Military households want to make their available time together count, but they also want to keep from spending too much. This can be a difficult thing to balance, especially if finances are tight. You can take some measures to ensure your vacation is the best time possible, without hurting your budget.
Save up well before your vacation date
It is important to not just get your latest paycheck and use it for a vacation happening that week. This could put you and your loved ones into an unnecessary bind as soon as you come home.
- Try to save for weeks or months in advance.
- Create a vacation fund, and remain disciplined.
- Go out less leading up to the vacation to conserve funds.
Look for military vacation deals and discounts
If you have somewhere specific in mind, it may not be a good idea to just purchase the first tickets you see available and book your hotel. Take time to plan the vacation. Check travel sites for special military vacation deals. Most major airlines and hotels offer some type of military discount. For additional airfare and vacation discounts available exclusively to servicemembers, check out Military.com, Militaryfares.com, MilitaryTravel.com, and the Armed Forces Vacation Club.
- Many popular cruise lines including Carnival, Costa, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian, and Princess Cruises, offer special military savings.
- Is your heart set on Mickey and the Magic Kingdom? Disney World offers military discounts for select parks and resort hotels. And Shades of Green®, an Armed Forces Recreation Center located on the Walt Disney World Resort, is an amenity-filled resort designed exclusively to provide R&R to United States servicemembers and their families.
Plan your vacation during the slow season at your destination. This could save you significant funds.
- Go during the week instead of on the weekend. This usually costs less, as there is more of a demand for weekend space.
Plan a staycation
You don’t always have to travel far and wide for a vacation. Sometimes you can have just as much fun hanging out close to home.
- Prioritize family time. Make clear to your family that the time off is time spent together.
- Take a day trip with family to a local destination that everyone can enjoy. This could be low-cost and still feel like a vacation.
