{Guest Post}: 6 Tips to Save On Your Honeymoon
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After dishing out all that money to put on the wedding of your dreams, thinking about spending another dime on the honeymoon might be painful. However, after the rigors of planning a wedding, everyone needs that nice little getaway with their new spouse. Luckily, if you do some preplanning for your honeymoon like you did for your wedding, you will be able to cut some corners budgetwise and get a great honeymoon without the luxurious price tag. Below are some tips that will help you save some money during your honeymoon.
6 Tips to Save on your Honeymoon
1. Consider signing up for a credit card that includes bonus flyer miles in its reward program. You know you will have to put a lot of money out for the wedding. If you put everything on the same credit card, odds are good that you will accrue enough points to get free airfare for your honeymoon. Who knows, if you really go crazy on the wedding, you might be in for a free hotel and meal package or cash back for sightseeing, too!
2. Don’t be afraid to travel off-season, but also know what you are getting into if you book an off-season trip. Many places in the Caribbean have beautiful weather year-round; however, prices are higher in winter months because everyone up north is fleeing to the warm, sunny beaches. By planning your trip in the off-season, you will be able to save a lot of money on airfare and hotel accommodations.
A word of caution, though: Many tropical islands have hurricanes during parts of their off-season. Know when to completely avoid an area, and if you feel like gambling and book your honeymoon during a potential hurricane season, be sure to purchase travel insurance so you can be refunded if you are forced to cancel your trip.
3. Plan out your entire honeymoon budget before you pay for anything. Hotel and airfare (or cruise tickets) do not complete your bill. You will be souvenir shopping, eating and drinking, and probably partaking in some excursions and exotic adventures. You may also need transportation around your destination, whether you grab a taxi or rent a Mustang for the week. All of these cost money, too. Even with all exclusive packages, you are bound to spend money on something that the hotel and trip package just can’t provide for you.
4. Working off the previous tip, look into honeymoon packages and all-inclusive options. Sometimes you can get great discounts by booking your travel and hotel through the same company. These packages may also include some extra excursions that you would have had to pay for out of pocket once you arrived at your destination. Make sure you run all the numbers carefully, though; some bundles and all-inclusive options won’t actually save you money in the long run.
5. Consult a professional. You know how you had your wedding planner on speed-dial throughout your entire engagement? There are people who specialize in planning trips, too; they are called travel agents. Their job is to find the best deals out there and put them all together so you spend the least amount of money possible.
6. Ask for honeymoon items as wedding gifts instead of getting a fourth set of fine china. Travel gift registries allow family and friends to pay for a meal or two, book your hotel for you or even send you on a full cruise. If you are like me, you already have a furnished house with your partner. You aren’t looking for another salt shaker and you don’t need more than two comforters for the single bed you own. Family and friends are planning on spending money on you, so ask them to put it to the use you really want.
Those close to you aren’t the only ones you can ask for honeymoon treats. A lot of places will bump you up to a suite instead of a room and give you a free bottle of champagne with dinner if you casually inform them that you are on your honeymoon. The reason those upgrades happen in the movies is because at some point, they happened in real life. Speak up and they could happen to you!
A wedding is supposed to be the best day of your life and the honeymoon is supposed to be the best week of your life. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get everything you have dreamed of. By using these tips and doing a little digging on your own, you can live like a queen even if you have the wallet of a pauper. But again, these are just 6 tips to save on your honeymoon and there are a ton more out there.
What are your favorite tips to save on your honeymoon?
About the Author: Scott Huntington is a writer, reporter, blogger, and newly-wed. He currently lives in PA and with his wife and son. Follow Scott at @SMHuntington
