Costa Rica, Your Dream Vacation

Planning ahead is a great way to set your budget and try to organize activities within your price range.  Figure out how much money is a comfortable amount to spend each night and plan in a bit of expense padding for when you hit those forgotten costs like tips, tax, and even the small souvenir here and there.  If you do have kids maybe even use this as a way to help teach them about budgeting.

Give them an amount of money that they can spend on souvenirs, and let them figure out how they would like to budget it.  Help them process through the idea that if they get something small at each location, the money will last longer, or if they want something big like a t-shirt or a wall hanging, they will have to make that choice as well.

Also, you can save some money by cutting out any extra costs.  Sure, you can assume that with a small family, a rental car is a necessity, especially since you normally can get pretty decent rates if you book ahead.  Just be aware that there are extra fees associated with renting a car in Costa Rica.  Even if your credit card company covers the car, you will still need to purchase a different coverage that is required by law in Costa Rica.

This can, at times, double the cost of the rental by the time all is said and done.  Depending on where you are travelling to in Costa Rica, see if you really even need a rental car.  You can book shuttles to most places, which are much cheaper then a taxicab, and once you get to a location, most of the activities in the area are within walking distance.  Lots of tours also provide transportation to and from as well, for no additional fee.  Depending on how much of the country you are planning to explore, choosing to avoid the extra rental cost could be the way to go.

A vacation rental is also a great way to save some cash.  Just think of all those times you went out to breakfast, just because you had to feed everyone before that day’s activities, even though all that the kids really wanted was maybe some fruit and cereal.  Those small meals add up, and oddly enough the simple grilled cheese for lunch usually will suffice.  Plan to enjoy at least one meal per day at home and you can save loads of money.  By staying at Costa Rica Rental Properties you can even stock the place with delicious local ice cream and treats so that after dinner everyone can have some dessert without adding to the dinner bill.  While it may not seem like much, the $40 plus food bill at each restaurant can pack a heavy toll by the end of the week.

Another way to try and get some extra deals while planning your vacation is to seek out off-season specials.  If your trip allows it, try and go during the “off season.”  Many tours and accommodations offer better deals during the slower tourist seasons to try and encourage visitors.  You can always chat up the locals as well and see where they would recommend for a good deal. No matter what details you can’t live without during your trip, or which locations you just have to visit, where there is a will there is a way, and with a little bit of extra planning you can organize the adventure vacation of a life time.