Summertime is peak vacation season—and spending season.

Between transportation, lodging, food, activities, and souvenirs, the price tag of your trip to paradise can skyrocket quickly. In fact, both GOGO Charters and Budget Your Trip reached the same conclusion when they crunched the numbers in 2024: a one-week vacation can cost around a whopping $2,000 per person. Given this reality, it’s well worth your while to find ways to cut corners. By implementing these tactics, you can spend less and enjoy yourself even more.

Plan strategically

Our spending and saving habits are often embedded in us at a young age, influenced largely by our families. Perhaps you grew up with a coupon-clipping mom or, in contrast, parents who splurged openly and freely. Those in the latter category, or even somewhere in between, may need to actively fight their brains to economize—and temptations to spend may weigh heavier on them while on vacation.

That’s why strategizing is your best defense against getting caught up in the moment. First and foremost, much like you do with your home finances, set a vacation budget that distinguishes between needs (such as lodging) and wants (such as souvenirs). Then consider tips and tricks like the following to help ensure that you stay within it.

• Download free apps designed to assist you in keeping costs low. For instance, Hopper will find and alert you to the best prices for airfare, stays, and more, while GasBuddy can lead you to the cheapest gas prices. An all-in-one app such as TravelSpend can also be a massive asset in both budgeting for and tracking your vacation spending.
• Book domestic flights one to three months in advance, if possible, since supply and demand will be better, resulting in lower prices. In addition, the day you buy can matter; FareCompare estimates that the best time to get a bargain on flights is at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesdays.
• In contrast, you can get better prices for hotels the longer you wait—a NerdWallet survey found that around two weeks out is ideal. If you’re daring or in a pinch, you can also find great last-second deals on an app like HotelTonight.
• Speaking of hotels, consider prioritizing ones that provide free breakfast or partner with local attractions to offer stay-and-play discounts, which can save you big.
• Vow to be judicial about souvenirs. If you find you must bring something back from your trip, set a strict souvenir-spending limit in your budget before you leave home, and consider keeping that amount in cash folded in your wallet as a reminder of it.
• Pack food and drinks in the car so everyone stays satiated during a road trip, possibly reducing the need to stop for meals. For planes and trains, conduct research ahead of time about carry-on snack policies.

Do a deep dive into discounts 

The number of ways you can slash prices during your stay is vast, so take some time to do your homework. Of course, there are the classic strategies of enrolling in hotel and airline loyalty programs to earn and redeem points and searching websites like Groupon, AAA, and AARP for member discounts. But don’t overlook your destination’s visitor bureau website and other local travel sites; such places usually offer savings books with coupons and BOGOs that will help you keep spending low. And in most states, you can give yourself a discount by choosing to pay cash at stores and restaurants to avoid a relatively new phenomenon: credit card surcharges, which may add up to 4 percent to your bill.

Be frugal with food 

Eating out is often the easiest way to blow your budget on a trip—you’re there to have fun, after all, so buying extra drinks and tantalizing desserts just seems like part of the package. Smart decisions and self-awareness are key to preventing both excessive spending and overeating at restaurants.

For example, one useful strategy is to ask yourself how hungry you are to gauge if your eyes are larger than your stomach, as is often the case while on vacation. If they are, go for an appetizer instead of a full meal. Or if you feel like this is your only chance to try the delicious dish you’re craving, see if you could share it with someone in your party or get a doggie bag when you order so you can package half of it right away (making it a two-for-one meal).

Traveling is meant to be a time of relaxation, adventure, and fun, so don’t let the stress of overspending take that away. By being discerning about your purchasing decisions and possibly even consulting a travel agent for money-saving advice, you can make the most of your time away while still protecting your budget.