Five Ways to Save on Beach Vacations

My family LOVES the beach! We travel to the beach several times a year, especially since we are so close to Florida. It only takes us about five hours to get to the Gulf Coast, which is our most frequent travel destination. Florida’s Gulf Coast includes Destin, Pensacola Beach, Panama City Beach, St. Pete Beach, Sanibel Island, St. George Island, Cape San Blas, Siesta Key, Naples, Captiva Island, and South Walton. We love the white sand beaches and the blue waters. The Gulf Coast has some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. With traveling to the beach often, I’ve learned several ways to cut costs when we go. I mean, who doesn’t want to take an affordable vacation?! 

Here’s How To Save: 

Drive – If you’re in Georgia, make it a road trip! When we drive to the Gulf Coast, it’s a little over 300 miles to get there. That means only one tank of gas in our car. One tank of gas runs us around $30 right now, and when we travel I normally use my Kroger fuel points and save .30 cents off of the gallon. So I can get a full tank for around $19 and we make it all the way to our destination. This means we spend less than $60 round trip to drive to the beach and back home. 

Rent a Vacation Home – Five star hotels are nice, but vacation homes are great when you’re looking to save! You can utilize properties like Wyndham Vacation Rentals or AirBNB. I prefer to stay in a vacation home because you can cook all of your meals where you are staying. There are also washers & dryers, so you can wash & dry your beach clothes, as well as do laundry before you head back home. 

Buy Groceries – When my family travels to the beach, we rarely eat out. Yes, eating at restaurants are fun, but I also have a child that has food sensitivities, so he can’t each much from restaurants. I prefer to shop at the grocery store once we’ve arrived at our destination and cook all of our meals. It’s so much cheaper! Depending on how many days you are staying, you stand to save quite a bit of money on food. 

Do Your Research – Find free things to do at your destination! Many beach destinations have a few free or low cost attractions available if you do a little bit of research. One of my favorites is the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. You can watch the Blue Angels Flight Practice for free several times a week. National Parks & Landmarks are also good to look up as free destinations. 

Enjoy the Beach – One of the main reasons why travel to the beach……..is to enjoy the beach! The beach is always free! You can wake up early, take a cooler or basket filled with food, and enjoy the day at the ocean. It costs nothing, and you can make countless memories with your family. 

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive! Hopefully with these tips you can find ways to minimize costs to take more vacations with your family.