How to Honeymoon on $30 a Day

Your honeymoon is supposed to be relaxing, romantic and blissful. When it comes after an expensive wedding, expensive wedding band purchases and expensive flights to a far off location, though, a honeymoon can quickly turn into a financial headache. If you and your honey truly want to relax, you will need to find a way to save money while you are sparing no expense. Popular honeymoon destinations revolve around sun, sand and frozen beverages. Do not skimp on enjoyment; use your connections to your advantage.

Step #1:  Locate a Time Share

Do your parents have a time share? What about an aunt, uncle or family friend? Find someone in your family who has a few weeks each year at a resort chain. It’s okay if the particular resort is not in the area you want to visit. For example, if your fiancé’s parents have a place for two weeks a year in Disney World for their grandkids, you may be able to work it out. Ask if they would be willing to give you those two weeks as a wedding present. You may also be able to pay a small amount to them as they are already receiving a discount. Next, research the resort chain that houses their time share. Often, resorts have a few locations in Florida, a few in Mexico, a few in Costa Rica and even some in Alaska or Hawaii. Contact the agent in charge of the time share and ask to swap the location. You can trade the time in Florida for time in Belize if you request to do so early enough.

Step #3:  Upgrade to All-Inclusive

All-inclusive trips will save you money in the long run. They will also save you the hassle of carrying a large amount of cash or travelers’ checks. An all-inclusive trip budgets you for each day. Most resorts will allow you to upgrade from your standard time share rental to an all-inclusive package for $20-$50 per day. Your meals will be taken care of. In some cases, you will not have the option of eating breakfast or lunch on the all-inclusive package. Go to the market one day and stock up on food to keep in the hotel room. Aim for high-protein, non-refrigerated snacks such as trail mix, peanut butter and granola bars. Fresh fruit is often not expensive at local markets. This will save you on $12 burgers by the pool. As your beverages will likely be covered, simply getting by to dinner on high-protein snacks will keep your pocketbook full.

Step #4:  Book a Year in Advance

The key to making this scenario work is booking early. Time shares are not easily swapped for the exact week you are targeting. Ensure you will get your top choice by alerting the resort early. You may need to remain flexible in the timing; for example, considering leaving for your honeymoon a week late instead of the day after the wedding. Some couples prefer to have this time with family. Being flexible and booking early will additionally save you cost on your airline tickets. If you find out the weekend you are considering is a high-travel weekend, you will save money on tickets by remaining flexible.

Tags: All-inclusive, Book early, Cheap travel, Honeymoon, Timeshare