Negotiating Vacation

My brother and my husband are both celebrating their 30th birthdays in the next few weeks so we are heading north for a weekend away. Whenever we take a trip, we typically stay in vacation homes or in REALLY cheap hotels/motels. Depending on the area, vacation homes are typically priced the same as or lower than local hotels but the added kitchen makes it convenient for cooking in rather than dining out.

I found a couple homes I liked and contacted the owners. One owner offered her home at a 30% discount since it’s a last minute booking but she wasn’t in the best area of town. Before Dave Ramsey, I probably would have booked the discounted one and never thought to negotiate with the homes I’d rather stay at.

Oh how times have changed.

I went directly to the best place and asked them to beat the price. What could it hurt?

Not only was I able to get the home we wanted deeply discounted, I was able to negotiate the refundable deposit to 75% less.

Hubby worked an extra side job and we have the whole weekend away covered with cash. Can’t wait!

Posted by Beks on November 7, 2011 at 5:00 AM in Life Experiences, Living Frugal | 5 Comments »
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Shannon responded:
Posted: November 7th, 2011 at 9:21 am
YAY for you! Have a lot of fun!
Kelly responded:
Posted: November 7th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
This is a really great idea. One of the main components of vacation that people spend the most money on is food. So if you’re going to a place where your not necessarily vacationing for the cuisine, one of the best ways to save is to hit the grocery store the first day, and stock up on meals you can prepare where you are staying. Bunking at a vacation home can definitely be the defining factor in spending a managable amount, verses going over your ideal budget. It also make’s for a more homey feeling, much more comfortable then an uninviting hotel room.
Helena responded:
Posted: November 8th, 2011 at 11:56 am
HI, I love your blog!!!! Get many great ideas from it…

What I struggle the most with is grocery!!!! How do you keep your grocery bill down? I buy mostly organic, and want to buy as much local as I can. And enjoy cooking healthy food. I dont want to eat crap food, but still want to save money Do you have any advice? And can I ask how much you spend on grocery a week? Or if you know how much the average saver is spending?
Starr responded:
Posted: November 8th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Great negotiating!

I don’t consider it vacation, though, if I have to cook and clean, so I’m not interested in food savings. In fact, I travel in order to eat well. So I get the early bird specials/theater menus when I go to big cities so I can get the good food a tad cheaper. I’ll be doing that in NYC next month!
Johnny responded:
Posted: November 9th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
I can’t say enough about retnting a vacation home versus a hotel, expecially if you are going in with a group of people. It’s more comfortable, typically has better features (rented a place in GA Mtns that had a hot tub with an insane view!)and is a little cheaper. This is an especially good idea when traveling to tourist-heavy cities like Orlando or Las Vegas. One my favorite sites is HomeAway.com.