How Do We Afford These Trips?

Contrary to popular belief, I am not rich- I simply decided there are things I want to do, and I figure out ways to make them happen! In reality, I’m just a single mom with a single income and a knack for finding great deals!

People always seem to be amazed that I travel so often, though. I’m gonna let y’all in on my secrets!

First of all, while I’m great at finding travel deals in general, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert at anything other than traveling to Universal Studios. So if that’s not where you’re going, keep in mind I can’t vouch for other places!

Below are a few of my favorite travel tips:

Flights

Look early, look often. Flight prices change. don’t be afraid to check prices daily and hold out until you find a deal (just don’t wait too long- prices will eventually go up as your dates get closer).

Also, look around. It’s ok to check travel websites like Priceline, but keep in mind that with some airlines, like Southwest, you have to book directly on their website.

I’m also not afraid to fly budget airlines. Spirit is fine. It will get you there. Seats may be smaller and they charge you for every little thing, but even after paying extra for checked bags, I can almost always find flights significantly cheaper than other airlines (most of the flights I book are $38). Plus, I travel from Columbus to Orlando frequently, and Spirit has several nonstop options. Sorry, but I’m not spending the whole first and last days of my vacation in airports.

A word of caution, though: I’d shy away from budget airlines that do not offer multiple daily flights to and from your nearest airport. If your flight gets cancelled, and you’ve booked with an airline that flies out of your airport once a week, you will have to rebook with another airline or wait until the next available flight. Example: I once booked with Frontier. My flight home was cancelled. This flight was on a Sunday, and the next available Frontier flight wasn’t until Thursday. They refunded my money, but I had to rebook with another airline, which ended up costing me triple the price of the original flight.

Hotels

When I visit Universal Studios, I never stay off property. My biggest piece of advice is to look into getting an annual pass. They’re not as expensive as you might think, and I put those bad boys to good use! Aside from being able to go to the parks whenever I want (some passes do have blockout dates, so check those before booking), I also use my annual pass to score amazing hotel rates.

The Universal Orlando Resort hotels are awesome, and when you factor in the passholder discounts, they are incredible. More than once, I have booked Dockside for $78 a night. How can you beat $78?!?!

These are not hole-in-the-wall hotels, either! Since they have a cafeteria in the hotel and shuttles to the parks, I don’t have to rent a car, which is another huge cost savings. Plus, that cafeteria is great. Meals are somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 or less, or you can opt for a kids meal which is even cheaper, plus you can flash your annual pass for yet another discount on food. Also, they offer pizza delivery to the room and I believe it cost me around $13.

If the cheaper resorts aren’t your style, you can also get passholder discounts at Universal’s higher-end hotels as well. I’ve stayed at both Royal Pacific and Portofino Bay for around 250 per night, and these hotels also offer transportation to the parks and they come with Express Pass for your party for every day of your stay, including check in and check out. Those are some huge perks for what I paid to stay there!

Flexibility

There are a lot of ways you can be flexible with your travel plans, which all add up to savings:

Travel dates matter. If you can travel during the week, avoid holidays, and avoid times when kids are out of school, you’ll likely get much better deals (and have a much better time since there will be lower crowds at the park!). If you plan to travel Saturday to Saturday, also look at rates for Sunday to Sunday (or other combinations- that’s just an example).

Early morning and late night flights are sometimes cheaper. If my room isn’t ready when I arrive, or I have to check out before I need to be at the airport, I drop my bags with luggage services and head to the parks.

I never make travel plans with my heart set on a specific hotel- I check different dates and try to book whichever Universal hotel has the best rates.

Check, check, and check again

Rates change. I re-check hotel rates like a crazy person leading up to my trip. It’s paid off many times. I’ve also reworked my Southwest flights before, too. Some airlines (like Spirit) will charge a change fee, which makes rebooking a challenge, so keep that in mind.

You also need to be on the lookout for deals across the internet. Places like Tripster and Undercover Tourist are legit websites which offer tickets for several theme parks and attractions at lower rates than booking directly.

Side Hustles

I’m a big believer that every little bit adds up. None of the below apps are going to pay for your entire trip, but let’s say you make 10 bucks from each one. There’s 12 listed below. I’d be thrilled to get an extra $120 to use toward my trip in exchange for a few seconds of my time each day.

*All of the below apps are ones I actually use and have paid me real money or gift cards. If you click the links or use my referral code, most of them will give you a bonus to start with (and I get a bonus for referring you- which greatly supports our travels!).

(use code 37E35Z)

(use code [VTrwc35WD] )