The Low Fare Fun approach to travel budgeting is simple: look at the entire cost of the trip, not just airfare and a hotel. Include transportation, lodging, food, activities, travel gear, baggage, insurance, tips, and an emergency cushion. When you know the true cost upfront, you can find smart ways to save money while still leaving room to enjoy the trip.
Travel does not have to be expensive to be memorable.
That is really the idea behind Low Fare Fun and why I created it.
You do not need a luxury hotel, first-class airfare, or a massive vacation budget to have a great trip. In many cases, the biggest savings come from making a few smarter decisions before you ever leave home.
Find a better airfare.
Choose your airport carefully.
Travel on dates that give you more options.
Look beyond the obvious hotel.
And, perhaps most importantly, compare the total cost of the trip, not just the price that gets your attention first.
That is what Low Fare Fun is all about.
What Is Low Fare Fun?
Low Fare Fun is a travel resource built around one simple idea:
Spend less on the boring parts of travel so you have more money for the fun parts.
Airfare is an obvious place to start. But a cheap plane ticket does not automatically make a trip affordable.
A $150 flight can become much more expensive once baggage fees, seat charges, airport transportation, and other costs are added to the mix.
The same thing happens with hotels.
A cheap room several miles from everything may not actually save money if you have to spend $40 a day getting around.
Good budget travel is not simply about finding the lowest price.
It is about finding the better overall value. I partner with the following engines, and I will teach you how to use each of them to find the best deals in a future post.
How I Started Going To Las Vegas For Pennies A Day
Las Vegas was a dream long before I figured out how to make it affordable. I didn’t suddenly find a pile of extra money for trips. I started small, found a way to save a little at a time, and turned those small amounts into a Vegas fund. Before long, that dream trip didn’t seem quite so far away.
If you’ve ever thought a Las Vegas vacation was simply too expensive, this is the story of how I started making it happen without putting the whole trip on a credit card.
Read My Vegas Savings Story →Finding Lower Airfares
Flights can be one of the largest expenses of a vacation.
Fortunately, airfare is also one of the areas where comparison and flexibility can make a meaningful difference.
A smart flight search should consider several things.
Compare different travel dates
If your schedule allows it, check several departure and return dates.
Even shifting a trip by a day or two can sometimes produce very different fares.
This is one reason flexible-date searches are so useful for budget travelers.
Check nearby airports
Your closest airport is not always the cheapest airport.
Depending on where you live and where you are going, another airport may offer more competition or better routes.
But there is a catch.
You need to include the cost of getting to that airport.
A $75 airfare saving does not help much if parking, fuel, tolls, or transportation costs $100 more.
Look at the entire fare
The advertised ticket price is only the beginning.
Before deciding that you found a bargain, check:
- Baggage fees
- Seat selection fees
- Change fees
- Airport transportation
- Connection times
- Other mandatory charges
The cheapest ticket is not necessarily the cheapest trip.
Want my short list of trusted travel sites?
I use different companies for different parts of a trip. See which ones I rely on for flights, hotels, rentals, and activities.
Use Price Tracking Instead of Checking Every Day
You do not have to spend your morning repeatedly searching for the same flight.
Price tracking tools can monitor fares and notify you when prices change.
That makes it easier to watch a route without constantly checking it yourself.
It also gives you something important: information.
Instead of guessing whether today’s fare is good, you can watch how the price behaves over time.
That does not guarantee you will find the absolute lowest possible fare. Nothing does.
But it can help you make a more informed decision about when to book.
Budget Travel Goes Beyond Airfare
This is where Low Fare Fun gets interesting.
Saving $100 on airfare is great.
But what if you spend that $100 right back on an overpriced hotel?
Or expensive transportation?
Or restaurant meals three times a day?
What a Real Travel Budget Should Include
A real travel budget needs to include the entire trip. That means looking beyond the flight and hotel and thinking about the expenses that can quietly add up along the way.
Transportation
Flights, rental cars, parking, public transportation, rideshares, and airport transfers.
Lodging
Hotels, hostels, vacation rentals, resort fees, parking charges, and taxes.
Food
Restaurants, groceries, snacks, drinks, and meals at attractions.
Activities
Tours, attractions, entertainment, admission fees, and other experiences.
Other Expenses
Travel insurance, phone service, baggage fees, tips, and an emergency fund.
Travel Gear
The things you should have on hand before you leave, so you are not forced to buy them at inflated prices while traveling.
Looking at the complete picture makes it much easier to see where your money is actually going — and where you can save.
Cheap Does Not Have to Mean Miserable
There is a difference between being cheap and being smart with money.
You probably do not need to stay in the worst hotel in town just because it saves $20.
You may not want the six-hour flight with two connections just to save $35.
And you certainly do not have to spend your entire vacation looking for the cheapest possible option.
The goal is value.
Maybe you spend a little more on a hotel because it puts you within walking distance of the attractions you want to visit.
Or maybe you pay slightly more for a nonstop flight because it saves half a day of travel.
Maybe you choose a destination where your money simply goes further.
Those decisions can make a trip better without blowing up the budget.
The Low Fare Fun Approach
Saving money on travel is not about finding one magical deal. It is about looking at the entire trip and finding opportunities to spend less without taking the fun out of it.
1. Start With the Airfare
Compare dates, airports, airlines, and routing options. A little flexibility can sometimes make a surprisingly big difference.
2. Look at the Destination
Some destinations are simply more affordable than others. Do not automatically assume the most famous destination is the best value.
3. Compare Lodging Carefully
Look beyond the nightly rate. Taxes, resort fees, parking, transportation, and location can change the real cost considerably.
4. Plan Transportation
Figure out how you will get from the airport to your hotel and how you will get around once you arrive.
5. Build a Food Budget
You do not need to eat at expensive restaurants every night to enjoy a destination. Mixing inexpensive meals with a few experiences you really want can work well.
6. Leave Room for Fun
This one is easy to forget. Do not create such a restrictive budget that there is no money left to actually enjoy the trip. After all, that would defeat the entire purpose.
Low Fare Fun Is About More Than Cheap Flights
Cheap flights will always be an important part of the site.
But the bigger goal is helping travelers make better decisions with their money.
That means finding lower airfares.
Finding affordable hotels.
Comparing transportation options.
Choosing destinations that fit the budget.
Finding inexpensive things to do.
And avoiding the little expenses that quietly turn an affordable vacation into an expensive one.
The best budget trip is not necessarily the trip with the lowest possible price.
It is the trip where you feel like you got more for the money you spent.
Where to Start
If you are planning a trip right now, start with the basics.
First, figure out your total budget.
Then decide where you want to go and how flexible you can be.
From there, compare:
- Airfare
- Lodging
- Transportation
- Food
- Activities
Do not book the first deal that looks cheap.
Compare it. Look at the restrictions. Check the additional fees. Then look at the total.
That extra bit of work can make a surprisingly big difference.
And that is the whole point of Low Fare Fun.
You do not have to stop traveling because your budget is limited. You just have to travel a little smarter.
Less money spent on getting there. More money left for being there.
That sounds like a pretty good way to travel.
