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Easy Ways to Create A Beach Vacation Budget

For many families, planning a vacation is a big expense, a treat and something to look forward to all year long. Of course, because of Covid-19 and the fact that many schools are having online-only classes, families can now take advantage of this new schedule and book a (less expensive) late season beach vacation with the kids. This week we will share everything you need to plan a vacation on a budget, whether you just want a weekend getaway or prefer a week-long beach vacation. With these tips and tricks from the pros you’ll have everything you need to make sure you have a stress free, affordable and fun Ocean Isle Beach vacation.

Five steps to creating a budget.

Manage expectations

One of the first things you need to do when creating a budget is to create and manage expectations. This is best done by gathering the family together and then working on the budget as a family. This is particularly helpful for families with teenagers. By setting expectations early, everyone will be on the same page. Whether it is how many times you will eat out at a restaurant or how much money they can spend on souvenirs, it’s best to figure this out before your trip.

Look for deals

You can find websites all over the internet that can help you score deals on hotels, amusement park tickets, airline travel and so on. Make sure you look for bargains after you set the budget. There are two reasons for this. First, once you know what you want to spend, you have a better idea of where you can save. Second, it’s a great morale boost to see that you are coming in under budget (once you have one) when you find a deal. One of the easiest ways to find a great deal is to check out our specials, which you can do by Clicking Here!

Avoid credit cards

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. By working and saving up the money now, you won’t have to deal with payments or credit card interest rates after you come home. Find ways to creatively motivate yourself. A good way to do this is to print an image that is associated with your destination (such as a favorite picture of Ocean Isle Beach) and divide it into sections. As you meet a savings goal, tape the picture together. When it is complete…bam! You’ve saved up enough to pay off your vacation.

Choose a vacation rental instead of a hotel

Hotels have their purpose, but they aren’t great for the budget. Besides, who wants to stay in a noisy, cramped hotel room during their vacation? We have an island full of beautiful vacation rentals to choose from and Williamson Realty Vacations offers one of thelargest selections of rentals on Ocean Isle Beach.

A vacation rental home is economical for many reasons. They can typically house more people than a hotel. Often, it’s cheaper to rent an entire house than just a hotel room. Also, because you will have a living area, deck space, a kitchen, and there is plenty of reason to just hang out… you don’t even need to leave your home away from home. Your family can enjoy a game night, movie night, grill out, or walk out the front door to the beach. You can’t do all that at a hotel.

Once you’ve decided on your lodging budget, let us know how many will be vacationing in your party and tell us about the amenities you’re looking for. Then, our friendly reservationists will work their magic to find the perfect match for you.

Eating out, a budget buster to avoid

Eating out while on vacation is the easiest way to bust a family budget. By doing a little extra meal planning, you can quickly save a few bucks. Forget all those gas stations snacks and instead pack a cooler before you leave home with plenty of road trip friendly snacks. Limiting the number of times you eat out while traveling will save a ton of money. If you have items to make sandwiches, fruit, pre-sliced veggies, crackers & cheese, pop-tarts or granola bars, drinks (don’t forget the water), yogurt, etc… you will be able to eat most meals on the go.

Once you arrive at you vacation rental, take a quick inventory of your well-appointed kitchen and head to the grocery store. Plan meals that will produce leftovers and be sure to grab plenty of lunch supplies! Does your vacation rental have a barbecue grill? Then be sure to pick up plenty of seafood, meat, and vegetables to cook on the grill.

No different than at home, dining in is one sure way to stay budget friendly!

Protect your investment

Any good budget will factor in a way to protect your investment. The only way to fully protect your vacation investment is by purchasing travel insurance.

Travel insurance doesn’t just cover the cost of a vacation cancelation. It also covers a host of other losses and provides valuable protections like identity theft, lost luggage, travel delays and even some medical bills.

For more on our travel insurance plan check out our previous post: How to Protect Your Beach Vacation With Travel Insurance.


There is still plenty of time to book a late summer or early fall Ocean Isle Beach vacation. We have one of the best selections of vacation homes on Ocean Isle Beach. From small cottages to larger homes, no matter what size home you need we’ll have exactly what you need. Check out our specials by clicking here or give us a call today at 800-727-9222 to speak with one of our friendly reservationist.

Book an Ocean isle Beach vacation today

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Easy Ways to Create A Beach Vacation Budget
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