Planning a Budget-Friendly Beach Vacay

There’s no doubt that we all love a good beach vacay. The swaying palm trees, sand between our toes, waves crashing on the shore and the salty-air breeze make us want (need) to keep going back for more, every chance we get! However, all good things in paradise come with a price. Since we’d rather not let price stop us from lounging on our favorite white sand beaches, we’re sharing our 6 best tips on planning a budget-friendly beach vacay.

Set a budget

The first, and most important, step to planning a budget-friendly vacation is (of course) starting with a budget. When you don’t set a budget from the beginning, you risk spending way more than you should be! If you want to start planning but don’t know what your budget is, we suggest holding off until you do. Once you have a number set in stone, divide up the costs and designate how much you want to spend on accommodations, flights, excursions, food and anything else you might want to plan for!

Snorkeling excursion in Costa Rica (Photo by: J. Clegg)

Avoid peak travel dates

Every beach destination has a high and low season. When planning your trip, it’s important to figure out when that peak season ends so you can score some of the best deals on resorts and airline tickets! Once you know which destination you want to jet off to, do some quick research on when is the best time to travel there and when their holidays are to avoid overspending.

Track flight prices

Airline prices are constantly changing, so they can be a little tough to keep up with! The key to scoring the best airline deals is to turn their price alerts on. Whether you want to track prices for a certain airline or multiple, via Google Flights or the Hopper app, you can get notifications of price drops to your chosen destination right to your phone or email. It’s that easy!

Flight to Turks & Caicos (Photo by: @jboring79)

Go off the beaten path

Let’s face it, some beach destinations will always be pricey–no matter what seasons it is! But, if you’re craving the ultimate beach vacation to get away from the office or classroom, try to searching for destinations that aren’t as popular to the crowds. They’re just as stunning and relaxing, without the crowds and expensive accommodations!

Create an itinerary

For those who love to plan, creating an itinerary should be a given when planning a budget-friendly beach vacay! One of the best ways to avoid overspending on vacation is to plan out all of your activities and how much they will cost, so there are no last minute surprises.

Breakfast with a view in the Bahamas (Photo by: @thechicatravelista)

Travel with a group

Sometimes the next best thing to traveling on a budget is to gather a fun group of friends or family to split costs with. If you have a big enough group, you can usually get some awesome group rates on resort rooms and airline tickets.

Does all this money-saving and travel talk make you want to start planning your next Caribbean getaway? You’re not alone! Here are some of our favorite budget-friendly resorts in the Caribbean to jet off to next! Check out some of our fave beachwear under $25 to take with you, too!