When you hear the name Johnnie Cochran you probably don’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling or think of traveling to beach towns. Johnnie Cochran is best known for getting a major pop culture icon with a marginal amount of talent acquitted of a crime he totally committed.
I’m talking of course about the time he represented Puff Daddy on stolen weapons charges. Although I hear he also represented some Heisman Trophy winner once too. Sadly, after working with Puff Daddy, Johnnie stopped defending criminal cases, and Puff Daddy changed his name to P. Diddy, and then to just Puffy, and then ultimately back to Puff Daddy again. And then in 2005 Johnnie decided he’s probably dealt with enough idiots for one lifetime and died.
I’m sure everything I just mentioned is ultimately what he’ll be remembered for, but before he left Johnnie Cocharan did leave us with this one great pearl of wisdom: “I’m a big believer in the fact that life is about preparation, preparation, preparation.” Now I’m sure he was probably speaking more of circumstantial evidence and less of travel here, but the message still applies. The best way to ensure that our money is being well spent, and that each of our dollars is being used to its maximum potential is preparation, preparation, preparation.
Be careful, however, if you say ‘preparation’ out loud three times a tube of Preparation H might just drop in your lap.
So to heed Johnnie’s advice, and to help you save some of your hard earned cash, I’ve prepared a list of simple tips to make your next travel experience to a surf town more affordable.
So no matter how un-inspiring your bank account, you can get out there and enjoy the best beach towns, and when you get home you feel smart and like you got a great deal.
1. Take Advantage of Exchange Rates (and the strong US Dollar)
Changes in exchange rates are an often overlooked money saving strategy. The fact that the same $100 dollars you have in your pocket now could potentially have greater purchasing power someplace else is like a magic trick on your wallet. While it is a great time to travel almost anywhere as a American with US Dollars, one place to take advantage of great exchange rates is the Canadian surf town, Tofino. Tofino is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia; it’s a popular tourist destination in the summer thanks to its great surf culture, immense nature preserves, and abundant whale watching. At press time the Canadian dollar has dropped about 30% relative to the US dollar compared to a year ago, providing savvy travelers lots of buying power and deep discounts. Think of all the Loonie’s (that’s what they call the Canadian dollar up there) you could save on lodging, food, and entertainment at those exchange rates.
2. Embrace the “Shared Economy”
There was an old adage that used to irate me as a child; it went like this “share, share, that’s fair.” Now back then I didn’t want to share, it’s my Glow Worm, back off. But as an adult, I now know that the act of sharing can keep lots more money in my pocket, so fine I’ll share my Glow Worm with you, for five dollars. The term “shared economy” is a way to describe the sharing of resources to reduce overall costs. Because as we all know, you can spend $12 and buy a whole apple pie or you can just buy just a slice and spend $3. That’s a fraction of the cost, and a fraction of the weight-gain. In terms of travel lodging, the leader in shared economy is, of course, Airbnb. The shared economy is causing a stir in the “hotel” industry, simply because it blow them away. Think about the added value, space and amenities renting a whole home, with a private back yard with a grill, full kitchen and living space offers? Not even close, and then there is the cherry on top, the “social value” of connecting with a like-minded host.
Ask anyone from the east coast to name some of their favorite surf towns and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone not mention the North Carolina’s Outer Banks, known for its temperate climate and 200+ miles of open beachfront, it’s a beach destination not easily rivaled. And what’s great is there are literally tons of amazing shared places in the area renting for a fraction of local hotel costs. Like for example, The Chill Beach and Surf Bungalow OBX, currently listed for the weekly price of $799.00 in the low season, now that may sound like a lot of money for one individual to spend on a vacation, but this particular bungalow sleeps 6 people, so if you head down there with 5 of your friends and divide the cost by 6 and that’s about $133 a person for a 7 full days of sun (finger crossed!) and fun! What might 3 hotel rooms cost for 6 people? Not to mention all the savings on food that come by having a full kitchen and the memories on a trip in a home vs. a hotel.
So if these type of savings don’t make you want to share your Glow Worm then I don’t know what will.
3. Drive Instead of Flying.
There’s a reason why the term “Getting there is half the fun” is often associated with the road instead of the sky. The fun that happens on a road trip with you and your friends in the privacy of a car is incomparable to the misery of being squished between two snoring strangers on a plane. Plus if you act a fool in your own car no one’s the wiser, but if you act a fool on a plane you might get tazed by an air marshal. Which makes for a great story when you get home, but just know those things leave a mark.
Now back to business. We’ve already learned that the more people you have to share your lodging costs, the more significant the savings per person will be. But it’s also important to note that the more people you have in your group the more expensive it is to fly. So why not drive? The savings here are just as significant. Take for example myself, growing up in a family of five every year my parents would pack my brother, sister and I into a minivan ( I know minivans, gross) and take the 3 hour drive from Long Island, NY to the super cool beach town of Wildwood, New Jersey. Between gas and tolls it cost roughly $125 round trip for 2 parents and 3 screaming kids to get to and from their vacation destination. Price out 5 roundtrip plane tickets to literally anywhere and you’re talking like 10x’s that amount. So if you really want to save money get out a map and pinpoint the nearest great surf town destination! Then strap your surf board to the roof, load up on Dr. Pepper and Cheetos, and hit the road man.
4. OK Fine Fly.
Type in “How to get the cheapest airfare” into any search engine and you’re bound to yield countless conflicting results on anything from the cheapest day of the week to fly to the exact minute to book your flight to get the cheapest fare. What you’ll also find is that a lot of these tips make sense, but just know it’s mostly because they are based on common sense. Like the one that says the cheapest day of the week to fly is Wednesday. Well that makes sense, because when you think about it Wednesday is the furthest day of the week in either direction of the weekend. And most people tend to travel on the weekends, because they don’t have to work. And if they can take a day or two off to travel, they’ll attach it to the weekend. So logically flight prices are probably higher on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays and lower on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, right? Well no not necessarily.
Well, you can putz around for hours and hours and hours souring the web and spend your TIME for the best flight deal or here are two other suggestions that just make sense:
A) Fly at deeply discounted rates and FREE – It may not be easy, but will be worth it. Download our free guide and we will show you how we have traveled round the world for free (Business Class) – It’s ok, its not for everyone.
B) Learn the trick of the trade of the Savvy Beach Bum and you won’t have to stress over flight expenses.
5. Stay Just Next Door To Where You Want To Go!
I live in New York City. And for every beautiful brownstone that so-and-so celebrity lives in, a mere 10 blocks away is an apartment complex that so-and-so post-grad who works in fashion marketing lives with her five roommates, two cats and a ferret. I’m not bashing miss fashion marketer here; in fact I think she’s the smart one. She gets to live in New York City and enjoy the same sex museums and artisanal cheese shops as Sarah Jessica Parker but at a fraction of the expense.
This brings me back to the beach. We all know everyone wants to go to Hawaii; it’s the state in America that makes America the most cool with some of the best surf towns. Yeah it’s a state, but it’s also a freaking volcanic-island in the middle of the central Pacific and it’s one of the most beautiful surf destinations in the world!
It’s also one of the most expensive. But just as in the case in New York City, there are expensive parts and right nearby there are way more affordable parts. Take for example Hawaii’s most exclusive community: Kuki, located in the Kona section of Hawaii’s Big Island. Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Computers, owns a $64 Million dollar mansion there. But you can stay a few miles away for significantly less, particularly if you embrace the shared economy. You may just get the better deal! Just make sure you wave to Michael from over your Mac!
I’m confident using just one of these tips could easily save you hundreds of dollars on your next travel experience to a surf town and thousands over a lifetime. But combine a few of them together and now we’re talking about some serious savings that can help you get more of what you want in the future. And if we all incorporate a little more preparation in our lives, maybe Johnnie Cochran’s legacy won’t be so disappointing. Well, at least he has a great tan!