Photo Credit: -Marlith-

The whole rent fiasco distracted me from finishing up my New York City trip review. Now that it finished and the payment has been processed, let’s look at what I learned:

1. Have a budget for your vacation. Yes, even having a ballpark figure for your money can help you avoid throwing money out there that could need later for bills. I had a range for my trip, but I still went over. Shame on me.
2. Don’t allow family lack of budget to harm you. Due to a problem with the accounting department, the monthly paycheck was short by 1/3. I’m glad it got resolved now, but during the trip I tried to cover some expenses that I didn’t anticipate. It doesn’t help that they didn’t exactly budget to the trip. (By the way, remind your family and friends that emergency funds are a necessary part of any budget.)
3. Have a day to go back to your favorite spots. This is really important because it helps you cut down on impulse buys. If you know you’re going back the next day, then you can see if you still want that item 24 hours (or more) later.
4. Ask around for lodging. Using the internet last year, we got a room for $200 in Staten Island, 35 minutes away from the Ferry. This time, we stayed at an apartment in Brooklyn (our own floor) for $65 a night, one block from the subway.
5. Look for local spots to eat. You can get some incredible food for a good price if you look for hole in the wall spots. We had lunch the size of a dinner portion in Little Italy for $7.95 (plus more for sangria….and tiramisu…it was worth it)

If I followed these instructions, not only would have saved money, I wouldn’t feel so busy during my long weekend break. All in all I had a fun time with my family. Our next family outing is my husband’s family reunion. My goal is to get a trophy (they have competitions) and meet more people, in that order. J J/K…maybe….

Is anybody a frugal trip expert? Care to share any experiences you’ve had?

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