Summer is filled with long weekends, offering the perfect opportunity for a mini escape. What’s the downside? You may end up spending more than you wanted while trying to take advantage of all that free time. According to the U.S Travel Association, Americans are spending more and more on travel, dropping north of an estimated $800 billion on travel in 2015, up from $662.1 billion in 2008. This includes airfare, lodging, restaurant and bar tabs, as well as entertainment.
But don’t blow your savings on a few consecutive days of fun. Instead, check out these five tricks to “hack” your way to a cheaper last-minute vacation.
[See: 12 Frugal Ways to Save on Vacation.]
1. One-Way Airline Tickets
It’s never a good idea to wait until the 11 th hour to purchase an airline ticket, specifically if you are looking to travel during the summer months. According to the Airlines Reporting Corporation, which processes ticket transactions for airlines and travel agencies, airlines jack up their prices 25 to 50 percent between June and August.
To make matters worse, booking travel seven or fewer days before a trip will cost an average of 44 percent more than if the trip were booked 15 days or more in advance, according to Concur, a provider of integrated travel and expense-management solutions.
If this is putting a damper on your summer plans, check out sites like cheaptickets.com or skiplagged.com, which aggregate flights and can compare prices to give you the lowest standard fare. Also, consider purchasing one-way tickets on the carrier’s website; kayak.com’s “hacker fare” option allows you to cobble together flights to your destination and back instead of purchasing round-trip tickets, which may also reduce the cost of your last-minute travel.
[See: 6 Ways to Treat Yourself on a Budget.]
2. Last Year’s Luggage
The best time to purchase luggage is right after the holidays and before the start of spring travel season. If you missed the boat on that, you’re in luck. Sites like Overstock.com sell older luggage models at a fraction of the price. Likewise, if you check out luggage manufacturer sites, you’ll likely find pieces that didn’t sell out before March on massive discount to make way for newer models. Your luggage might not have the latest technological advances like iPod charging docks or titanium wheels but your traveling companions won’t notice … or judge.
3. Luxe-Life Hotels on the Cheap
Like flights, hotels tend to increase their prices as demand goes up and rooms get filled. At summer-specific destinations and at peak times, hotels can increase their prices by as much as five times the cost of a regular double-occupancy room during the off-season.
If you want to check out a summer hotspot without paying insane prices, explore sites like luxurylink.com or jetsetter.com, which have deals on swanky hotels (some up to 40 percent off) in coveted areas of the world. And if you aren’t risk-averse, hotels.com often has hidden fares on four- and five-star spots whose prices are slashed by almost 50 percent. You won’t know where you are staying until you actually book the room, but that’s part of the adventure!
4. ‘ Fun in the Sun’ Items
Items that reference things like sun, summer, beach or vacation already have a premium on them after May 1. According to Shopify, retailers generally mark up prices by as much as 50 percent to stay competitive when demand for merchandise increases. This includes items like sunscreen, beach umbrellas, coolers, folding chairs or beach towels.
Prices can be even higher if you hit a store in a beach town or vacation spot. According to touringplans.com, an 8-ounce bottle of Coppertone Kids SPF 50 is $13.95 at Walt Disney World or Disney Cruise Line versus $8.99 at Target, a 35 percent increase. One way to save: Purchase generic or store-brand products. These can be significantly cheaper than brand-name items. The same goes for beach gear: The older the model (think last year’s castoffs), the cheaper.
5. Borrowed Outdoor Gear
Buying gear for the great outdoors is similar to purchasing a car: You want to take your time, weigh all of your options, determine the best fit and most importantly, not overspend. When you feel rushed, you not only purchase items you may not need, you won’t be able to compare prices to get a good deal.
[See: 10 Oddly Practical Things You Can Rent.]
Instead, think about renting your gear from places like REI, Eastern Mountain Sports or Gear to Go Outfitters, a Brooklyn-based outfitter that only charges for the time you have the gear, ships nationwide and applies the rental fee toward the purchase of the item, if you like it.
To quote Ella Fitzgerald, summertime is when “the livin’ is easy.” Taking advantage of rising temperatures and free time shouldn’t add stress. With some research and an adventurous spirit, summer 2016 could be your best yet!
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Getaway-Bound? 5 Things You Can Snap Up Last-Minute for Less (Even Airfare) originally appeared on usnews.com
