Free Vacations and Getaways.... Beware!!

We would all love to win the next big European getaway or Bahama Cruise, but the reality is that they just aren't out there unless it is from a trusted source such as a company gift, family member or friend.

I've been all over the internet searching for vacation giveaways and nearly all have some sort of catch, usually it is sitting for most of your "vacation" listening to a real estate pitch.

If you truly are looking for a 'cation value, there are many ways to have fun, relax and spend less.  Notice the key word here is "less" not "free".  Many mid-grade hotels will discount your stay if you are a student, military servant, retired, or are members of certain organizations.  I have even received up to 20% off because I have a commercial drivers license.

Many of the four star hotels will offer package deals, so if staying in luxury is your cup of tea call ahead and see if they are offering any package specials.  This can be tricky though, you will want to know what their normal nightly fees are to be sure that you are getting a good deal.

Remember to always budget your 'cation according to how long your stay will be.  Normally, your lodging will be approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of your budget.  Sounds like a lot, but unless you are planning a primitive camping trip where your stay will cost you somewhere around $10 a night, it will be costly.

The best advice is that if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Stay away from free vacation offers that require sitting through hours of seminar, unless you are interested in purchasing a vacation home.

You can find great coupons for hotels at roomsaver.com, hotelcoupons.com and travelcoupons.com .  Look for other offers for deals on food, shopping and other such things from the place that you intend to visit.  For instance, on our playcation to Louisville we researched events and tourism for the dates that we would be planning to be sure that hotels would be plentiful and we could get the best price at GotoLouisville.com.

You can save money on any vacation, playcation or staycation but to expect it to be free is not very realistic. Save having your head in the clouds for after the details are worked out.