As a native Floridian, and moreover, the daughter of
penny-pinching parents, who made Scrooge look like Donald Trump, I've grown up
learning how to save money in Florida. As an adult, I've fine-tuned my
deal sniffing, and now, can proudly say that I can find some of the best travel
deals on the market.
Travelling in Florida can get expensive, and travelling in
Central Florida can break the bank. Most of us have heard that two of
Orlando's major attractions just hit the $100/day threshold. For a family
of four, with hotels and food, that's an insane amount of money for ONE day!
No, I prefer to travel a bit differently; my kids never realize their
travelling on a budget, but my husband (and his wallet) certainly appreciates
my deal-finding skills.
Like I said, I'm a native Floridian, and over my 40+ years in
Central Florida, I've found attractions and vacation ideas that are often just
outside the radar of many visitors, so consider the following...
I stumbled on this one about five years ago. The company,
based in Fort Myers, auctions hotel stays and attraction tickets from
destinations across the state, in exchange for advertising. In other
words, the hotel gives FL Vacation Auction a multi-night stay in exchange for advertising.
I'm not sure what other legal mumbo-jumbo might be involved, but I really
don't care, as long as I get the deal.
Tips for using Florida Vacation Auction:
1) Read the fine print. Some hotel stays are only valid on certain days of the week.
Likewise, so tickets and hotel stays have expiration dates. If
you're purchasing them for use during WFC, make sure the expiration date is
after November 10, 2015.
2) Set up your account early. Setting up your account takes a little time, and you don't want
to lose out on an auction because you waited.
3) Set reminders. Florida
Vacation Auction allows guests to "watch" the price of an auction,
and will send you an email on Sunday to remind you that the auction is ending
that night.
4) Swoop in & Steal. Don't bid
until the last 15 minutes. Auctions end every Sunday night at 10pm.
Log in, go to the auction you want, and wait. In the last 15
minutes, enter your maximum bid; the system will only increase in $5
increments, so if you bid $20 over the current bid, it won't allow someone else
to bid unless they out bid you. Likewise, if there are no current bids,
the auction will show an "opening bid" price, which means you could
pick it up for the bare minimum.
By now, many people have discovered both deal websites and have
probably purchased a "voucher" for something.
1) Check Out the
"Getaways" and "Hotel" Features. Many people
don't know is that both deal sites offer hotel stays in Kissimmee, Orlando, and
throughout Central Florida. Some are for single nights, and can be
grouped for multi-night stays, and others are for week long stays. The
really cool thing is that both sites have deals for the Kissimmee area that are
valid through November 2015, so purchasing and booking now can save you lots of
$$ as hotel rooms begin to fill and are at a premium.
2) Try a New Restaurant. If you've
never been to the metro Orlando area, you have no idea just how many
restaurants there are. Due to the sheer number of restaurants in
Kissimmee-Orlando, there's a ton of competition, and many restaurant owners are
using Groupon and Living Social to attract new customers.
3) Take a Break. Competing is
hard work, so why not take a break while in town. Groupon and Living
Social both offer huge discount vouchers for massages, golf packages, movies,
skydiving, and even hot air balloon rides.
4) Don't Forget the Kids. Your kids
don't have to go to the theme parks to have a great time while in Florida.
Both Groupon and Living Social offer kid-themed vouchers for indoor
trampoline centers, indoor skydiving, movies, go-kart racing, mini-golf, zoos,
aquariums, dinner theaters, and just about anything else you can imagine.
4) Set Up a Profile and City
Notifications. You may not live in Orlando or Tampa, but you can certainly get
notifications for specific types of deals in the area. When you set up
your account on both sites, you will start getting email notifications of deals
that match your preferred city. You will get plenty of emails, and you
never know when something really cool comes up, so don't get in the habit of
absentmindedly deleting them before reading.
This site has been around for years, and it keeps getting
better. The Central Florida area is HUGE for rental properties and time
shares. If you need more space and options than what a hotel can offer,
consider renting a whole house, condo, or apartment. If you break it down
by the number of rooms you would need for your family/team and the price per
night, you'll probably find that a rental is cheaper. Likewise, private
pools, hot tubs, and room to spread out is always nice on a vacation.
Here's my new fav! We tested it this summer on our bike
ride of the Outer Banks, and I can't stop singing the praises of it. The
concept is simple. Owners rent out their entire home or just a bedroom in
their home, offer breakfast, and huge savings. On Air BnB, you can find
everything from single rooms, single family homes, castles, lighthouses,
campers, and even sailboats.
Tips for using AirBnB:
1) Market Yourself. Air BnB
hosts have the right to refuse a rental, so you need to make yourself look
good. When you set up your profile, use a picture that portrays you as
honest, fun, and trustworthy, and write a bio that tells hosts who you are and
what you do.
2) Check the Reviews. Every AirBnB
host has a review listing, % responses, and % approvals. AirBnB travelers
are typically candid and honest in their reviews. If the host has been
less than wonderful, you need to know before you book.
3) Read the Fine Print. AirBnB hosts
can charge extra for cleaning and pets, so know before you book. Likewise,
hosts can stipulate the gender of guests, whether or not they allow children,
and whether or not they have pets in the home.
4) Be Open. If you
decide to use AirBnB, you have to be open to all sorts of possibilities.
You are not in a hotel with a staff. You are in someone's home with
them. You may or may not see your host. Your host may or may not
want to hang out & chat. In the end, you may meet some really neat
people along the journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment