Budget Travel Blog

If you’re a regular reader of this blog (thanks!) then you know that I went on a Thanksgiving trip that was planned at the last minute. I had been concerned about the cost of the unplanned trip but it worked out well in the long run. I was glad to spend time with loved ones and I managed to make smart choices to keep the travel costs low.

Despite the fact that the Thanksgiving trip went well, I’ve been thinking about ways to cut back on holiday travel. I think it’s great to spend time with your loved ones during the holidays. However I also think that this tends to be a really expensive time of the year to travel. I also think that traveling at this time of year is more stressful than traveling throughout the rest of the year.

I’m not sure if I’m going to implement any of these things but I have thought of some alternatives to traveling at the holidays. These alternatives include:

• Take advantage of up-to-date technology to be with loved ones virtually on Christmas. I know that it is important for us to spend the holidays with loved ones. However you don’t actually have to be in the same place as them to do that anymore. You can use video conferencing, Skype and other modern technology to conduct whole-family video phone calls. This gives you the feeling of being together without the cost of travel.
• Do Christmas in July. If your family is open to the idea then start a new tradition of celebrating the holidays during an off-season month. It doesn’t have to be in July, of course. Travel is cheaper in January and February than it is in December so postpone your trip for a few months. You still get the joy of spending the holiday together but you do it at a bargain.
• Celebrate the holidays with your new family. When we move away from our family and friends we move to a place where we create a new type of family. It’s a family made up of our spouses, our kids, our roommates and our new best friends. Instead of insisting on spending the holidays in the past, embrace the present and create lasting traditions with the people who live where you live now.

What do you think? Should we stick with traditional holiday travel plans or start doing something new this year?

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