Surviving College Life

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Cheap Ideas for Summer Vacation

May 16th, 2009 Jamie

It seems like we are hearing everywhere that times are tough–tougher than they’ve been in a while–and its time to cut back. Well our grand dreams of European summer vacations may be on hold, but that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to spending June through August cleaning pools or taking the “stay-cations” to your local mini-mart. It’s just time to get creative, cheaply. And isn’t that what college students do best?

Take in the Scenery

Sure, it’s nice to hop on a plane and read a magazine all the way from Point A to Point B, but if you bank account looks anything like most college students’, first class probably isn’t an option. Instead, round up your best pals and set off on an adventure by car, train, or bus.

Resources

Sleep on the Floor

Need a place to stay but don’t want to spend a lot? Consider:

Best Western/Holiday Inn Express (relatively inexpensive and usually non-creepy)
Checking out a guidebook for your trip area to find cheap, quirky hotels
Crashing on a couch or floor of a friend/relative/friend-of-a-friend (but be a good house guest!)
Stay in a suburb of a big city (like NYC) and make trips in during the day
Camping out (in a tent, or if the weather is good & you’re feeling brave, right under the stars)

Resources

National Park Service Park-Finder (great campouts!)
Top 100 Campgrounds

Cook for Yourself

If you’re going the camping route, one of the best ways to scrimp on food costs is to cook over your campfire (or if you’re staying with friends or family, cook there–or see if they’ll share a meal!) It’s easy to carry milk and cereal in a cooler for breakfast, and for other meals check out:

photo by bjearwicke

Entry Filed under: social life

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3 Comments Add your own

1. What to do after the exam&hellip | June 19th, 2009 at 10:01 am

[...] Cheap ideas for summer vacation, by Jamie from Surviving College Life. Actually she had a whole series about the holidays called ‘Summer Wise’ [...]
2. Tents | July 5th, 2009 at 8:54 pm

That’s some great places. Thanks a bunch for the information. I was looking forward to the summer vacation. Thanks.
3. Surviving College Life &r&hellip | April 5th, 2010 at 10:16 am

[...] (Planning a trip? Here are some cheap ideas for summer vacations.) [...]

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