Happy Monday Friends! My parents were visiting for the weekend, and it was a wonderful time. Their visit got me thinking about fun and creative ways to save money when traveling or on vacation. I thought I would post my thoughts for today’s Money Monday post :)

1) Subscribe to the local daily deal sites of the city or place you are visiting.
Living Social or Groupon often offer great deals on restaurants, attractions, and other great vacation additions. Sign up a few months in advance so you can keep watch for the deals most relevant to you. Another idea is to check and see if the place you are visiting has an Entertainment Book. At this time of year, Entertainment Books are usually on sale for around $15 and these books offer major savings on many attractions and restaurants. If you have a large family or are planning on doing much sight-seeing, this could be a great investment that would quickly pay for itself.

2) Explore free options such as local parks, lakes, and other cultural icons.
Many times you can find local parks with lots of attractions for free. Balancing these free activities with more costly events like museums can provide you with a fun and active vacation without breaking the bank. Another idea is to google search self guided tours of the place you visiting. You may be able to find free information or brochures online that you would have to pay for if you bought them on site.

3) If you plan on buying groceries while you are on vacation, sign up for the local grocery store discount card.
There is no reason to spend more just because you are only shopping there once. Usually, store discount cards offer major savings. Also, if there is a gas station associated with the store, using their discount card can also gain you gas savings. For example, at our local Kroger gas station, you always get 3 cents off a gallon when you scan your Kroger card. Also, the Kroger gas station is always at least 3 cents per gallon cheaper than other stations, so that is a total of 6 cents per gallon savings. Speaking of ways to save on gas….

4) Check the local news or radio stations websites to see if they have reviews of gas prices in the area.
Many news and radio stations are now offering a list of local stations with the cheapest gas prices. This could help you find the best deal on gas and save you the time of driving around :) It will also help you to know what to expect as far as average prices in the area.

I hope you enjoy these fun tips. I would love to hear your money-saving travel ideas in the comment section.