By Brianna Pennella, Student at Ithaca College

Want all the fun of a fabulous Spring Break but simply don’t have the funds? Here are some great tips on how to plan a budget break that won’t break your budget!

Staycation

If your dorm or apartment has the option, why not have a staycation instead of a spring break vacation? While spending more time at school may not sound like a break, if you and all your friends get together, it can be a great time. No worries about travel or where to stay!

This gives you a chance to really enjoy your campus in a way you don’t get to when bogged down by classes. Stay up late, order all your favorite foods and have an extended sleepover with good friends and good times that won’t break the bank. You may not be jetting off to an island, but you will be getting a relaxing time with friends.

Visit a friend

We all miss our hometown friends while at school. Since many colleges and universities don’t have overlapping breaks, this might be a good time to visit your pal who’s now a few states away. This could be a great chance to experience something new in terms of college campus life. Maybe you’re in a city and your friend is rural. Perhaps there’s plenty of Greek Life on your campus but none where they are.

Get out there and find out what other schools have to offer and catch up with your old friend while you’re at it. Not to mention, meeting new people is always a fun experience and you never know what kind of connections you can make! Even if it's just for a weekend, getting to see a big part of a good friend’s life can be an excellent vacation for both of you.

Plan a road trip

Sick of campus and just need to get away? Plan a road trip with your buddies and save costs on flights. Sure, gas may seem steep, but if the trip is a manageable distance and you plan appropriately, there’s a lot of financial savings in a road trip. Not to mention the endless opportunities for good times and inside jokes to form!

Maybe you’ve got a destination or maybe you’re all about the journey, but in any case, it’s definitely something worth trying. If there’s a great concert you want to attend, set that as the final destination and blast their music the whole way there. This also goes for sporting events, cities you want to visit or any other ending location you may want to set.

Plan ahead, plan smart

If you’re desperately yearning for that tropical getaway, there are some great ways to plan a trip and spare your savings account a big hit. For example, book your flights on weekdays rather than weekends and don’t be afraid of a connecting flight or two! Also, many times, booking far in advance lowers the cost, so try to plan way ahead.

Look for hotels and destinations running specials for large groups, Spring Break or any other occasion. If you can gather enough people, splitting costs on hotel rooms can go way down, and besides, the more the merrier!

While coordinating a large trip can seem daunting, don’t worry about every tiny detail. Perhaps the group will fly together but stay separately or visa versa. Let everyone schedule their own adventures but plan together for the best prices. The sooner you look and book, the better.

Follow this advice and the good times await!

Image courtesy of africa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net