Potential Cost Savings: Vacation, it doesn't mean getting on a plane

It's 4pm on a Friday. I am in my cube at the office, I receive a text from a colleague: "get me the hell out of here!". But what is a middle class person to do? Vacations are expensive.. oh no wait they're only expensive if you make them that way. Let's play....

Get me the hell out of here: the wild and wacky game of cheeky vacation planning!

Here is a model vacation: head to Florida for the week. I'm going super budget so tickets are $357 for two adults. I'm at the Hyatt place (4.3 stars... not bad) for $93 a night. I'm renting a car for $35 a day because I got a screaming deal. Grand total:$1250 for the two of us.

This is $67 a night? Yes please.

Not too bad for a family vacation... except check this out. I
already have a car payment so I'm going to put that bad boy to use. I see the alternative path puts me through some place called Ludington that I've never seen. I would like to check it out: it's by the water it's probably nice. Hotel is $93 a night or I could camp at the state park since I drove there but it's summer so forget that! In Traverse City uhhh . On the lake for $67 a night?
this is a fucking no brainer

"But I'm scared because airbnb is not equal to a hotel!"

Ludington State Park: looks like fun

Look bro: you're rolling two deep so you should be alright. Airbnb also has ratings. Look at that nice couple. I'm telling you guys, I was afraid of airbnb too, but it's so much better than a hotel. Your host knows local places to go, you can chat it up or they will leave you alone. It's a great way to see a city and to save some money.

Vacation number two: $512. If your living the dream and do not have a car, the bus will set you back $120 round trip for two bring the total to $632.

What's the point? When I was a kid, I lived in Grand Rapids and we would fly to Florida for our yearly vacation. Now that I'm an adult on my own I go on vacation as well (remember, we're fulfilling our need for mental health). When I look back on my childhood I wonder why we didn't spend more time going to places that were a two or three hour drive away. And we were a family of four: think of how much we would have saved on plane tickets. I suppose it depends on what you want out of a vacation. My parents wanted to go somewhere warm and sit on the beech. I'm more of an exploration guy so for me, the Ludington +Traverse City is a no brainer. Time to see two different cities, $600 extra in my pocket so when I see a cherry pie that looks on point, I have no trepidation in dropping $15 for it.

The key for me is to set your middle class expectations aside and take a look around you. Forget the standards of Florida, Vegas, San Fran and think three hour drive/bus trip. You'll get the same sense of discovery but also the peace of not having dropped an arm and a leg for it.

You can start here by copying and pasting this into the google: "weekend trips near [insert name of place where you live here]". Or pull up a map and take a look. Here's the one I made for ATL. I recommend making one of these and emailing it to your significant other with "pick one" in the subject line. Boom: you got yourself a cheap and fulfilling location.



10 points to anyone who makes a local vacation map and posts it below. Thanks for reading!