TRAVELING WITHIN A BUDGET: GROUPON VS LIVING SOCIAL

If you were to ask me what my all-time favorite hobby is, the answer would be simple, traveling. I love to pack my bags and see new sights. Although I like planning for my next big adventure, money can be the deciding factor on whether or not I can take the trip. So, like most of us I’ve turned to the internet to see how I can get the best deal.

I have found some great tips and tricks along the way, for instance with some cruise lines, if you book a cruise while on board their ship you are likely to get a better deal than if you book while at home. I’ve also learned that booking airfare at 2 am on Tuesday doesn’t give you the best deal but in fact a horrible deal! Trust me, I know from experience.

There is one option I haven’t had the change to explore but I plan to check out, that’s Groupon and Living Social’s travel deals.

When it comes to Groupon and Living Social, I love their deals. I have purchased great dinner deals, fun activities and even some great deals on health and beauty. Plus, they have great ideas for birthday gifts! Whenever I have a birthday or even a bridal shower, I tend to turn to Groupon and Living Social for gift ideas! Not only are the services and products awesome, but the cost helps me and my budget.

But, what’s the truth with travel?

When it comes to using discount sites like groupon and living social for travel, you need to put a little leg work into the experience. Sometimes the cheapest deals are not the best experiences and the same goes for the most expensive trips, those can lead to terrible experiences.  But, there are a few things you can do and look for to plan for a great getaway.

Research!

I have traveled a lot and I’ve done a lot of research too! When you find a trip that looks out of this world on Groupon or Living Social, do some research off the site! Check out the hotel through sites like Yelp or Trip Advisor and see what others are saying about the resort. This will help give you a good idea of what the resort has to offer as well as a variety of experiences from people that have first-hand experience.  Also, check out social media sites associated with the resorts, you would be surprised at the good information available via social media including reviews of the resort.

Ask Questions!

When it comes to booking a trip, it’s important to ask questions. I know that deals are limited on Living Social and Groupon but pick up the phone and talk to a representative, see what they have to say about the trip, ask about insurance policies and their individual policies. If a representative from Groupon or Living Social can’t help you out, then maybe you should look for another way to take your big trip!

Likewise, when looking for travel options, call the resort directly. Ask them questions about the deal they have posted, talk to them about what the resort offers and even speak with them about the upkeep of the resort and their resort rating. This is a great time to get more information and more details on the offer. 

This is also a great time to speak to the hotel about getting “walk in” pricing. Find out what the rate would cost you to book the same room directly with them, you may save $500 or $20, either way it could be a savings.

Book local and smart!

I’ve read several articles that talk about the good and the bad with booking through Groupon and LivingSocial. I can see the point on both the good and the bad reviews but keep in mind people have different standards or expectations, other times something like bad weather might cause someone to give a bad review. If all we read is the end result, we won’t know the details.

So, be your own judge! If you want to take a big trip like Europe or Asia, try taking a local trip first. Find an affordable beach vacation, or if you know you’re going to see family, try booking a trip that includes airfare so you can see firsthand the experience from start to finish. If you book something local and cheap for the beach and you hate it, you can drive back home. Likewise, if you fly out to see family, just stay at their place if you are unhappy.

This is a great way to try it out, see the experience and make up your own mind and hey, it forces you to take a vacation or a staycation if you didn’t have one planned.

Budget Friendly

Another important thing to keep in mind when booking any trip is that it’s budget friendly. There are a few things that you want to be able to account for with your vacation. If you are flying be sure to account for the cost of luggage. You also want to be sure to account for transportation cost and any additional taxes or fees that might come with your stay. If you budget for a 5 day vacation with airfare for $1,000 a person you should try to find something a few hundred dollars less. This will help you from going over budget with the fees you didn’t think about… like luggage.

Good deal or not?

This is something that only you can decide! Everyone has different expectations when it comes to travel and price. What I think is a great price you might think is too high or what I think is a nice getaway you might not. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.

I have personally booked vacations through discounted websites which included airfare and the resort stay and I will say, it was an amazing trip! I had no problems or issues with my resort, in fact, the resort was nicer than the photos. When I read the reviews before paying for my trip they were 50-50 with positive and negative and I will tell you I had a 100% positive experience. The negatives that I read about didn’t exist and the trip was beautiful. I can’t wait to book my next trip and be proud of my savings!

^Alysha