cool addition to a great time,” said sophomore Electrical Engineering Major, Dustin Klaus.
One final thing to keep in mind is to be realistic, and don’t stay for an entire week. Hotel rates can be pretty steep even with groups sharing the expenses.
Finding a set group of travel days within a workable timeframe helps out in the long run. This way, there is ample time to see all of the main attractions, and return home to prepare for the upcoming school week, while saving some cash along the way.
There are plenty more ideas out there on how to save money this spring break, and to those interested in finding out more, head on over to http://bit.ly/1LiIAcK.
