5 Tips for a Great Honeymoon without Breaking the Bank
Planning a wedding can be stressful. If you are coming upon your wedding date and you are on a budget, you know that planning a honeymoon can be just as stressful as planning the wedding. Here are five great tips on how to have an affordable honeymoon without breaking the bank.
#1 – Stay Close to Home
Nothing in the honeymoon etiquette states that you have to take an all expenses paid trip to Europe for your honeymoon. Instead, choose a place that is close to home so you can drive to the honeymoon site. For example, if you live in California, there are literally dozens of places you can go to that are within driving distance. If there are tourist attractions near you, take advantage of them. Learn about historical sites that are near you. Nothing says you have to get on an airplane to enjoy your honeymoon. Instead, choose several day trips from your home and enjoy each other’s company.
#2 – Travel Off-Season
Shoulder seasons are great times to travel. Autumn and spring are wonderful seasons for traveling and seeing the country. You can find great deals on hotels and airfare during this period of time. If you are getting married during a high travel period, then consider putting off your honeymoon until the shoulder season. This will give you time to settle into your new marriage and go through all of the great wedding gifts that you will have received for your wedding celebration.
#3 – Register for Honeymoon Contributions
This is another great cost savings idea for your honeymoon. One of the newest ways that couples are financing their honeymoon is to register for a honeymoon package and have friends contribute to the cost. This is a great way for family and friends to participate in your honeymoon plans without being there. For a lot of established couples, this is also a wonderful alternative to having a wedding registry in which they register for gifts. Instead of another crock pot that you do not need, have your friend contribute to your honeymoon fund.
#4 – Search for Deals
There are a lot of great travel deals available during this economy. As travel is down, tourist locations and hotels are looking for travelers to come to their sites. Consider booking a cruise last minute. These are always great deals and are often offered at a significant discount from the total price you would pay if you booked the cruise far in advance.
Look for last minute deals at hotels and airlines. Often, hotels and airlines do not want to leave seats and rooms available and they will dump them on the market at the last minute at bargain prices. Look into wholesale ticket outlets for these great honeymoon deals.
#5 – Consider Buying a Honeymoon Package
Instead of booking your hotel, airline and destination separately, go to a travel agent and see what honeymoon packages they have to offer. In many cases, you will find that there are add-ons like cruises or sightseeing tours. This can add to significant savings and you will find that your honeymoon is all planned out for you without the added hassle of doing it yourself.
There are spectacular honeymoon deals available for your honeymoon if you have the time and the patience to seek them out. Nothing about being on a budget says that you need to either skip the honeymoon altogether or have a skimpy one just because you are watching your money.
Kimberly Robinson is a contributing writer at CreditDonkey where it’s smart to find deals. She recommends newlyweds consider 0% apr credit cards if they plan to splurge on their honeymoon. Kimberly loves to travel and her all-time favorite destination is Hawaii.
