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Vacationers: Cutting Vacation Co$t$
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MotorHome
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July 1999
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How can you economize and control your vacation costs? There are several categories of expenditures (transportation, food, campground fees and entertainment) where these measures can reap sizable rewards.
First, you need a budget. You need to determine how much is comfortably available for the vacation kitty, and how much above that you're willing to go. Once that's done, simply divide it by the number of vacation days, and, voila, it becomes immediately clear what you can spend on a per-day basis, which is a good way to track expenditures.
Next, consider from which direction the money will come. Will it be from savings or a consumer loan, or will it be paid when the charge-card invoices roll in (where interest rates on funds borrowed can hover in the high teens)? The costs associated with using credit cards when not paid off monthly can be significant. But if you are disciplined enough to pay off each month's charges, the perks offered by many credit cards can be a real benefit.
By planning and budgeting your expenditures, you can track and control your cash flow on a real-time basis.
There are several mechanisms that can provide excellent discounts for a wide variety of items, such as food, entertainment and shopping.
Entertainment coupon books offer significant discounts for merchandise in a variety of stores and restaurants in specific regions. Each local edition includes a selection of cultural, sporting and leisure activities at discounted prices. This may include movies, theaters, museums, symphony concerts, amusement parks and family fun centers.
Canada, for example, is divided into 13 regions covering five provinces. The cost of a book can range from $23 to $48. Thereafter, simply by presenting the coupon at the establishment noted on it, you receive two dinners or two tickets for a wide variety of attractions for the price of one.
There is another feature you'll find in the back of an Entertainment coupon book that is not publicized: a special order form that allows you, as a member, to order books for other areas of North America for $28 each. (There is a limit of five books per household.) For more information, call (800) 999-2234.
Coupons can also be downloaded via your computer. Once logged onto the Internet, type in "coupons" under the search function, and follow the directions.
When planning an RV vacation, create a checklist identifying what you'll need to take with you. For example, if you think you might go fishing, take your tackle with you; don't wait to buy it when you get there.
If you should forget something, find out if there's a thrift store in town and check it out. For many people, a good secondhand store also provides inexpensive entertainment. The same is true for swap meets. However, it's helpful to know the approximate retail price of new items; the prices at swap meets are not always less and can even be higher than local retail.
If you should forget something, find out if there's a thrift store in town and check it out. For many people, a good secondhand store also provides inexpensive entertainment. The same is true for swap meets. However, it's helpful to know the approximate retail price of new items; the prices at swap meets are not always less and can even be higher than local retail.
Other mechanisms for discounts include campground directories, such as the Trailer Life Directory. If you are a member of the Good Sam Club, you're entitled to 10 percent off the regular overnight fee when you register and pay in cash at Good Samparks. This directory also contains coupons for casinos and other attractions throughout the United States. It is available at RV-supply and bookstores or by mail; (800) 765-4167.
While many of the most popular national parks charge $10 to $20 a night for a campsite, the less-utilized parks, such as Arches National Park in Utah, cost $5 to $8 a day on average, and they can provide scenic wonders fully as awesome as the more popular national parks. For reservations, call (800) 365-CAMP. For Yosemite reservations, call (800) 436-PARK or visit www.nps.gov.
There are 6,000 campgrounds maintained by the U.S. Forest Service where the prices are significantly lower than those in the national parks; for details, visit www.fs.fed.us. Also, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversees some 50,000 campsites near oceans, rivers and lakes, which are also quite affordable. For Forest Service and Corps site reservations, call (800) 280-CAMP.
The Bureau of Land Management also has campsites scattered among its 300 million acres of scenic land in the Western states, where camping can be as affordable as $3 per night. Other campsites are located on public land administered by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Visit the combined agencies' Web site at www.recreation.gov for more information about recreational opportunities on all federal lands.
Three passes are available that offer discounts on the national parks and other federal recreation areas that charge fees. A Golden Eagle Passport (covering 54 national parks) costs about $50 and is good for one year. If your plans will take you to several national parks, this entrance pass will save you money. There's also a Golden Age Passport for those 62 and over, which costs $10 and is good for a lifetime.
A Golden Access Passport is free for handicapped campers. All three passports are sold at the sites where fees are charged. For more information, click here.
Taking your food with you and preparing your own meals in the motorhome, along with the savings incurred by not staying in hotels, makes the RV experience cost-effective. Along the way, stop at roadside produce stands, where everything is fresher and often less expensive then in supermarkets.
If you're near one of the many casinos that have sprung up across America, low-cost buffets are often available to attract the traveler. It goes without saying that food is the best bargain in Las Vegas, Reno and Laughlin, as well as many other towns in Nevada.
In other parts of the country, when you fuel up or check into a campground, ask the manager where good but inexpensive breakfast, luncheon and dinner specials can be found. Local residents are your best resource.
By traveling off-season, you can realize important savings, plus you can avoid the crowds. For example, when vacationing in the Orlando, Florida, area, you can trim costs by going there during these periods: January 2 to mid-February; in the months of May, September and October; and between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Another cost-saving concept is the five-day multi-amusement-park pass that allows unlimited access to Florida's Sea World, Universal Studios and the Wet & Wild Theme Park. A shuttle service is available between these three parks. This is a way to cut costs as well, not only by using less fuel for your own vehicle, but by staying in one place for an entire vacation, or at least a major part of it.
Denver, Colorado, is a good example of the many places where a day of entertainment doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. For about $25, a family can visit the Denver Zoo and the Museum of Natural History, both of which are excellent facilities.
A three-day fishing license, about $10 in most places, is an inexpensive way to have fun, as are municipal swimming pools and parks. Most movie theaters now offer matinee prices, which can be almost half off the regular evening price, as well as senior discounts.
After choosing your destination, contact the local tourist authority or chamber of commerce to request information to help you plan an excellent, yet cost-effective, vacation. Most state offices of tourism have toll-free telephone numbers and helpful Web sites. Click here for a list.
I'll leave it up to the wizards to explain why regular 87-octane gasoline can cost 1.5 times as much in one state as in another, and why diesel may be cheaper in Utah than in Nevada. If your motorhome holds 100 gallons, trying to plan your fuel stops could mean a nice savings. Here are some resources worth looking at:
For price information in the United States and Canada, check www.gaspricewatch.com, a consumer advocacy site for fuel prices. You can find stations with the lowest prices in the area.
In addition, the Energy Information Administration lists the prices of various grades of gasoline and diesel fuel by region (changed on a weekly basis) at www.eia.doe.gov.
When you arrive at a destination, use the local public transportation system. For example, the Red Line in San Diego, California, can take you as far east as El Cajon, south to the Mexican border and to nearly all of the important attractions the city of San Diego has to offer, and all for only pocket change.
This holds true for places like Sequim, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. From Sequim, catch the city bus to Port Angeles. There, board the Victoria Clipper, an auto ferry to the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island. For just a few dollars, a very pleasant day can be spent doing this.
The following suggestions may be "no-brainers" to some people, but they're worth noting because they save money. Drive at 55 mph for better gas mileage. Take advantage of your well-earned senior-citizen discounts. During cold weather, use an electric heater at campgrounds when connected to shore power and conserve the use of your LP-gas. Perform regular maintenance on your dinghy vehicle and your coach to prevent costly breakdowns away from home.
If you put several of these ideas into play, who knows how much you might save on your next vacation?
Article by: Lazelle D. Jones
Top photo by: Beverly Edwards
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