Last-Minute Spring Break Budget Travel Hacks

Written By Mary Beth Eastman
Last updated February 23, 2018

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Money Saving Tips
February 23, 2018

Simple. Thrifty. Living.

As spring break rapidly approaches, you may find that you don’t have as much money as you would like to enjoy your vacation. That’s okay! Follow these last-minute spring break budget travel hacks so you can have a great time without spending a lot of money.

Airlines don’t like leaving seats empty. Similarly, hotels know that they need to fill all of their rooms to earn as much money as possible.

Unfortunately for travel companies and hotels, they often find that they still have room available at the last minute. You can use that to your advantage by booking last-minute flights and rooms at discounted prices.

You have to stay flexible when you use this approach to traveling cheaply. Instead of deciding where you want to go, choose your best option and make that your travel destination.

Popular sites for last-minute reservations include:

  • Airfare Watchdog
  • Secret Flying
  • Expedia
  • Bedfinder
  • CancelOn

There are a lot of websites that can help you save money on hotel rooms, car rentals, airfare and other travel-related expenses. Not all of them offer the same deals, so you should compare several websites before you spend any money. With a few minutes of research, you could save hundreds of dollars on your spring break trip.

Some of the best sites for travel discounts include:

  • Travelocity
  • Travelzoo
  • Kayak

Airlines often overbook flights to make sure that they fill every seat. If every passenger comes to the airport on time, though, the airlines have to ask people to give up their seats.

Since most people don’t want to delay their flights, airlines may give you rewards for giving up your seat. Those rewards usually include free tickets and hotel rooms. In some cases, the airline will even offer you money.

By taking advantage of overbooked flight deals, you could earn hundreds of dollars. You might not reach your destination when you expect to, but you’ll have extra cash to have even more fun when you arrive.

You don’t have to stay at home this spring break just because you’re short on funds. With these last-minute travel hacks, you can have a great time on a tight budget.

About the Author

Mary Beth Eastman

Mary Beth Eastman serves as the content manager for Simple. Thrifty. Living, where she is dedicated to helping readers use money and credit wisely. Mary Beth believes that access to the right financial information paired with a growth mindset are essential tools for getting out of debt and building wealth. Mary Beth has a degree in Journalism from Bowling Green State University and has focused her 20-year journalism career on putting readers front and center, carefully considering their concerns and presenting information that will help them in their everyday lives. She has won numerous statewide journalism awards. Her writing on personal finance as been featured on numerous websites in addition to Simple. Thrifty. Living, including Huffington Post and Lexington Law blog. Mary Beth resides in Pittsburgh, Pa., with her family and two rescue dogs.

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