After getting through the expense and stress of planning your wedding and the pre-wedding parties, the honeymoon should be an enjoyable getaway from it all.
Whether you settle on braving an outdoor adventure, hitting a sandy beach, or exploring a new city on your bucket list, this trip is all about celebrating your marriage. Also, the trip is about taking time off from your work and having a good time.
However, this post-wedding trip can create some financial stress if you don’t have the proper planning.
It’s hard to hunt down deals and keep track of flights while you’re already interviewing photographers and florists or maybe even searching the ideal hairstyle to match that gorgeous wedding dress… By the time you wrap your head around it you might end up shocked when you see how much a flight and hotel to your preferred destination costs, especially if you spend most of your time in a home office!
You may feel strapped after all the money you spent towards your big day. However, it’s possible to plan for a budget honeymoon to the destination of your dreams without detracting from your financial priorities and commitments as a digital nomad. Here are five tips that digital nomads use for planning a honeymoon that’s enjoyable and affordable for the post-nuptial vacation.
Early Booking
Locking in your plans earlier is one of the most effective ways towards saving for a honeymoon. It’s recommended that you book your trip at least six to nine months early. Early booking means you’re most likely to come across the best discounts on flights, hotel accommodation, cost of dining and activities.
In most cases, there is a brief lull period of about six months to the wedding day. After getting your wedding dresses and having booked all vendors. This is also the period before the last-minute rush of making seating arrangements and sending out invitations. You might want to check for wedding dresses from online sites like https://www.azazie.com/all/wedding-dresses.
Make use of this quiet period to put some muscle into booking your honeymoon. If trying to save on airfare, the sooner you get a booking, the better. Most airlines are expensive the closer you get to your destination time – last-minute booking will likely see you pay double!
Consider paying for some or the entire honeymoon before time, perhaps through your credit card and paying off the debt in full before the trip. Advance payments mean that you don’t need to worry about your vacation costs in the middle of the wedding planning madness – even if it takes a large bite out of your account initially.
Hunt for Deals
To save even more money while planning for your honeymoon, you need to carry out some comparison-shopping. A good way of doing this is looking for package deals that bundle your flight and hotel. Fortunately, all-inclusive cruises and resorts offer value for money, but be careful because costs towards excursions or alcohol are not included in the deals and can quickly add up.
You can save on costs by traveling to your destination during the shoulder season, which is time between the destination’s off-peak and peak seasons. Staying clear of peak travel times also means shorter lines and fewer crowds at popular destinations. In fact, off-peak season honeymooning is an additional great way of experiencing a luxurious vacation on a budget.
Note that shoulder seasons vary from one destination to another, so do your homework to understand the prices and crowds at your honeymoon choice spots. For instance, shoulder season at some ski resorts starts in April. On the other hand, January is the beginning of shoulder season in the Caribbean.
Have Realistic Goals
Determining how much for the honeymoon you can afford is one of the most critical ways of planning for one as a digital nomad. This involves reviewing your income as well as how much you can spend without incurring new debt – or having trouble paying bills.
As a freelancer, it’s tempting to lean on your credit card for trip expenses to pay off with time. However, going into debt for a honeymoon is not a wise long-term financial move. In fact, the high-interest credit card debt can create a huge financial hole for a couple that’s just beginning to build their life together.
Plus, interest on a credit card will significantly add to the trip’s actual cost. For instance, the average cost of a honeymoon in 2016 was $4,000. A credit card with a 16 percent APR would incur you about $2,800 in interest if you paid the monthly minimum.
Use Your Wedding Gifts
About a third of your wedding guests will gift you a check or cash while spending an average of $118 on a wedding gift. One way of planning for your honeymoon on a budget is by putting some of these cash towards your trip. You can open an online savings account that’s specifically for honeymoon expenses to avoid impulse purchases with honeymoon cash.
Plus, wedding guests prefer gifting couples with something they need, making a wedding registry the most popular place for choosing a present. Furthermore, you can easily save money towards your honeymoon by taking wedding registry to next level by allowing your guests to fund the trip’s expenses and activities.
Using Rewards
When you pay off your monthly balances, a good rewards credit card can help you save even more money. Savings are acquired through cash back on purchases, or points earned that can be used for travel expenses like airfare and hotel stays. However, you need to choose the best card 12 months before planning your honeymoon so you can build upon points.
Furthermore, you can use a co-branded airline card to earn upgrades or miles. You may also rack up on some airline miles by using your card to cover wedding expenses and paying the balance off immediately.
Many rental car companies, hotels, and airlines have loyalty clubs that can help save money while planning your honeymoon. Most of these programs include instant perks for members like discounted rates and no-fee Wi-Fi.
When it comes down to it, you and your spouse will forever remember that amazing trip you took together. These five money-saving tips that will help you score the ideal vacation for less.