The majority of people have had to watch their finances this year and be cautious with so much uncertainty in the air, but it is also important that people are able to relax and enjoy themselves. Obviously, international travel has been severely restricted, so people have turned to staycations which can be a great solution. These can quickly become expensive, though, so here are a few tips for keeping the costs of a weekend away down.

Shop Around for Deals

First, you should be shopping around for deals and using comparison websites to find the best prices. Keep in mind that travel and hospitality have both been hit incredibly hard, so businesses will be keen to attract customers with deals being one of the best ways to do this (this also means that you are supporting struggling businesses and the economy).

Choose Off-Peak Times

Everyone books weekends away with a Friday evening/Saturday morning check-in and Sunday evening checkout time, so you might find that it is more affordable if you can arrive and leave during off-peak hours. This might be easier with more people working from home which could allow you to arrive on Thurs or Fri afternoon and perhaps leave on Monday morning or even the evening for a longer weekend.

Don’t Eat out Every Meal

It is the food which can very quickly turn a weekend away into an expensive one, which is why you should try to avoid eating every single meal out. Self-catering accommodation can help you to save a huge amount and you could then reserve restaurants just for dinner or even just one special meal over the weekend.

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Find Free Activities

It is also a good idea to research your destination ahead of time and to try and find some free activities to enjoy. It will depend on where you go, but walks, museums and parks are all good options and will help you to make significant savings. Obviously, it is helpful if you choose somewhere that will have plenty of options like this, such as Cambridge. This is a lovely city for a weekend getaway and travelling to Cambridge couldn’t be easier, so you should be able to have an enjoyable and affordable weekend here with plenty to keep you busy.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to keep the costs of a weekend away down while still having a lovely weekend. Staycations have been on the rise and many people are discovering the range of benefits that these can bring, but they can be expensive if you are not careful so it is helpful to know how to keep costs down – especially in a time where many people are looking to be smarter with their money.