Below is an outline of my planning process where I will give a few examples of what I do (personally) to prepare—before booking anything. I usually begin this process roughly 6-7 months before the date of the trip to get an idea of what it will cost.

1. Where do you want to go? (Important)

2. Are you going to Drive or Fly?

• Drive: Determine how many miles you will travel—and estimate your cost of gas (round-trip.) After you have determined your cost….is it cheaper to fly? If you plan on driving think about rental cars (smaller cars = better gas mileage) and also keep in mind certain hotels/places charge for parking–so budget the cost of parking as well!

• Fly: My FAVORITE site (for air travel)  is www.airfarewatchdog.com  This site allows you to search all airlines (not just big name airlines, but smaller companies too!) Sites like kayak.com are great…..but they don’t list Southwest or Allegiant airlines. On Airfarewatchdog you can set your preferences (where you want to fly to and from) and they send updates to your email on when those flights are cheapest! Always check direct sites as well!! I can’t tell you how many times a day I look at www.southwest.com or www.allegiant.com And I know this sounds weird, but check flights at random times (prices change ALL THE TIME!). If for some reason you are awake at 2:00am on a Wednesday—check for flights! I have found some crazy good deals late at night on Southwest.

3. Where are you going to stay? (Things to keep in mind!)

• If you are flying to your destination try to stay somewhere “central”–near food, near attractions, etc. Because cabs are pricey and you don’t want to have to rely on them too much!
• If you are driving to your destination make sure to research ahead of time if the hotel even has parking and how much it costs to park there.
• If you’re going somewhere that you know you won’t spend a lot of time in the hotel room—then go cheap! Don’t splurge on the hotel. Save your money for good food and attractions!
• Are you taking a pet? –It is HARD to find places that allow pets. But if you are, then only search for hotels that allow pets (most websites have a setting you can click to include pets)
• My FAVORITE site (for hotel searches) is www.trivago.com  this site allows you to search your trip date, and refine your searches. It searches the major hotel websites and tells you who is offering a specific hotel CHEAPEST. I also love www.hotels.com you can accumulate stays and earn free nights! Plus, when you sign up for hotels.com they send coupons and discounts all the time!
• Sometimes you can find the best deal simply by CALLING the hotel directly—many times I say I saw a deal online and they always try to beat it. Calling directly may even lead to better deal than they have listed on their website.  Example: The Flamingo (in Vegas) advertised 4 nights for $425. —sounds great! I called to book over the phone and told them I wanted the deal they had listed on their website—she told me the best price she could do was 4 nights for $325! WHAT?!? I saved $100 just by calling the hotel directly!!

4. What are you going to do?

• My trips generally revolve around a main activity (UFC, a Concert, a Show, etc.)–that’s not to say that yours should.     Always double check the dates of events and attractions, and find out exactly when tickets go on sale so you can buy early.
• If you don’t have something specific in mind, I like to check out www.10best.com  it lists the top 10 things to do the city you are traveling to.
• Another site I always like to check, in regards to attractions, is Groupon! Yes! Search on Groupon the city you are traveling to and see if they have any great deals on attractions!  But be sure to check expiration dates and black-out dates before you buy on groupon! www.groupon.com
  

Other things to keep in mind: 

•  You don’t HAVE to purchase trip packages. (example: Southwest Vacations—hotel+airfare+car) Most of the time it is cheaper to book separately!

 BUY IN SEGMENTS!! (Budget)

This is how I budget efficiently for my trips–and I start this probably 4-5 months before the trip departure date.

• First I purchase the big attraction tickets–because these usually go on sale really early! (UFC tickets, Football tickets, Concert tickets, etc.)
• A few weeks later (after pay day) I purchase the outbound flight tickets (buying round-trip tickets is not necessarily cheaper!) And if you don’t mind flying 2 different airlines then you can find some REALLY good deals!
• A few weeks later I purchase the return flight. (Don’t forget to account for baggage prices in your budget!)
• A few weeks later I purchase the hotel (I leave this for last because most of the time there is an abundance of hotels in major cities). I never worry about not finding a hotel.
• Lastly, I purchase any other smaller tickets ahead of time. Bus or Train tickets, smaller attraction tickets, smaller show tickets, pool tickets (if where you are going has a pool), etc. I also make dinner reservations (if needed). Keep in mind lots of big cities require dinner reservations!

Purchasing in segments allows you to spread out your money so it doesn’t seem overwhelming (or shock your system) if you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars. This also allows you to “save” for a month or two for “spending money”–Because other major purchases have already been paid for!

HAPPY TRAVELS!